“I am exceptionally pleased that my graduation film had been included in the international competition of the great Clermont-Ferrand. Given the circumstances of this year, I have hardly realized that Cockpera has had a very fruitful festival life all this time, but moments like these are definitely a wonderful reminder, providing fresh motivation to keep on working,” said the film’s author Kata Gugić.

Cockpera is one of 78 films from 55 countries that will be screening in international competition at 43rd Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, which will take place online, early next year, 29th Jan – 6th Feb. Out of 8,300 submissions, the festival will screen 155 titles in three categories (International, National and Lab competitions). Apart from the film programme, the Short Film Market, a programme for film professionals, will also take place during the festival. For more information about Clermont-Ferrand ISFF, visit the official festival website.        

Cockpera, an animated opera inspired by Aesop’s fable "The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle", has to date screened at almost 40 film festivals worldwide, including the 24th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Animateka in Slovenia and Animafest Zagreb, as well as festivals in Hiroshima, Ottawa and Uppsala.  

The animated short has been awarded Best Animated Student Film at Flipbook Film Festival and has received a Jury Special Mention at FeKK – Ljubljana Short Film Festival, as well as the award of ASIFA Croatia for best student film of 2020. 

Cockpera is an Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb production, created in co-production with Zagreb Film, with Tomislav Buntak acting as producer and Vinko Brešan as co-producer. The film’s sales representative is Bonobostudio.

Young animation artist, scenographer and costume designer Kata Gugić graduated in Animation and New Media from the Academy of Fine Arts and in Fashion Design from the Faculty of Textile Technology in Zagreb.

Cover photos: scenes from Cockpera