Croatian films at 14th Animateka 

The festival, founded in 2004 as a logical extension of the monthly animated film programmes held in the Slovenian Cinematheque and curated by Igor Pressel, Animateka programme director, features the latest short animated film productions from Eastern and Central Europe.

The international competition will feature: Red Riding Hood Redux by Danijel Žeželj, Just Swimming by Darko Vidačković, Trip by Marko Meštrović, Periphery by Leona Kadijević, the minority co-productions Manivald by Chintis Lundgren and Airport by Michaela Müller, as well as Past is Growing by Dea Jagić. 

The Central and Eastern European competition will screen: 10 by Paula Konjušić, A Forest Fairy Tale by Franko Dujmić, Our Problems by Ivan Radović, Island by Tea Nucak, Process by Lucija Buzančić, Third Law by Goran Radošević, Charon by Alen Vuković, Oyashio by Tomislav Findrik, Monte Adrion by Vuk Jevremović (German-Croatian co-production), Gamer Girl by Irena Jukić Pranjić, Fury by Katrin Novaković and Rebel Girls by Maša Udovičić and Juliana Kučan.

Included in the EU Talents competition are “The Stranger” in My Head by Petra Balekić and Why by Iva Božić, while The Elephant competition will screen the minority co-productions Koyaa – Naughty Toy Car by Kolja Saksida and Hedgehog’s Home by Eva Cvijanović.

The Family Elephant programme will screen the feature minority Croatian co-production Oddsockeaters by Galina Miklínova, while the Elephant Family - Animals Animated programme will feature Tomislav Gregl’s Easygoing Teddy.

Croatian animators will present their latest projects in the AnimatekaPRO Pitch. The selected projects are: Iris (director – Lucija Božanić, producer Andrijana Vidaček, Zagreb Film); Matija Dances (director – Marko Dješka, producer Draško Ivezić, Adriatic Animation) and Stojko (director – Petra Balekić, producer Draško Ivezić, Adriatic Animation).

Festival details are available on the Animateka official website.

Marko Dješka participating in CEE Animation Workshop 

The idea to connect independent animated film producers from Central and Eastern Europe came about in the fall of 2016. The need to organize events and develop stronger cooperation was highlighted by the Visegrad Animation Forum, an international platform which has, for several years now, been organized to connect producers.

The workshop programme leader is Linda Beath who, for a number of years, has been consulting and educating film producers across Europe. The lecturers, who will work intensively with participants over the span of five days, a renowned film experts: Siun Ni Raghallaigh (Ardmore Studios, Troy Studios), Moe Honan (Moetion Films Ltd), Mathias Noschis (Alphapanda), Richard Rowe (DHX Media – acquisitions and co-productions) and Maciej Chmiel (TVP – Polish National Television, sales and acquisitions).

Marko Dješka (Adriatic Animation) is the Croatian representative and one of 26 producers from 19 countries who were selected to participate in the first ever edition of this workshop. The central themes of the workshop are international co-productions, financing, legal matters, marketing, sales, working with TV stations and digital distribution.

An important aspect of the workshop in Ljubljana will be the panel discussion on co-production criteria in Central and Eastern Europe. The discussion will be attended by more than thirty experts who will try to formulate a collective statement addressing film funds and TV station representatives, and will also seek greater support from the animation industry. This document entitled the Ljubljana Agreement, will also contain a description of specific animation production conditions within the region of Central and Eastern Europe, and will outline a strategy with the aim of improving and developing a competitive animated film industry on both the national and international level.

The workshop is organized at the initiative of the Creative Europe Desks – MEDIA from Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Estonia, Georgia, Croatia, Kosovo, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine, as well as the Visegrad Animation Forum, the platform for project presentations and networking which gathers animated film producers from Central and Eastern Europe.

The CEE Animation Workshop will take place from December 2nd to 6th, 2017, as a part of the Animateka International Animated Film Festival, which will take place in Ljubljana from December 4th to 10th, 2017.

More information on the CEE Animation Workshop is available here. 

*Article courtesy of DKE – MEDIA Croatia official website.

Cover photos: Animateka banner; Marko Dješka (*photo credit: Dragica Posavec)