Manchester Animation Festival

What Manchester Animation Festival does

Manchester Animation Festival (MAF) is a UK-registered not-for-profit organization (company number 09601800) that operates the country's largest dedicated animation festival. Founded in 2015 and seated operationally at HOME in Manchester with a registered office in Halifax, MAF runs an annual multi-venue programme in November — 8-12 November 2026 in-venue, with an online extension on the Eventive platform — comprising international short and feature film competitions, masterclasses, panels, workshops, a Family Day, and the Animation Nation Forum (ANF) B2B conference and MAF Marketplace. The festival is Academy Award and BAFTA qualifying, and is a member of the Alliance of British Animation Exhibitors, positioning it as the only UK dedicated animation festival with both qualification stages.

The organization's underlying technology is a third-party stack rather than a proprietary product: Eventive provides ticketing, DRM-protected streaming (FairPlay, WideVine, PlayReady), and forensic watermarking for online content; FilmFreeway handles global film submissions; Stripe and PayPal process payments; and Patreon supports recurring donations. Year-round community assets include the Young Animator of the Year UK competition (ages 11-22), MAF Presents special screenings, and industry partnerships with educational institutions (University of Salford, NTU School of Art & Design).

MAF's revenue model is diversified across four streams: festival passes and tickets (Festival Pass £115, ANF Pass £130, Festival + ANF Pass £220, Day Pass £50, Film Lover Bundle £45, plus concession and online tiers), corporate sponsorship across tiers (Higher Education Partner, Festival Patrons, Festival Partners, Event Sponsors, Marketplace Sponsors, Hotel Partner, Media Partner), film submission fees via FilmFreeway, and donations through Patreon, Eventive, and PayPal. Notable studio and broadcaster supporters include Netflix, Disney, Apple, Aardman, Cartoon Saloon, Blue Zoo, Nickelodeon, BBC, and Locksmith Animation. The customer base spans animation industry professionals, students and emerging talent, animation enthusiasts and general audiences, and families — serviced through event-driven, community-led, and online channels.

Name

Manchester Animation Festival

Legal name

Manchester Animation Festival

Website

https://manchesteranimationfestival.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Manchester Animation Festival is the UK's largest dedicated animation festival, operating an annual Academy Award and BAFTA qualifying programme of film screenings, masterclasses, workshops, and B2B industry events at HOME in Manchester, supported by global studio sponsors and a year-round community programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation Festival Events

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family, Kids & Education Fairs (MPAGAFAH)

Keywords

• Animation festival
• Film screenings
• Animation competitions
• Industry events
• Educational programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Halifax

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Festival Passes and Tickets: Revenue generated from selling festival passes (Festival Pass £115, ANF Pass £130, Festival + ANF pass £220, Day Pass £50, Film Lover Bundle £45, Online Pass) with various concession rates for students, freelancers and seniors.
2. Sponsorship and Support: Corporate sponsorship packages providing brand visibility, product placement, and audience engagement. Tiered supporter categories include Higher Education Partner, Festival Patrons, Festival Partners, Event Sponsors, Marketplace Sponsors, Hotel Partner, and Media Partner.
3. Film Submissions: Submission fees charged through FilmFreeway platform to offset staffing, administrative and running costs of the festival and for manufacture of award trophies.
4. Donations: Not-for-profit organization accepting donations through Patreon, Eventive one-off donations, and PayPal. Donations help continue to improve and grow the festival.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Manchester Animation Festival runs the UK's largest annual animation festival at HOME in Manchester, featuring international short and feature film competitions, masterclasses, talks, panel discussions, workshops, and family programming. The festival is Academy Award and BAFTA qualifying, and is supplemented by year-round programmes including the Animation Nation Forum (ANF) industry conference, MAF Presents special screenings, MAF Marketplace, and the Young Animator of the Year UK competition.

