International Symposium Animafest Scanner II is taking place on 10 and 11 June at the Large Hall of Školska knjiga (Masaryk Street 28).

For the second time international film and media scholars are invited to present the newest findings in the field of animation studies at Animafest Scanner II – Symposium for Contemporary Animation Studies. The goal is once again to create a synergy of theoretical and practical discourses as well as an exchange between filmmakers and scholars.

Thesymposium is held in conjunction with the World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb, which provides a platform for different animation forms and formats within a competitive and a non-competitive environment, and which every two years presents the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Animation Studies, the only honour of its kind in the animation festival circuit.

This year's keynote speaker is Giannalberto Bendazzi, a well-known film historian, author and professor, as well as the winner of the first Award for Outstanding Contribution to Animation Studies in 2002. In his talk Alice in Studyland he will highlight the accomplishments, but also the obstacles to the rapidly growing field of international animation studies.

The symposium presentations are grouped according to four topics that all relate to the program of Animafest Zagreb:

Alice in Wonderland follows this year's festival focus on animated or hybrid-film adaptations of LewisCarroll’s famous book, as well as related subjects and interpretations that include a very broad spectrum ofpossibilities such as strange creatures, mirrors, rabbits or a distorted space-time continuum.

Abstract Animation is accounted with differentpractical and theoretical approaches, regarding techniques, innovations, historical trends and the reflection between abstraction and figuration.

Animation and Experimental Film explores the fluent and permeable boundaries between experimental film and animation. Depending on the individual point of view these films can fall into either of the two categories thus inspiring controversial and challenging discussions.

Currents and Trends in Contemporary Animation focuses ontopics related to recent developments, trends and newconcepts in animation filmmaking with emphasis on visual stylesand innovative solutions.

During the two-day Animafest Scanner II – Symposium for Contemporary Animation Studies festival guests, filmmakers, organizers of other festivals, producers, professionals, and scholars will all exchange their views and thoughts on these topics and more.

Animafest Scanner II Program can be found HERE.