Anima Vitae

Anima Vitae is a Finnish 3D character-animation and CGI production studio founded in Helsinki in 2000. Working across original intellectual property, international co-productions and animation services, the studio develops and produces animated feature films, television and streaming series, commercials, game cinematics and short-form work.

The studio’s work spans the full 3D production process, including character modelling and rigging, layout, animation, technical animation, lighting, look development, shading, rendering, compositing and visual effects. Its capabilities also include visual development, concept art, feature development, co-production financing and creative executive production.

Feature and episodic work

Anima Vitae is closely associated with the Niko feature-film franchise, beginning with Niko & The Way to the Stars in 2008, followed by Niko 2: Little Brother, Big Trouble and Niko – Beyond the Northern Lights. Its more recent feature co-production Fleak premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2025.

The studio has also provided animation services for Moominvalley across multiple seasons and has contributed to productions including The Adventures of Little Penguin, Angry Birds Stella, The Autocrats, Pasila, Studio Killers – Ode to the Bouncer, The Last Knit, Minifauna and Santa's Holiday.

Production approach

Anima Vitae combines creative development with high-end production services and international technical collaboration. Its connected production workflow uses a shared animation pipeline built around industry-standard tools including Autodesk Maya, SideFX Houdini and Foundry Nuke. The company describes character animation and animated storytelling as a central focus of its work.

Led in Helsinki by CEO and producer Antti Haikala, Anima Vitae continues to operate as an independent Finnish animation studio with an emphasis on feature animation, episodic content and cross-border co-production.