The Fest Anča International Animation Festival annually presents a selection of Slovak short animated films. Thirty-one Slovak films were submitted to this year’s 17th festival edition, from which the pre-selection committee selected eight for the competition and eight for the non-competition section. Renowned names of Slovak animation as well as emerging filmmakers in both sections once again offer a diverse range of themes and animation techniques.

“This year’s Slovak selection of short films is exceptionally new,” said Peter Gašparík, screenwriter, Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava pedagogue, and pre-selection committee member. “There are films for children, films with the imprint of the genre, and themes of trauma as well as humour.”   For example, the latest film Hello Summer by Veronika Zacharová and Martin Smatana, winner of the Anča Award for the Best Slovak Animated Film in 2019, tells a humorous and tender story about the importance of spending time with your family on holiday. It uses the animation of everyday objects to communicate the theme. The prestigious Annecy Film Festival will also screen the film this year.

Another outstanding film in the competition section is Bobo from OVÉ Pictures, directed by Veronika Obertová.  Her paper animation tells the story of miracles that happen, although sometimes they take longer than we’d like. The film also stresses the importance of checking children’s eyesight.

In addition to narrative structures, the Slovak competition also includes an experimental film by filmmaker Franz Milec. Perplexity calls for audience empathy with the robotic vacuum cleaner through AI style transfer.  Another non-narrative contribution to the competition section is Taping Black Boots by Japanese director Kaoru Furuko. She distilled her experiences and impressions of her stay in Slovakia and fascination with the country’s folklore into an audiovisual diary that deploys stop-motion, embroidery, and video.

Well-known authors in the Slovak competition are also accompanied by students of animation. Imrich Kútik from the Academy of Performing Arts will present SILO, a graduate film about women trapped in a dystopian wheat field who want to escape their trauma. The short, slightly scary and humorous Dream Rotation is a collective work by four students – Darya Sidorova, Viktória Zimmermannová, Katarína Jelínková and Rebecca Vakrčková. From the Academy of Performing Arts, Of Stars and Fables also made the competition section.

Another student in the Slovak competition is TBU Zlín’s Niko Mlynarčík . His Wereawolf discusses the toxicity of online communication, and makes a comprehensive statement about cyberspace manipulation and harassment.  His Existence was shown at last year’s Fest Anča, a film about philosophising while brushing teeth.

The pre-selection committee of Fest Anča’s programme director Jakub Spevák, Emma Nemčovičová and Peter Gašparík states: “This year’s Slovak selection showcases a diversity of styles, freshness and layers themes. We are pleased to see new names and so many student films in the competition section.”

Fest Anča has been an Academy Awards® Qualifying Festival since 2023, i.e. films that receive the Anča Award for Best Animated Short Film and Best Slovak Animated Short Film are automatically eligible for consideration in the Oscar® Short Film Competition. So Slovak animators have reason to be in high spirits because their films are one step closer to the Oscars®!

Everything We Missed is the latest film by illustrator and animator Marta Prokopova.  Set during the covid quarantine, the film was co-produced by Artichoke and MAUR Film, and is screened in the non-competitive section.

This section will also feature films for children by leading filmmakers Ivana Laučíková and Vanda Raýmanová, Fest Anča film-goers will look forward to the mosaic film Saturday.

SLOVAK COMPETITION OF SHORTS

Hello Summer – Martin Smatana, Veronika Zacharová

Wereawolf – Niko Mlynarčík

Perplexity – Franz Milec

Tapping Black Boots – Kaoru Furuko

Bobo – Veronika Obertová

Dream Rotation – Darya Sidorova, Viktória Zimmermannová, Rebeka Vakrčková, Katarína Jelínková

Of Stars and Fables – Alla Dmitrievna Prokopyshyna

Silo – Imrich Koutik

SLOVAK SHORT FILMS

Everything We Missed – Marta Prokopová

Slovak for a Word – To Mature – Marián Vredík

The Forest Five – Ivana Laučíková

The Tots (episode PICNIC) – Vanda Raýmanová, Michal Struss

Saturday – Szilard Kardiak

Veľká Potreba – Coincidence – Milan Uherčík

The Wolf and the Little Goats – Radovan Halička

The Wasteland – Timotej Lukovič

The complete official selection, including foreign films and all this year’s competition categories, will be announced on Thursday 4 April.

Fest Anča International Animation Festival 2024 was financially supported by the Audiovisual Fund. The festival was financially supported by the LITA Fund .