During the 19th edition of Fest Anča, Žilina once again became a meeting place for animation students from across Europe. The forum provided a space for establishing new contacts, strengthening existing relationships, and sharing expertise, inspiration, and ideas.

Photo: Šimon Lupták

What Did This Edition Bring?

This year’s Student Forum welcomed representatives from 17 animation schools across 13 countries. In addition to the V4 countries (Slovakia, Czechia, Poland, and Hungary), schools from Belgium, the Netherlands, Estonia, Norway, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Ukraine also participated. The platform also expanded to include two new members: Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow and KASK & Conservatorium in Ghent.

The programme also focused on key social topics. Together with Louise Johansen from the Sane Cinema initiative, we addressed mental health in the film industry. Participants were inspired by many acclaimed industry professionals, including director Daria Kashcheeva. Throughout the event, we shared valuable experiences in teaching and animation production, and together discovered numerous exceptional student films.

Photo: Juraj Starovecký

Student Pitching Forum Results

The Student Pitching Forum announced its first winners and brought success to all presented works. Each of the eight presented projects secured a place at  festivals within the Animation Festival Network, while three  of them also received  accreditation to the prestigious Animarkt Stop Motion Forum:

• Zuzana Matysová – Tear Apart (UTB Zlín)
• Anhelina Shevchenko – 10th of October (EKA)
• Viky Klemša – Kamarádi nedonáší (UMPRUM)

The highlight of the forum was the presentation of the main prize of €500, supported by the International Visegrad Fund, which went to the author of the best project, Abigél Dérczy, for her film How to Become a Landlord (MOME). The Special Mention award was granted to Sofie Fenyková from UMPRUM for her project titled Ofous.

Photo: Šimon Lupták

Thank you for bringing your projects, experiences, questions, and energy to Žilina. It is thanks to you that the Student Forum continues to grow and develop. We are thrilled to see a strong animation community emerging that transcends the boundaries of schools and countries. See you next year!

Thank you for your support

AFN Edu activities under the Animation Festival Network are supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA programme. The Student Forum Fest Anča 2026 is organised in cooperation with the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM) and the University of Žilina.

The project is co-financed by the governments of Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund. The mission of the Fund is to advance ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.

With the support of the Government of Flanders, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Slovakia, and the Polish Institute in Bratislava.

Foto: Juraj Starovecký