Social Activities at OIAF 2025
Places to Be
Chez Ani
Wednesday, September 24 to Friday, September 26 from 9 am to 9 pm
Saturday, September 27 from 9 am to 2 pm
Sunday, September 28 from 9 am to 4:30 pm
Arts Court Studio, 2 Daly Ave (Level 3)
Access: Everyone
Stop by for a snack, coffee, beer, or wine. Rest your weary feet, charge your phone, or meet a friend in the hub of the Festival. Located with Arts Court Theatre (screenings and Meet the Filmmakers), Registration (pick up your pass), and Aniboutique (buy your souvenirs), Chez Ani is where you’ll find anyone at any time; your friend from school or your favourite animator.
Aniboutique
Tuesday, September 23 from 10 am to 9 pm
Wednesday, September 24 to Friday, September 26 from 9 am to 9 pm
Saturday, September 27 from 9 am to 3 pm
Sunday, September 28 from 9 am to 4:30 pm
Arts Court Studio, 2 Daly Ave (Level 3)
Access: Everyone
The Aniboutique is the official shop of the OIAF and is located on Level 3 in the Arts Court building during the week of the Festival. Pick up hard-to-find books on animation, merchandise from animation artists, and your OIAF swag, including shirts, posters, books, and more! A pop-up shop will also be available on Saturday at Animation Exposé in the Canal Foyer at the NAC from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Jackson Café / Jackson at Night
Ottawa Art Gallery, 10 Daly Ave (Level 0)
Wednesday, September 24 to Friday, September 26
Jackson Café: 8 am to 5 pm
Jackson at Night: 4 pm to 9 pm
Saturday, September 27
Jackson Café: 9 am to 5 pm
Jackson at Night: 4 pm to 5 pm
Sunday, September 28
Jackson Café: 9 am to 5 pm
Jackson Café is the place to enjoy the art of a good coffee while simultaneously basking in works of art. The Café is located inside the Ottawa Art Gallery, where guests can taste delicious food and beverages crafted by Café Saint-Henri microroasters and Gatineau’s Maison Oddo Pastry House and Bakery. NEW for 2025 – enjoy the brand-new evening menu featuring shareable plates, a raw bar, and a vibrant cocktail list.
Parties
Opening Night Party
Presented by Big Jump Entertainment and the Ottawa Film Office
Wednesday, September 24 from 10 pm to 2 am
Lowertown Brewery, 73 York St (indoor/outdoor event)
Access: AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF 3 Day Pass, Wednesday Day Pass. All ages are invited, but a 19+ ID is required to be served alcohol.
Let’s kick off #OIAF25 in the best way possible: an epic party! Join us at Lowertown Brewery in the Byward Market for a night of meeting old friends and new ones while enjoying karaoke, poutine, and dancing!
Salon des Refusés
Presented by Bento Box Entertainment
Thursday, September 25 from 9:30 pm to 2 am
Club SAW, 67 Nicholas St (indoor/outdoor event)
Access: AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF 3 Day Pass, Thursday Day Pass. All ages are invited but a 19+ ID is required to be served alcohol.
We can’t all be winners, but we can take rejection in stride! Salon des Refusés is an opportunity for OIAF passholders to view films that weren’t accepted into the Festival programming. Join us at Club SAW for libations, commiserations, and a little crowd validation! We know rejection is a hard pill to swallow, so bring your OIAF rejection letter for a free drink to wash it down, courtesy of Bento Box Entertainment! All Festival passholders are welcome to view the refused films and meet the creators.
The Animators’ Picnic
Presented by Netflix
Friday, September 26 from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm
Strathcona Park, 25 Range Road (outdoor event)
Access: AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF 3 Day Pass, Friday Day Pass. All ages are invited but a 19+ ID is required to be served alcohol.
