The best new animated films from Central and Eastern Europe in the running for the Audience Award and the Jury Grand Prix. The filmmakers featured in this strand include animation legends and debut filmmakers alike, and everyone in between.

A competition strand reserved for students at European universities. They are in the running for the Young Talent: Student Jury Award, presented jointly by the School of Arts (University of Nova Gorica), as well as Academy of Fine Arts and Design and Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television (both University of Ljubljana).

This year’s VR competition presents a collection of immersive experiences that push the boundaries of animation, narrative, and the role of the viewer. Each work in this selection blends innovation and emotion, inviting us to actively engage with deeply personal, fantastical, and often poignant stories. Through these experiences, the audience is not just a passive observer but an integral part of the unfolding narrative, navigating complex emotional landscapes and exploring intricate worlds.

This line-up of VR experiences offers not only artistic innovation but also profound insight into the human condition. From the deeply personal to the fantastical, these works expand our understanding of animated storytelling, creating a space for emotional and intellectual reflection in a way only immersive
technology can offer. Through their distinctive visions, these creators push the boundaries of both animation and VR, inviting audiences to explore new dimensions of empathy, identity, and existence.

Animated shorts in the running for the Children Jury Award for best film in the Elephant programme. Varying by subject matter and technique, this is a selection of animations that will enthral children and their parents alike. As the programmes are carefully tailored to specific age groups, there is no worry in letting the youngest children enjoy the animated images on the big screen.

A programme of the best animated shorts from around the world, programmed to give you a thorough insight into the latest developments and trends in auteur animation, including many award-winners from some of the leading international festivals.

Panorama is a strand that gives you the best insight into what regional animation cinema has to offer.

Students are the future of animation. They are also the most innovative, daring filmmakers, not afraid to experiment with techniques and topics. The strand explores the creative diversity of European animation students.

Animated documentaries combine traditional documentary storytelling with animation to explore real-life events, personal narratives, or historical accounts. Using various animation styles, they visualize complex ideas and recreate events that lack footage, making complex themes accessible and engaging. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the innovative intersection of art and storytelling!

A historical retrospective of debut films by some of the biggest names of animation. From the pioneers, including the first animated feature The Adventures of Prince Achmed (Lotte Reiniger, 1926), to names that have shaped, or continue to shape, the world of animation. The pioneers’ programmes will be accompanied with live music by Polona Janežič and Andrej Goričar.

This is an animated documentary about the escapades of three Hungarian friends in the early 1990s, a time when people in Hungary could finally travel abroad after the opening of the borders, but hardly anyone could afford to do so. To roam the world, they come up with a simple ticket forgery scheme, which soon turns into a lucrative black market business. But before long, they attract the attention of the police…

Ben is an ordinary 12-year-old: he goes to school, is a good student with a sense of ironic humour and a passion for music and food. He is a member of a music group where he writes lyrics and sings, but most of all he loves food. In the past, he has always humorously rejected barbs about his obesity, but everything changes with the new charming girl, Klara. Suddenly, his weight becomes a problem. So, despite his love of food, Ben decides to take drastic action – he starts dieting. In the process, he learns the importance of feeling good about yourself and trusting that those closest to you love you even when it doesn’t seem like it.
Jury Award at Annecy.

Three children in three periods of Italian history: the World Wars I and II and the political turmoil of the 1970s and 1980s. In places where everything was taken away from people who had little to begin with, and of which only memories remain. In his long-awaited feature debut, Massi paints a mosaic of fragments of personal stories that are not part of official history. Stories of violence, deprivation, but also of resistance.

This new tragicomic tale by Oscar winner Adam Elliot takes us into the world of Grace Pudel, an obsessive collector of snail statuettes whose life is marked by freak accidents and too many deaths. With a new tragedy around every corner, Grace struggles with loneliness, which makes her close herself off from the world like the snails in their shells. Ultimately, a friend helps her out of the darkness – an eccentric older woman named Pinky.

Screening with:
Cousin

In a small bookshop in India, a young artist, Inés, stumbles upon Sultana’s Dream, a utopian story by the Bengali feminist writer Begum Rokeya. Written in 1905, the booklet describes the fantasy kingdom of Ladyland, a land where women are independent, live in peace, get educated and run all affairs of the state. Inés decides to follow in the footsteps of this writer and thinker who campaigned for the rights of Indian women back in the early 20th century.

When the world is devastated by a great flood, a group of animals, led by a cat, find shelter in a boat. To survive, they have to learn to live together and to trust and help each other despite their differences. This is a journey full of obstacles, but also of beauty and tenderness, offering a much-needed reflection on the importance of community in building new worlds. An Annecy award-winning film that does not impose human qualities on animals, but simply lets them be what they are: animals.

Five enchanting animal fairy tales intercut with playful snowflakes take you on spellbinding journeys from France to Japan and the Far North with its Northern Lights where Christmas magic knows no bounds. Each story is a whimsical adventure filled with charm and wonder, revealing the importance of generosity, helping each other, and the priceless beauty of nature in wintertime.