Our values

🌿 More sustainable mobility, at all levels

We make it a point of honour to encourage alternatives to cars, and the results speak for themselves:

➡️ 62% of the public comes by public transport, 18% on foot, and 6% by bicycle. A secure bicycle parking facility is provided each year in front of the Festival in collaboration with Parking Brussels and the Municipality of Ixelles. Anima is also a partner of Pro Velo and Avello (formerly GRACQ). More than a quarter of festivalgoers come to the Festival on foot or by bicycle, generating no emissions. Thank you!

➡️ We always encourage our guests to travel by train. Air travel is only considered for journeys of more than 6 hours, with a maximum of 20 return flights per edition, including 5 outside Europe. We select guests based on geographical distance and make sure their visit will benefit as many people as possible (masterclasses, meetings, etc.). Our partner hotel is within walking distance, which also avoids a lot of traffic in the neighbourhood.
Air travel accounts for just over 40 tonnes of CO2e (40% of the total carbon footprint), even though air travel only comes second in terms of the chosen mode of transport for accredited individuals.

➡️ 100% of the team’s commutes throughout the year are made on foot, by bicycle or by public transport. We also limit our work-related travel, always favouring walking, cycling or the train.

The Mobility budget is largely dominated by emissions produced by guests (85%), followed by festivalgoers (13%) and finally work-related travel (1.5%) and commuting (< 1%).
21 Solutions: ‘Folioscope staff already set an example when it comes to commuting, since they favour cycling and public transport.’

A committed venue
Our main venue, Flagey, has also been awarded the Ecodyn label (2 stars). Flagey has undertaken major modernization work to improve its energy efficiency, including the installation of solar panels and heat pumps.
‘Fixed asset’ emissions*: 9.3 tonnes of CO₂e
9% of the carbon footprint
* emissions related to the use of buildings (offices and Flagey during the Festival), IT equipment and technical elements used during the Festival.

Sustainable and local food
Meals for staff and guests are 100% vegetarian and are prepared by Refresh, a social economy restaurant in Brussels. Products come from local Brussels suppliers, mainly from a market garden on the roof of a building in Ixelles (500 metres from Flagey): an urban agriculture laboratory covering almost 2,200 m², of which 900 m² are suitable for cultivation. The vegetable production comprises more than 50 different varieties of vegetables and 25 types of aromatic plants, not to mention small fruits and edible flowers!
For our audience, we offer local and sustainable alternatives in terms of drinks, homemade desserts and local beers.
Food and drink emissions: 9 tonnes CO₂ eq
9% of the carbon footprint
This includes emissions related to the catering of the Festival, both for the public and the teams.
21 Solutions: ‘Folioscope’s approach to food and drink is exemplary. Most dishes are homemade and most dishes are vegetarian.’
NB: A vegetarian diet is more environmentally friendly than a meat-based diet because it requires much less land, water and energy and causes significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Almost zero-waste catering
Reusable tableware (crockery, glass, metal); most bottles are returnable glass bottles; only pancakes are still served on paper plates (alternatives are being explored). Spectators who bring their own water bottles can refill them for free at all our bars. The public is invited to sort their waste using the recycling bins provided throughout the venue. Festival volunteers are available to help with sorting.
Waste emissions: 0.3 tonnes CO₂ eq
21 Solutions: ‘Waste represents only a small part of the carbon emissions generated by the Anima Festival, as measures have been taken to limit the number of disposable items.’

Collaboration with certified service providers
Our printer, Moderna Printing, is certified. The programme they print for the festival uses eco-friendly inks and 100% recycled paper. The team’s T-shirts are made by Color & Screen in Belgium from organic cotton, and our data host, Infomaniak, is based in Switzerland and offsets its emissions by 200%. Our bank, Triodos, is ethical and sustainable.
Emissions from the purchase of goods and services: 22 tonnes CO₂ eq
22% of the carbon footprint
Various purchases account for 14 tonnes CO₂ eq, mainly due to the production of programme booklets, T-shirts, postcards and posters.

Reuse above all
Our computers, phones and scanners are reconditioned or updated rather than bought new. Our preferred search engine is Ecosia. Data is regularly sorted to ensure limited storage. We limit emails and the use of AI, and we watch the 100 feature films in the selection together. We prefer Wi-Fi to 4G and our archives are stored on an ISO 14001-certified server.
Emissions from the use of digital applications: 3.8 tonnes CO₂ eq
4% of the carbon footprint
21 Solutions: ‘A 4th place for the use of digital technology seems to indicate low CO₂ emissions. However, the use of emails (177,638 sent/received/archived for the 2025 edition), the website (1 million page views), the Video Library and the newsletters (more than 100,000 sent) has a major impact. On the other hand, staff use IT equipment for a long time and maintain it well, a best practice that greatly reduces the carbon impact.’

Action plan for the future
Besides the measures already in place, those planned for the future logically concern the main sources of emissions,i.e. guest transport and paper printing, but also areas that are set to evolve significantly in the coming years: digitization, storage and the judicious use of AI.

We don’t stop at logistics: ecology is also a key theme in our programme. We select committed films (such as Ordures, the closing film for 2025), organize conferences on the impact of film shoots, and propose fun and educational activities such as the Animated Bike Tour, which will take festivalgoers through several districts of Brussels in the company of a figure from animation.

The team takes part in a range of events related to the ecological transition in the cultural sector. Our commitment has also been recognized: Folioscope responded to a call for eco-coaching projects, in partnership with the National Lottery, to further strengthen its carbon reduction efforts.

At Anima, diversity and inclusion are concrete realities, integrated into every stage of our work.

A committed team
Our organization is based on benevolence, listening, flexibility and autonomy. The team now includes a well-being officer. She is available during the festival if you have been either the victim of an assault or a witness to one: ask for Eva at the reception desk.

Parity and representation
There is a balance between women and men in the team, the programme, the panels and the juries. In 2024 and 2025, more than 50% of the short films in competition were directed by women, but this parity still needs to improve in feature films … Minorities are given visibility during meetings, round-table discussions and screenings such as Queer Night, the Girls Girls Girls programme and Real-Life Stories.

Carefully considered programming choices.

Carefully considered programming choices
Each year, films address themes related to gender, cultural diversity, disability, multiple identities and social justice. All this is done with respect and consideration for those concerned.

Concrete actions in the field
Screenings accessible to people with hearing or visual disabilities with the collective La PERCHE
Partnerships with associations working for inclusion, such as EQLA, Article 27, and Paspartoe
Solidarity rates and easy access for remote audiences
Workshops and contents adapted to neurodivergent audiences and people with disabilities

Essential transmission
Anima also seeks to address young people, schools and families with contents conceived to open up the imagination while seeking to deconstruct stereotypes from an early age.