Animafest Zagreb: Prestigious Festival of the Best Animated Films Taking Place in June

From 2 to 7 June, Zagreb will become an attractive destination for filmmakers and fans of animated film because this is when the World Festival of Animated Film Animafest Zagreb will take place.

At the Student Centre Cinema, the Kinoteka Cinema and the Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as other locations in the city, the total of 300 films will be screened out of 2000 of those entered from around a hundred countries. The winning film instantly becomes a candidate for the Oscars.

In addition to the competitive part of the programme, consisting of a prestigious selection of short and feature films, there is also a programme for children and youth and a programme dedicated to refugees, war, terror of state authorities and activism. Audience will also get a chance to enjoy programmes Time for the Masters and World Panorama. The gathering of experts entitled Animafest Scanner XII, masterclasses and book promotions are dedicated to professionals.

Six Croatian films are to compete in the short film competition, and 4 Croatian films are a part of the students’ films competition.

There are also two exhibitions open for visitors within the framework of the festival. At the Kaptol Gallery there will be an exhibition of Stipan Tadić, a renowned painter from Zagreb living in the USA, while at the Kranjčar Gallery Michaela Pavlátova, a Czeck director, is exhibiting her oeuvre. She is also the winner of this year's Animafest Lifetime Achievement Award.

The festival was established in 1972, as the second oldest film festival of its type. It was launched owing to the global reputation of the filmmakers sprung from the Zagreb School of Animation. At first the festival was held biennially, but as of 2005 artists of the world animation meet in Zagreb and show their work annually.