We humans have always dreamed of an ideal society where everyone is happy and everything works. The catch is that for everyone the ‘golden age’, the period of greatest prosperity, means something different. Some say that the good times have passed, and only doom awaits us. Some believe that we’re currently living in the most advanced society, whilst others believe that the best is yet to come.

But we recognize that the world we live in today is not perfect – it is full of fear and hatred, and that it’s so far from the ideal affects us deeply.

That’s why we’re focusing on utopias at this year’s Fest Anča – to imagine the unimaginable and create our own Atlantis. We consider it important in today’s polarized world to allow ourselves to dream of new, often unattainable worlds.

But we can never achieve an ideal state of society. Utopias are simply very subjective ideas and ideals. There is a fine line between utopia and dystopia, as both our history and the present illustrate. We aim to look at utopias more as a process than a final destination. More as an option than a limitation. The dramaturgical selection will therefore aim for diversity and vibrancy – of genre, gender, and themes. And we’ll also examine art as a potential path towards utopia.

In the curated collection of short animated films, we’ll explore utopias from the perspective of the climate crisis and capitalism, as well as queerness and gender equality. We’ll pit dystopia and utopia against each other and aim to deconstruct them. We’ll be asking what paradise – the promised land – means today, why we’re here at all, and what’s the point of it all.

The film blocks will be accompanied by discussions with figures related to presented topics: activist Roman Samotný, visual and conceptual artist Jozef Pilát, and dancer Monika Prikkelová.

Our hope is that animated films will enable us to imagine not only one but several worlds. Even though “utopia” literally means “no place” in Greek, we hope to create a real sanctuary at Fest Anča where everyone feels safe and welcome. A place that is fairer and more inclusive. A place to call home.

• Jakub Spevák, Programme Director and Focus Curator

Fest Anča International Animation Festival of 2023 was financially supported by the Audiovisual Fund. The festival was financially supported by the LITA Fund. The Student Forum Fest Anča has received a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants.