Film screening
The Magic HappenedA series of animation and musical storytelling workshops for children and anyone who wants to try creating a short animated film.
Framing Abracadabra
- Date:
- 21–
27 Jul 2025
- Age restrictions
- 6+
T
Illustration: Sasha Mendozo
Where does a story begin? Sometimes from a single word, a drawing, a melody, or a magic spell. Over the course of a week, we will try to create a story using various materials, frames and sounds, and then bring it to life.
All sessions are conducted in English with Russian translation.
We invite children aged 8 and older, and anyone interested in bringing their fantasies to life and working magic with details, to create an animated film together with our facilitators. We will develop plots, sculpt and draw characters, master frame-by-frame filming techniques, and try our hand at voice acting and musical improvisation.
There are two participation options to choose from. Children aged 8 to 12 can register for the Secret Chamber of Screenwriters laboratory and dedicate five consecutive days to working on an animated film—from concept to completion. And absolutely everyone can attend one or several Two Hours of Magic animation workshops, contribute to the collective project, and learn something new along the way. The finale will be a premiere screening of the animated film—just like the real thing!
We have invited artists from India to participate in the workshops. This provides an opportunity to become acquainted with different cultural and educational approaches, master new techniques and expand the boundaries of imagination.
Artists
Shayok Banerjee — musician, sound designer, and teacher who specialises in music for film and animation. For more than ten years, he has combined technical expertise with creative experimentation in his work. He works with both traditional instruments and digital sound environments, transforming the sound of wind, voice and chords into soundtracks. Shayok believes that music is a universal language and a powerful storytelling tool.
Debjani Mukherjee — artist, director, and educator in art and media. She holds a PhD in art education and a master’s degree in animated film. In her short animated documentaries, she explores themes of gender, identity and social justice.
Curators
Katerina Bychkova, Vasilisa Glazistova, Alina Taybulatova
Facilitators
Vasilisa Glazistova, Nikita Karataysky, Alina Taybulatova
Producer
Olga Bezukh
Translators
Natalia Chervyakova, Marina Tomilova
Anastasia Gvozdeva, Anastasia Petrova