You can’t miss OIAF’s signature social event, the world-famous Animators’ Picnic presented by Netflix Animation! Passholders can hop on a bus from the ByTowne Cinema or the Arts Court to get to Strathcona Park, one of Ottawa’s most scenic green spaces along the Rideau River. Grab a complimentary meal catered by Mad Radish from while building connections. Show us your artistic talent during our pumpkin carving contest!
Shuttles to The Animators’ Picnic leave ByTowne at 12:30 pm and Arts Court at 1:00 pm, running back and forth until 4:00 pm.
Friday Night Party
Friday, September 26 from 9:30 pm to 2 am
Club SAW, 67 Nicholas St (indoor/outdoor event)
Access: AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF 3 Day Pass, Weekend Pass, Friday Day Pass. All ages are invited but a 19+ ID is required to be served alcohol.
It’s Friday, and we simply must get down on a Friday. Everybody’s looking forward to the weekend. We are so excited. We are going to have a ball. Yesterday was Thursday. Tomorrow is Saturday. We don’t want this Festival to end. Fun, fun, fun, fun DJ’d by “The Bears”.
Pique
Saturday, September 27, from 9 pm to 12 am
Arts Court / OAG / Club SAW (indoor/outdoor event)
Access: Pique is included in AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF 3 Day Pass, Weekend Pass, and Saturday Day Pass. Non-passholders can buy tickets from Pique (admission is on a sliding scale from $45 to $75). All ages are invited but a 19+ ID is required to be served alcohol.
Pique is a forward-thinking, artist-driven quarterly event series featuring eclectic musical, visual, and multimedia artists, produced by Debaser. Converging with the Ottawa International Animation Festival for a joint-party on Saturday, September 27, the lineup features global innovators, local creators, and underground legends in dynamic performances, DJ dance parties, artist talks, and more.
PIQUE Highlights:
5:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Spending Time, Holding Space installation opening reception, SAW Gallery
9 pm – 12:00 am, Drink and Draw party with DJ Chris International, Arts Court Studio
Break out your pencil and sketchpad and get ready to sketch our cosplay models as they pose to music by DJ Chris International!
9:30 pm – 10:00 pm, Project INK at Pique, ODD Box
Project INK is an immersive performance that merges dance and live ink drawing, led by Ottawa-based interdisciplinary artists and collaborators Rachel Gray and Katherine Ng. Developed during a residency with Artengine and Ottawa Dance Directive, the project explores the interplay between movement, memory, and the visual body—inviting audiences into a space where forms overlap, transform, and dissolve.
Rachel Gray is a visual and performance artist whose work spans puppetry, animation, opera, and installation. Her practice is deeply influenced by disability arts, community engagement, and ecological themes, often blending storytelling with tactile, visual experiences.
Katherine Ng is a professional dancer, choreographer, and contortionist in training. Since graduating from The School of Dance, she has worked internationally with renowned companies and choreographers while cultivating a personal practice centred on movement research, performance, and flexibility training.
Open until 11:00 pm, Hangout space, Jackson Cafe (OAG Ground Floor)
Want a quiet hangout? Head to Jackson Cafe – open until 11 pm.
The Full Pique Schedule can be viewed here: https://thisispique.com/schedule
DJ Sets and Performances:
10:00 pm – 11:00 pm, New Chance, SAW Courtyard
11:00 pm – 12:30 am, esme2k, Alma Duncan Salon
11:15 pm – 12:00 am, No Plexus, Club SAW
12:30 am – 2:00 am, Chippy Nonstop, Alma Duncan Salon
12:30 am – 2:00 am, Otis, Club SAW
Closing Night Party
Sunday, September 28 from 7 pm to 11 pm
Arts Court Studio, 2 Daly Ave (Level 3)
Access: AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF AnimaPass, TAC/OIAF 3 Day Pass, Weekend Pass, Sunday Day Pass. All ages are invited but a 19+ ID is required to be served alcohol.
The end is near and the grand finale is here! Let’s get together for one final toast. A casual affair held in the Arts Court Studio to chat, chill, or maybe do a little dancing.
That’s all, folks!