Product overview

Manchester Animation Festival is the UK's largest animation festival, operating as a single annual event held at venues across Manchester. The festival is Academy Award and BAFTA qualifying and offers a portfolio of interconnected programs including the main film competition (short films, feature films, student films, commissioned films, and immersive films), the Animation Nation Forum (industry conference), MAF Presents (special screenings), MAF Marketplace (industry networking), Young Animator of the Year UK (youth competition), and Industry Excellence Awards (recognizing individual practitioners). The festival runs in-venue with an accompanying online program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Manchester Animation Festival (Main Festival) The UK's largest animation festival, held annually in November at HOME in Manchester with additional city centre venues. Features international short and feature film competitions, masterclasses, talks, panels, workshops, and family programming. Academy Award and BAFTA qualifying.
• Animation Nation Forum (ANF) A business-to-business conference running alongside the main festival, serving as the UK's destination for animation industry leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs to explore cutting-edge conversations shaping the animation sector internationally.
• MAF Presents Special screening events featuring classic and notable animated films with introductions and Q&A sessions, held throughout the year at various venues.
• MAF Marketplace A free industry marketplace event where delegates can meet animation industry leaders, receive portfolio reviews, check out new technology, and meet recruiters.
• Young Animator of the Year UK An annual competition for 11-22 year olds across the UK to showcase emerging animation talent, culminating in an awards ceremony.
• Industry Excellence Awards Awards recognising individual excellence in Scriptwriting, Storyboarding, Character Design, or Character Animation for commissioned animation work.
• Animation Mixtape (Short Film Competition) Short film competition competing for a BAFTA and Oscar-qualifying Manchester Animation Festival Award.
• New Animated Voices (Short Film Competition) Competition for short films produced in academic environments, highlighting innovative work from students for a Manchester Animation Festival Award.
• Worlds of Animation (Short Film Competition) Curated selection of innovative short films from across the world, highlighted for creativity and ingenuity in both technique and storytelling.

Quantifiable outcome

• MAF is the UK's largest animation festival
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• University of SalfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial Higher Education Partner of Manchester Animation Festival. Provides academic connection and supports student engagement with the festival.
• Blue ZoocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival Patron and major UK animation studio. Tom Box, Co-Founder stated: 'We sponsor MAF to help support and champion the UK animation industry, which our business relies on. As MAF is the biggest animation festival in the UK, it's a no-brainer to financially support MAF to ensure it continues inspiring the current and next generation of UK animators.'
• Nottingham School of Art & Design (NTU)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival Patron providing academic partnership and student support.
• Sue Terry VoicessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival Patron supporting the festival's mission.
• HOME ManchestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFestival Partner and primary venue host. HOME is Manchester's centre for international contemporary art, theatre, film and books. MAF takes over their two main cinema screens and event space.
• Animation UKsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent Sponsor representing the UK animation industry trade body.
• Locksmith AnimationsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent Sponsor and collaborating studio. J.P. Vine, Film Director: 'It's great to see the festival gain momentum and importance for film-makers.'
• ScreenSkillssecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent Sponsor providing industry skills and training connection.
• TV Paint DevelopmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketplace Sponsor providing animation software industry connection.
• HUE Animation StudiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketplace Sponsor providing animation education products.
• Maldron Hotels Manchester CitysecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Hotel Partner providing 15% discount for MAF visitors (code DCR2001). 278-room hotel located 8 minutes from HOME, supporting festival attendees with accommodation.
• SkwiglyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia Partner providing animation industry media coverage.
• NetflixsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor streaming platform collaborating with festival for programming and masterclasses.
• DisneysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor studio collaborating with festival for programming and industry events.
• Aardman AnimationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeter Lord, Creative Director and Co-Founder at Aardman: 'The Festival is a wonderful place where filmmakers, animation students and film fans can immerse themselves in the art of animation through screenings and talks.'
• Cartoon SalooncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademy Award nominated studio providing masterclasses, talks and screenings. Works with Beryl Films founders Joanna Quinn & Les Mills.
• BBCsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor UK broadcaster collaborating with the festival for programming.
• ApplesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology company collaborating with festival for industry events and programming.
• NickelodeonsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBroadcasting partner collaborating with the festival.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mcranimation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzQVhfqTDf-gFr2jQKc7cKA
• Facebookfacebook.com/manchesteranimationfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manchester-animation-festival
• Instagraminstagram.com/manchesteranimationfestival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Manchester Animation Festival