ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation) was founded in 1960 in Annecy, France as an association of individual animation artists.

Today ASIFA can be described as an international network of numerous local ASIFA Chapters, which have developed their own local identities and special activities. These ‘local’ ASIFA Chapters are sending their representatives to the ASIFA Board, where all important decisions are made. The key positions for the management of ASIFA, such as President, Executive Director (Trial Year), General Secretary, Treasures and all additional functionaries are elected all three years by the ASIFA Board. In the desribed ways all ASIFA Members can participate in the democratic decision processes.

Compared to the early years of ASIFA, when the Board Members where only Animation Artists, the ASIFA Board of today is composed of animation specialists from very different backgrounds, they are animation artists, producers, journalists, teachers, workshop leaders, festival directors, employees of local ASIFA Groups, and so forth.

ASIFA had to change and adapt its activities during the decades. While it was important during the first decades to start the first animation festivals of the world (Annecy, Zagreb, Hiroshima, Espinho, etc.), to promote the art of animation with the first international printed magazine about animation or to provide information about Animation Schools internationally, ASIFA has developed many more activities today.

One of the most successful new projects is the International Animation Day (28th october), joined by also a lot of non-ASIFA animation groups. The international Animation Workshop Group continues to do its successful work, and also the famous ASIFA Prize, founded in 1985, is given annually to outstanding personalities.

One of the most important projects for ASIFA’s future is of course this website, and you are invited to contribute to ASIFA with your ideas, proposals and critic.