Fest Anča International Animation Festival (hereinafter the ’Festival’) is a specialised film festival organised by o.z. ANČA, registered office at Štefánikova 16, 811 04 Bratislava (www.festanca.sk). Its aim is to contribute to the development and promotion of animation and the animated film industry
The 18th year will take place in Žilina from 24th June – 29th June 2025.
At Fest Anča 2025 you can compete for Anča Awards in the following categories:
Fest Anča International Animation Festival is the first film festival in Slovakia with the prestigious status of Academy Awards® Qualifying Festival. Short films awarded with the Anča Award in the categories Best Animated Short Film and Best Slovak Animated Short Film can thus compete in the short film category at the upcoming Oscars®.
Only animated films under 30 minutes completed after 1st January 2023 are accepted into the Festival’s competition programme. Only works with the majority participation of a Slovak producer or a Slovak filmmaker may be entered into the Slovak competition of short animated films.The Festival’s non-competitive programme includes focuses, workshops, retrospectives, tributes, exhibitions and discussions.
Submitted films must be original and created by humans. While we are not opposed to works created using artificial intelligence, the direct contribution of the artist should be evident.
This year’s call for entries is open via FilmFreeway.com. The submission process is open from 31st October 2024 to 31st January 2025 and will take place in three phases. Earlybird submission is free until 30th November 2024. Submissions registered during the period between 1st December and 31st December 2024 will be subject to a registration fee of EUR 5 per film. Submissions registered during the period between 1st January and 31st January 2025 (Late Deadline) will be subject to a registration fee of EUR 10 per film.
The screening formats of the films are to be specified after the films have been officially selected. All films selected for all the Festival sections are screened in the original versions, and must be provided with English subtitles (unless the original version is in English). This is the responsibility of participants.
The selection of competitive films is carried out by a committee appointed by the Festival organisers. The programme schedule and order of screening sections are set by the Festival organisers.
Owners of screening rights (hereinafter the “submitters”) may submit their films to the 18th Fest Anča till 31st January 2025 for all the international competitions. Entry forms for competitive sections are available at the FilmFreeway webpage: https://filmfreeway.com/FestAnca2025.
If a submitter does not provide a screening file of a submitted film, they will be disqualified from the selection process.
The applicant agrees that films with the majority participation of a Slovak producer or a Slovak filmmaker may be automatically assessed during the pre-selection and included in the Slovak competition of short animated films.
No selected film can be withdrawn from the Festival programme after its participation has been officially confirmed by the submitter (a film submission acts as the official confirmation). Copies sent for competition will not be returned, such copies become part of the Festival’s archive.
The Festival committee reserves the right to select submitted films for both competitive and non-competitive sections. Submitters will be informed about the results of the selection process by 31st March 2025.
Submitters are obliged to follow the instructions for the delivery of copies of selected films. The instructions will be enclosed in a letter confirming a film’s selection for the programme. Submitters will send copies of the selected films in the requested format immediately after receiving detailed instructions from the Festival organisers. Films selected for competitive and non-competitive sections will be screened without entitlement to screening fees.
A submitter authorises o.z. ANČA to include the film on an online platform (with prior agreement on time limit and territory) if the event or part of the event has to be held online.
By sending entry forms, submitters give o. z. ANČA the right to use 20% of a film with a maximum 1 minute sequence from the selected film to promote the Fest Anča 2025 in any media.
During the Festival, teasers of selected films will be screened at the festival venues, in TV spots promoting Fest Anča, on the website of the Festival, on social media platforms and in multimedia presentations during the festival.
Fest Anča reserves the right to use film stills in promotional materials (festival catalogue, festival journal, leaflets, posters, billboards, website, and multimedia presentations), and provide them to the media for the purpose of disseminating information about the Festival.
The Festival organisers decide about guest invitations, and the Festival gives priority to filmmakers of selected competition films. A submitter whose film is selected for the programme (either competitive or non-competitive) will receive an accreditation for the festival. Travel expenses are dealt with individually, and are covered up to the amount determined by the Festival’s current financial circumstances. The Festival reserves the right to prioritise the travel and accommodation expenses of the authors of films selected for competition. Hospitality terms for invited guests of the Festival shall be arranged individually, and specified in their personal invitations by email.
International juries will be composed of prominent representatives of culture, film theory, and film journalism, as well as filmmakers and producers. There will be one international jury for Anča Awards in the Best Animated Short category and in the Best Student Animated Short category. Another international jury will award the Anča Award in the Best Animated Music Video category. The third international jury will decide the Anča Award in the Best Slovak Animated Short category. The Anča Award in the Best Animated Short for Children category will be decided by the children participating in the projections.
Members of juries must not have participated in the making of any films in the competition that they are judging. Jury members are sworn to secrecy. Festival organisers may attend jury deliberations, but cannot take part in voting. A jury comes to its decision according to the criteria upon which they all agree. A jury announces results at the final ceremony. A jury may award special mentions.
The sending of a completed entry form and film constitutes a submitter’s full acceptance of the Festival’s rules and regulations.
