Slovak Animation at Visegrad Animation Forum 2016

The International Festival of Animated Films Anifilm in Třeboň (May 3 – 8, 2016) introduces several Slovak films within its official programme, as well as at the platform for film professionals Visegrad Animation Forum (May 3 – 5, 2016).

Visegrad Animation Forum with Slovak Participation (VAF)
On May 3-5, 2016 Anifilm hosts Visegrad Animation Forum, film industry and market access platform for film professionals active in animation, with the aim to attract new partners, producers, broadcasters and film distributors, and to assist in finding ways of financing shorts, animated features and TV series.

Main Pitching competitions at VAF also include Slovak projects in the official selection:
Two Slovak projects of production company Bfilm are included in the selection for the pitching competition of Short Films in Development: The End by David Štumpf and Michaela Mihályiová, and UNTRAVEL by Any Nedeljković and Nikolu Majdaka Jr. ProjectMuflón Ancijáš by Juraj Krumpolec and Igor Derevenec competes among TV Series.

New Talents, the selection focusing on films by extraordinary talents with promising future careers, introduces Cowboyland, a short  by David Štumpf. The project counts on the presentation of this compilation at selected European animated film festivals, drawing attention on new talents and bringing them together with experienced foreign producers.

VAF Pitching competition juries also feature Slovak film professionals: Slovak director and producer Juraj Krasnohorský is a member of the international jury for Short Films in Development; Tibor Búza, programme manager of Slovak public broadcaster RTVS, is a member of the jury for TV series competition.

In addition, VAF hosts a meeting of the middle-European funders focusing on the opportunities of co-productions in the animation for children. The Slovak Audiovisual Fund is represented by its director, Martin Šmatlák.

Slovak up-and-coming projects will be presented within the Slovak Breakfast on May 5.
See more on Slovak animation as presented at VAF: Slovak Animation Today and More Information on Slovakia

Slovak participation at VAF is coordinated by the Slovak Association of Animation Producers(APAF), with the support of the Slovak Audiovisual Fund.

Slovak films in the programme of Anifilm
Film Saturday Evening (CZ, SK, 2015) by Šimon Mészaros, Slovak student at FAMU Prague, was selected for the International Competition of Student Films. The short tells a sad and nostalgic story of an ageing couple with unsolved issues from the past.
Spirit of the City (SK, 2015) by Andrej Kolenčík and Veronika Kocourková, the official video for the single of Slovak singer Jana Kirschner, competes in the International Competition of Musicvideos.

The accompanying film programme features further Slovak films. The section Where Is My Home? screens the successful and visually captivating TV project True Štúr by Michal Baláž (SK, 2015), as well as Lunik IX. by Michelle Coomber (SK, 2010), a bittersweet tale of childhood in Central Europe’s largest Roma ghetto.
TV series for children Mimi and Lisa by Katarína Kerekesová will be screened within the Animo selection; and Taking Stock will show the Slovak co-production title Little from the Fish Shop by Jan Balej (CZ, SK, DE, 2015).

Works in Progress of Anifilm presents upcoming full-length animation films. This year´s edition includes Slovak co-production project Oddsockeaters by Galina Miklínová – a story of the small creatures who live alongside of humans and are responsible for the socks that go missing when we only have one left from a pair – the odd sock.