As the new year begins, we’re inviting you to support Fest Anča in a new way via the Darujme.sk platform. While the world around us feels increasingly uncertain, our aim stays the same – to deliver the festival you love, in the same quality, every year. And we can’t do it without you.
What Is Fest Anča?
Fest Anča is an international animation film festival based in Žilina, Slovakia. For 19 years, it has been a home for animated film and the creative industries that surround it.
As Slovakia’s largest short film festival, it curates the most daring and inspiring animation from around the world.
Fest Anča is more than a film festival. It breaks down barriers between audiences, creators, and guests, and creates an atmosphere that’s open, vibrant, and impossible to replicate.
Did you know that…
Since 2023, Fest Anča has been the first film festival in Slovakia to hold the prestigious status of an Academy Awards® Qualifying Festival. Short films awarded the Anča Award for Best Animated Short and Best Slovak Animated Short are eligible to compete in the Short Film category at the following Academy Awards®.
Every year, we bring the best of international and Slovak animation to both adult and young audiences. Children are actively involved in the festival through creative workshops, theatre performances, book readings, and curated screenings of high-quality animated films they wouldn’t normally encounter in cinemas or online.
Why Support Fest Anča?
By supporting Fest Anča, you help culture, education, and creativity thrive across generations. Throughout the year, the festival creates space for children, families, students, professionals, and communities that are often overlooked. We nurture a strong young audience and design inclusive activities — including screenings accessible to Deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
Your support helps animation in Slovakia grow, inspire, and remain accessible to everyone.
Supporting Fest Anča means supporting animation, young voices, a strong community, and a culture that connects.
What Makes Us Unique?
- The festival lasts six days and takes place at six venues in Žilina:
Žilina-Záriečie Station Cultural Centre, Žilina Town Theatre, New Synagogue, Sterio Cinema, Rosenfeld Palace, and Artforum Žilina - Average annual attendance: 9,000 visitors
- Each year, we screen over 300 feature and short films
- More than 1,700 films are submitted to the competition annually
- An international jury awards films in five competition categories
- Every year, 40 volunteers work across 15 different positions, giving young people space to gain experience and get involved
- In 2023, we became the first Academy Awards® Qualifying Festival in Slovakia
- The festival is designed for both adult and children’s audiences. Learn more about it here.
- The festival is intended for both adult and child audiences
- In 2025, we became the first in Slovakia to present an animated film with Slovak Sign Language built directly into the image, supported by descriptive subtitles – and we want to continue doing so
- Fest Anča welcomes leading figures of world animation such as Nikita Diakur (2024), Sawako Kabuki (2025), Sara Koppel, Jaroslava Havettová, Michaela Pavlátová, and Koji Yamamura
