A rich accompanying programme has always been an integral part of Fest Anča. The theme of the festival’s 19th edition – Fake – will resonate not only through film screenings, but also through live music, masterclasses, discussions, and exhibitions. The festival will once again host its unique Student Forum for the fifth consecutive year, alongside Slovak Industry Day, a dedicated platform for Slovak animation professionals.
Discussions, Masterclasses and Exhibitions
One of the festival’s greatest strengths is the opportunity to meet and learn from outstanding creators. You can meet artists from around the world whose works have been selected for this year’s competitive sections during the traditional Breakfast with Authors sessions.
Film director, screenwriter, and curator of the VR section Ondřej Moravec will present this year’s VR selection while also discussing his own work in virtual reality documentary animation during a lecture titled Fake Facts or Reality You Can Touch? Festival’s main guest, Boris Labbé, will lead a masterclass exploring his creative process, which unfolds between the forces of Eros and Thanatos.
Boris Labbé
In her lecture Slavic Dolls and Slavic Sisters Unite: Pan-Slavism and Internet Mythology, Marie Heřmanová will examine the roots of the contemporary Slavic revival and explore why it flows so effortlessly from TikTok trends into politics – and back again. Meanwhile, the Slovak civic initiative Hoaxy a podvody will present Disinformation in Everyday Life, a talk focusing on disinformation as part of the broader ecosystem of hybrid threats.
The exhibition Seen by Kathalaluna, hosted by the New Synagogue, explores a dark forest of love, hatred, judgment, and opportunity – a place where the internet is not yet dead. The exhibition includes an augmented reality component (18+) that may contain disturbing content.
At Stanica Žilina-Záriečie Cultural Centre, visitors will find friendships in the times of uncertainty, a series of illustrations by Berlin-based duo Adam Pol. and Sára Král. The exhibition captures moments of friendship – the moments that keep us alive in uncertain times.
Adam Pol. and Sára Král – friendships in the times of uncertainty
Unforgettable Evenings
Fest Anča’s evenings have become legendary thanks to a carefully curated programme and the welcoming atmosphere created by festival audiences year after year. The festivities begin on Wednesday after the Student Forum, when Tucano Urbano will bring Latin American rhythms to the dance floor at Stanica Žilina-Záriečie Cultural Centre. Thursday will see the very first Fest Anča Karaoke Night take over the New Synagogue, giving everyone a chance to give it their best and discover their inner Madonna.
Friday belongs to the beloved Animation Karaoke Battle, but the night will also feature rising talent Nowalover, whose energetic set balances somewhere between chaos, drama, and raw intensity. Ukrainian DJ IRRENAFFORD will take audiences on a dynamic journey through techno, grime, breakbeat, jungle and footwork, blending genres and tempos into an intuitive flow. Joining the line-up is Slovak DJ, producer and Fuchs2 resident domizako, one of the most exciting young talents emerging from the region.
On Saturday, audiences can experience a special screening of Prometheus’ Garden accompanied by a live musical performance by Nathanael Mevel. Later in the evening, patricccio will step away from judging the Best Animated Music Video competition to deliver a genre-crossing set of dub, bass, grime, and breaks. His performances are known for unexpected twists that reflect his deep involvement in local nightlife, both behind the decks and beyond. The festival’s closing party will feature DJ Karma je zdarma, bringing beloved pop and disco favourites to the dance floor.
Not Just for Professionals
Fest Anča will once again welcome international guests at the Student Forum, a unique platform of European significance that has become a key part of the festival over the past five years. Students and educators from 17 European universities – including institutions from Hungary, Poland, Belgium, Estonia, Romania and Ukraine – will gather in Žilina for three intensive days of discussions, workshops, and networking. Alongside long-standing partner institutions, the forum will welcome two new members this year: the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków and KASK & Conservatorium in Ghent. Selected parts of the Student Forum programme will also be open to the public. This year’s key topics include mental health and sustainability in creative work.
Slovak Industry Day will focus on the Slovak animation community. Taking place on Friday, 3 July, in the New Synagogue Bar, the event will provide a space for creators to present current projects and discuss topics such as hybridity in animation. Slovak documentary filmmaker Viera Čákanyová will present her experimental immersive project Bardo, which uses generative artificial intelligence to explore darkness and create a psychological and sensory space. For the first time, the programme will also be accessible to accredited festival attendees.
Tickets
Information about tickets is available at: https://www.festanca.sk/tickets/
Tickets can also be purchased online via the Cinepass platform: https://festanca.cinepass.sk/sk/price-list/.
Partners And Support
The 19th edition of the Fest Anča International Animation Festival 2026 is financially supported by the Audiovisual Fund, the LITA Fund, and the SPP Foundation.
Organiser
ANČA Civic Society
Co-organisers
- Žilina Town
- Stanica Žilina-Záriečie Cultural Centre
- New Synagogue Žilina
- Žilina Town Theatre
- University of Žilina
Patronage
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.
Main Partners
- Festival is financially supported by The Audiovisual Fund
- Animation Festival Network
- Creative Europe MEDIA
Main In-Kind Partners
- Mediatech
- AfB-Group Slovakia
Partners
- International Visegrad Fund
- UMPRUM
- LITA civil association of authors
- SPP Foundation
- Orange Foundation
- ZSE Foundation / E.sk Foundation
- SK-NIC Fund
- Embassy of Belgium – The Diplomatic Representations of Flanders
- Embassy of the Netherlands in Slovakia
- Polish Institute in Bratislava
- French Institute in Bratislava
- Petramed
- IMPA Žilina
- Urpiner
- Tuli
- BikeKIA
- RADOMA Ryba Žilina
- Lunter
- Rosenfeld Palace
- Artforum Žilina
- Sterio Kino Žilina
- City Culture Žilina
- Slovak Film Institute
- CEE Animation
- Animation HUB
- Kvant
- MyCinepass
- Transport enterprise of the city of Zilina, Ltd.
- Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava
- ART VR
- Festiwal Animacji O!PLA
- DELL
- Viewsonic
- Hotel Dubná skala
- Hotel Grand
- Hotel Boss
- Dudok House
- Beervana
- VegGo
- Ázijské občerstvenie
- Chilteco
- Sushi Bonsai
- Smash Burger
- Absynt
- Hoaxy a podvody
Main Media Partners
- Pravda
- Aktuality.sk
Media Partners
- STVR
- Rádio FM
- Startitup
- TASR
- SITA
- Denník N
- Týždeň.sk
- Filmsk.sk
- Filmpress.sk
- Pontón
- DA Films
- Swine Daily
- Citylife.sk
- MY Žilina / Žilinské ECHO
- SP 21 (Žilina)
- FRONTINUS rádio
- Žilinský večerník, a.s.
- Regional Cultural Centre
- Mediak
- Lemur (Eastmag.sk)
- Bratislavský večerník
- Babymagazin.sk
- Kam s deťmi
- Časopis Hmota
- Radničné noviny
- f-a-t.cz
- Rádio Wave
Other Partners
- IPčko
- O.Z. Myslím
- inTYMYta
- Cinema Without Barriers
