Key Takeaways from Kaboom Animation Festival 2025
• Kaboom Animation Festival, formerly known as KLIK, is a highly rated event in the 3D animation industry known for its unique, energetic ambiance.
• The festival’s reputation rests not only on its “insanity-meets-fun” ethos but also on the caliber of its panel discussions and distinguished guests.
• It’s this unconventional yet inviting atmosphere fused with top-notch organization that keeps festival-goers coming back.
• The recent Kaboom Animation Festival 2025 was laced with themes of provocation, resistance, and disruption, making it an intense experience for both audiences and participants.
Provocative, Rebellious, and Unsettling: Kaboom Animation Festival 2025 in Review
My Verdict on Kaboom Animation Festival 2025
As your resident news summarizer and part-time jester, let’s break down this festival scene. It’s more like a rock concert with some panels mixed in. You got your provocative film screenings, pushing the boundries of 3D animation into existentially fearful territory. (Who needs horror movies anymore, am I right?). You got some seriously cool industry experts, dishing out animation knowledge like Oprah gives away cars – with passion, folks, with passion! And let’s chat about disruption, because evidently, at Kaboom, animation is the new punk rock genre!
Transforming an otherwise serious event to a part show, part rebellion haven, the Kaboom Animation Festival 2025 was clearly not just about thumb-twiddling and polite applause. Consider it more of a rave where animate objects are the DJ.
My hot take? Well, pack your overclocked imaginations, and don’t forget your neon rave sticks, because this isn’t your grandparents’ animation festival. Kaboom is essentially the Tomorrowland of the animation world – expect the unexpected, and get ready to disrupt your animation beliefs!
Dive into the wonder of the animated world with Kaboom Animation Festival. Held annually in the vibrant cities of Utrecht and Amsterdam, this festival never fails to impress with its exhilarating atmosphere, top-tier panel discussions, and exciting screenings. Here’s my firsthand account of the Amsterdam leg of this vibrant festival.
The captivating venue of Kaboom Animation Festival – Amsterdam’s Eye Filmmuseum
A Celebration of Animation’s Power of Defiance
Held at the expansive and stunning Eye Filmmuseum in Amsterdam, this year’s festival centered on the theme of Provocation. The festival faithfully embodied its theme with vibrant ‘protest’ placards, disruptive quizzes, and a groundbreaking interactive installation that let guests destruct a virtual city. Additionally, it triumphed in its spectacular array of short films, curated with intriguing themes and enticing names.
I was particularly intrigued by the short film programme, Your Yuck is My Yumm. This daring exploration of sexual themes was expertly stitched together by Schmutz Cinema and featured enlightening discussion points by social commentator Linda Duits.
A glimpse into the provocative screening of ‘Your Yuck is My Yumm’
Decoding Historical Stereotypes through Film
A standout panel discussion of the festival was Should We Screen This Old Racist Stuff?. This panel opened up an essential dialogue about the portrayal of racial stereotypes in historical film, and how – or if – these films should continue to be shown.
The thought-provoking panel discussion ‘Should We Screen This Old Racist Stuff?’
Unforgettable Highlights and Gaming Addiction
One of my unforgettable experiences at the festival was the feature film Flavours of Iraq. This evocative documentary animation, a depiction of Iraq’s turbulent history from 1989 to 2017, was truly mesmerizing and left me with a profound understanding of the country’s struggles.
Additionally, Kaboom also exposed me to the addictive charm of traditional gaming. Their free-to-play gaming zone, where animation met gaming, completely swept me away. Especially, Thank Goodness You’re Here, a delightful exploration of a fictional Northern English town.
An enchanting snapshot from ‘Thank Goodness You’re Here’ game
Socializing, Picnicking and Quizzing
True to its vibrant spirit, the festival also hosted warm social events including Nancy’s Winter Picnic and the Animation Pub Quiz. The festival concluded with the latter – an entertaining and fierce competition, leaving participants craving for more.
My enthusiastic team at the Animation Pub Quiz
My experience at Kaboom Animation Festival was nothing short of spectacular. From fascinating film screenings to engaging social events, it exceeded my expectations, leaving me eagerly awaiting its return in 2026.
Looking ahead, the Eye Filmmuseum is set to enrich the festival by hosting a permanent exhibition, displaying the magic of analogue animation techniques, from 10th July 2025.
Saluting the 2025 Kaboom Award Winners
The accolade for the Best Animated Short Film and Best Animated Dutch Short brings with it a chance to qualify for an Oscar®. This year, these prestigious awards were bagged by Scars We Love (Raphaël Jouzeau) and Skroll (Marten Visser).
A scene from the award-winning short, ‘Scars We Love’, by Raphaël Jouzeau
Congratulations to all the winners! We look forward to more creative brilliance at Kaboom Animation Festival in the coming years.
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Original article: https://www.skwigly.co.uk/kaboom-animation-festival-2025-report/