Original animations, creative workshops, and more await children in Žilina! From June 24 to 29, the 18th Fest Anča International Animation Festival invites families to kick off the summer holidays in style. Children can look forward to a curated selection of original animated films rarely seen in cinemas or online, alongside workshops, book readings, and theatre performances.

The Best Animated Films for Children

The Best Short Animated Film for Children will be chosen by the strictest jury – children themselves. Will the winner be a film about a bat with a golden dress, or about Baker Boris who one day develops a flour allergy? The screenings will be full of cinematic adventures, fun, and friendship that are sure to resonate with adults as well, such as a film about a poisonous little mushroom that dreams of becoming a chef but must overcome prevailing prejudices.

Family Feature Films

In an exceptional Slovak preview, Fest Anča will present the Tales from the Magic Garden, which had its world premiere at the 2025 Berlinale. This puppet film is based on short stories for children by the Czech author and playwright Arnošt Goldflam, and tells the story of three children who spend the night at their grandfather’s house for the first time since their grandmother died. The film is a celebration of storytelling, family, and imagination that took ten years to make and has four directors, each from a different country.

Fest Anča will present this year’s winner of the Sun in a Net award for Best Animated Film – the Czech-Slovak-French feature film Living Large, about how to accept being yourself. The film reflects this year’s festival theme, Our Bodies, as it tells the story of twelve-year-old Benjamin, who starts dieting. After rejection and subsequent depression, he learns to understand that the key to happiness and growing up is self-love and empathy. The film will be available with Slovak closed captions as part of our Inclusive Cinema.

And be sure to check out Flow – the winner of both a Golden Globe and an Oscar® for Best Animated Film. Even though wordless, the film tells the story of a cat seeking refuge on a ship full of animals of all sizes who must stick together to survive in a mystical flooded land. On a magical Irish island, a group of one hundred puffins will seek refuge from storms in the Puffin Rock and the New Friends feature film. As part of the Inclusive Cinema programme, this film will be screened with interpretation in Slovak sign language.

And much, much more…

Competition sections are complemented by non-competitive film blocks and thematic sections for children. The Animation Festival Network includes the Baker Boris and Friends series, featuring several colourful films full of touching moments and imagination. Last year’s children’s competition was so successful it’s returning this year as the Best Animated Films for Children 2024.

The Body I Have reading will appeal to kids of all ages by featuring stories from children’s books about body diversity. Families with children will enjoy the interactive Stand Up for Yourself puppet show about safety principles and the courage to communicate needs, as well as a stop-motion animation techniques workshop.

The 18th edition of the Fest Anča International Animation Festival 2025 is financially supported by the Audiovisual Fund, the LITA Fund, and the SPP Foundation.

Organiser
ANČA Civic Society 

Co-organisers
Town of Žilina
Žilina-Záriečie Station
New Synagogue
Žilina Town Theatre

Main partners
The festival is financially supported by the Audiovisual Fund
Animation Festival Network
Creative Europe Media
DELL
ViewSonic

The event is held under the patronage of the Mayor of Žilina, Peter Fiabáne, and the President of the Žilina Self-Governing Region, Erika Jurinová.