Summer festivals are not just events we attend to absorb art – encounters and shared moments are a huge part of it, too. In the time of an epidemic, we are deprived of these liberties. We are temporarily denied the possibilities of travelling and hunting for new experiences, of enjoying ourselves with friends, and consuming art first-hand, side by side by its creators.

We acknowledge the gravity of the whole situation and pay close attention to the latest reports which indicate that most probably, we would not be able to properly organise all of the elements that are crucial to every Fest Anča (such as the presence of special programme guests and foreign animators whose films made it into the official festival selection, or any other guests) for July 2020. We could not even guarantee that you – our visitors could come and participate.

Without these ingredients, Fest Anča would taste unimaginably sad.

Therefore, we decided that Fest Anča will not take place on July 2 to 5, 2020, as originally planned. Instead, we postponed it to a later date on which, hopefully, we will be able to deliver an unabridged festival experience.

August 27 to 30 is the new date. We stay in Žilina!

Below you may find answers to some of the questions that might help you with adjusting your plans effectively and warm you up for a nice post-pandemic rendezvous on the new date.

When and how will Fest Anča 2020 take place?

This year, the festival will exceptionally take place at the end of summer, August 27 to 30, to be precise. Our venues remain the same: New Synagogue, Stanica Žilina-Záriečie, and other cultural venues in Žilina.

Why postpone the festival now, when there is plenty of time until July?

We are occupied with the preparations all-year-round and changing the date of the festival is not an easy task. The current situation hit us right in the phase in which we should have the most important parts of the programme resolved: guests from abroad which are directly related to the main programme and accompanying events, and numerous guests from Slovakia and neighbouring countries. At the moment, their presence at the festival cannot be confirmed.

Protecting everyone’s health is our core priority and we do not deem the thought of being able to meet at Fest Anča in July this year realistic. We do believe that the end of summer is a viable option, though.

Will the official selection for the 13th year be announced later, too? Will call for entries be extended?

No, call for entries closed at the end of February, as planned. There will not be any extensions. The results will be published on our website and communicated via our social media accounts before the end of April.

What if the current anti-epidemic measures remain effective until August or longer?

We do believe that the situation will get better until the end of summer and people will be able to meet again and attend cultural events. However, should the situation not improve in the months to come, Fest Anča 2020 would have to be postponed to an even later date (but we hope no further postponement will be necessary.

I want to buy a ticket for Fest Anča but I am not 100 % sure about it. What if the festival is cancelled?

Keep calm and buy the ticket, we are positive that Fest Anča 2020 is going to happen. Even if this assumption was wrong and the festival would eventually have to be cancelled, you will be entitled to a full refund. In case we were forced to postpone the festival again from August to a later date which would result in any inconvenience for you, you will also be entitled to a full refund. Each sold ticket helps us to get through these hard times and we are very thankful for each and every one of them.

I wanted to buy the limited-edition ticket but these were only available until the end of March. Can these be purchased later on?

Yes, for now, limited edition tickets are still available. We will inform you of the last chance to grab yours via our Facebook and Instagram accounts.

What are the delivery options for the limited-edition ticket, considering the current situation?

Limited edition tickets cannot be physically purchased in Bratislava nor Žilina anymore. From now on, limited edition tickets can only be bought in advance via our website. These will be delivered to your e-mail inbox as well as your letterbox via post. Please, bear in mind that we will start sending the physical tickets containing Marek Menke’s artwork only after the strictest anti-pandemic measures are lifted and will be sending them only once in a few weeks, and not by registered mail, meaning they will land directly in your letterbox.

I bought a limited-edition ticket for Fest Anča 2020 but I can not attend in August. Am I entitled to a full refund?

Yes, you can return the ticket and get your money back. In case you bought the ticket online via Inviton, you just have to write an email to info@inviton.sk, mentioning the name in which the ticket was bought, and IBAN of the account you wish the full refund to be sent to.

In case you bought the ticket physically in Žilina, be it the New Synagogue or Stanica Žilina-Záriečie, you just have to bring it back and we will give you the full amount back in cash.

If you bought the ticket physically at Artforum in Bratislava, you can return it there and get a full refund but only once the bookshop gets back to its usual operation.

I wanted to volunteer at Fest Anča. When may I apply?

Volunteers have always been an essential part of Fest Anča. If you want to help us with the festival, we will need you in Žilina from Aug 26 to 30, 2020. Volunteer applications will be open from mid-June. As usual, check our website and our Facebook account to stay informed. We can’t wait to see you!

Will the volume and diversity of Fest Anča’s programme be preserved despite the festival taking place in August?

We do our best to reduce the impact of the current situation on the festival to the postponement exclusively. Call for entries concerning competition and non-competitive sections has ended, the official selection is almost ready, and we have this year’s themed focus close to finished. We decided to postpone the festival primarily in order to enable not only us, the organisation team, and you, our visitors, to attend Fest Anča but to make sure that guests, musicians, animation students, volunteers, workshop instructors, and everyone else involved can come and help shape the diverse programme Fest Anča has had for all those years.

Can I support you right now? If so, how?

Yes, buying a ticket for Fest Anča 2020 would be very helpful. Most probably, making a voluntary contribution will be made possible again this year, so that your financial contribution does not have to be limited by the cost of the ticket, if you feel like it. We highly appreciate all of your donations!

We would like to thank our partners and sponsors for their support and help in overcoming the situation we found ourselves to be in right now.

See you at Fest Anča 2020!

Fest Anča 2020 International Animation Festival is financially supported by the Slovak Audiovisual Fund and LITA Fund. Supported using public funds by the Slovak Arts Council. The festival is held under the auspices of the Mayor of Žilina, Mr Peter Fiabáne.