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World Festival of Animated Film /
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World Festival of Animated Film / 1972.
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Animafest Zagreb 2014. has officially begun with the Opening Ceremony in Live Animation
06/04/2014

The 24th World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb 2014 was opened last night, on 3 June with the official ceremony at Europa cinema. The speakers at the ceremony were animated in real time in front of the audience who completely filled this beloved art theatre in Zagreb. The unique animated live show was made possible by Mimicrom, the Slovenian-German partnership between software and 3D animation, and DivIT company.

After the festival trailer, which was for the first time made by a foreign author – Chinese multimedia artist Lei Lei – the audience was addressed by Daniel Šuljić, artistic director, and Vjera Matković, festival producer.

- Animafest promises you six days of most diverse programmes, from acclaimed filmmakers to those who are yet to become classics – said Šuljić.

Vjera Matković pointed out that Festival organizers are particularly proud that Animafest this year takes place in 16 Croatian towns thanks to a collaboration with the Croatian Audiovisual Centre ‘Animafest in Independent Theatres – Let’s Go to the Movies!’ Matković also greeted more than 150 guests from all over the world, jury and selection committee members, speakers at Animafest Scanner symposium, most of whom were present at the opening.

Animafest Zagreb 2014 was officially opened by Hrvoje Hribar, head of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre. Hribar first made a joke about his own animated character on the screen, evoking the Zagreb School of Animation classic Musical Pig, and then he offered his own view of animation art.

- Animation is child-friendly metaphysics. Not all animations are meant for children, but it takes a child to make a film. Animated films are thus made by children of all ages, from those at Animation School Čakovec, to Borivoj Dovniković Bordo and Yuri Norstein. Animation is the work of people capable of preserving the primeval in themselves and of conveying their talent to the world. Animation has shown to Zagreb what it is capable of. Thank you for giving me the chance to say these sweet words: May the festival begin! – said Hribar, accompanied by the traditional confetti launch.

The Award for Best School of Animation followed, and it went to London’s Royal College of Art, received by Joan Ashowrth, chair of the post-graduate animation course. The award was presented to her by Tamaki Okamoto, member of the Student Competition selection committee.

- For 20 years now I have been managing this department, enjoying the rich imagination of my students, but when I read the explanation for this award, I cried. I realized the selections took a careful look at these works and studied them really well. This is my first day in Zagreb, but I can tell already the Festival will be fun – said Joan Ashworth.

The Award for Outstanding Contribution to Animation Studies was given by Nikica Gilić, member of the Animafest Council, to Marcel Jean. In a nostalgic speech, Jean, director of the prestigious animation festival in Annecy and speaker at Animafest Scanner, remembered his youth and films of Priit Pärn, Norman McLaren and Dušan Vukotić.

- It is a great privilege to come to a festival and know you will receive an award. My thanks goes to Animafest, which is my second greatest love after the festival I manage. When I was young and discovering animation in Montreal, Norstein and Vukotić meant a lot to me, and I saw Priit Pärn’s Breakfast on the Green right after it won a Grand Prix in Zagreb. I also thank Marina Kožul, who approached me in 2006 with a strange idea to have my book translated in Croatian – said Jean.

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Yuri Norstein, who could not attend the opening ceremony, but the Animafest audience will have a chance to enjoy some of his best works in the Masters of Animation section.

After the lights shone on the members of selection committees and juries of Grand and Student Competition and the authors of films present in the theatre, the Grand Competition 1 began, with films such as Choir Tour by Edmunds Jansons, Feral by Daniel Sousa, Tram by Michaela Pavlatova, Wake by Pieter Coudyzer, Wonder by Mirai Mizue, Mahjong by Xu An and Xi Chen, and Wound by Anna Budanova.

After the screening, guests, organizers and audience continued hanging in good company in front of the cinema, along the music of the band Kobok. However, film lovers soon returned inside for the first screening of Yuri Norstein retrospective.