A record-breaking 1,800 animated short films from 83 countries were submitted, with 218 chosen by the pre-selection committee; the festival returns to Žilina, Slovakia June 24-29.
Fest Anča International Animation Festival 2025 promises to bring a fresh selection of the most intriguing, diverse, and offbeat animations from the past two years when it returns in Žilina, Slovakia June 24-29.A record-breaking 1,800 animated short films from 83 countries were submitted, with 218 chosen by the pre-selection committee (Jakub Spevák, Ema Nemčovičová, and Peter Gašparík).
Films that win the Anča Award for Best Animated Short and Best Slovak Animated Short are automatically eligible for consideration in the Oscar Best Animated Short Film Competition.The main competition will feature 36 films, 13 of which are student works.The lineup features familiar names in contemporary animation, including Yoriko Mizushiri, Sasha Svirsky, Koji Yamamura, and Amanda Therese Bonaiuto, as well as emerging talents.
Included in the selection is from Julie Černá, from Bonaiuto, and from Emily Pelstring.Student works from the Slovak Academy of Performing Arts, FAMU in Prague, and the Dutch Design Academy Eindhoven dominate the Slovak film competition’s eight films.Among them is Matúš Vizár, who returns with his new film , which follows four activists.
The children’s competition features six short films, each with a message that can resonate with adults too.One such film tells the story of a small poisonous mushroom that dreams of becoming a chef but must overcome the prejudice of its surroundings.The festival’s non-competitive sections include works that narrowly missed out on the competition, along with shorts from around the world, animated documentaries, films for children, and non-narrative animations.
One standout in the latter category is , which incorporates AI – but only to the extent that the director’s creative input remains clearly visible.The most entertaining films, such as from Anne Feldmeier, can be found in the section, which takes audiences down a rabbit hole of absurdity, wit, and bizarre creativity., on the other hand, swaps laughter for fear, discomfort, and spreading mold.
The features films under two minutes long.The main theme of the festival’s 18th edition is .Fest Anča promises to deconstruct them, reshape them into new forms, and breathe new life into them.
The festival raises questions about whether we can exist outside of our bodies, or if we are too attached to them.Are our bodies, perhaps, the ultimate instruments of resistance? Instead, the theme will be reflected in special curated sections on corporeality, as well as in the selection of feature films, retrospectives, and other parts of the program to be announced in coming months.The Fest Anča International Animation Festival 2025 is financially supported by the Audiovisual Fund, LITA Fund, and SPP Foundation.
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
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