The World Festival of Animated Film ANIMAFEST ZAGREB (31 May – 5 June, EUROPA and TUŠKANAC cinemas) will once again screen the best of the contemporary animated creative production: in six days, seven festival programmes will screen a total of 69 films, 22 feature and 47 short films.

The 21st edition of the festival ANIMAFEST ZAGREB (31 May – 5 June) and its main programmes will bring the best samples of the world feature animated production from the last two years. Special programmes consist of high-budget blockbusters, such as THE SIMPSONS, CORALINE AND THE ILLUSIONIST, whereas the new programme CINEMA FOR THE EAR is an audiovisual treat made of cult musical films of extreme importance for animation practice and pop culture. In addition to more demanding films d’auteur, there is also a rich programme for children and youth. Once again, this year the visitors of Zagreb’s EUROPA and TUŠKANAC cinemas will have a chance to spend six days enjoying in film titles cherry-picked for the faithful Animafest audience, but also for all animation fans. As far as celebrities are concerned, we bring you acclaimed filmmakers such as PAUL DRIESSEN, DAVID SILVERMAN, GARRY BARDIN and ALEXEI ALEXEEV.

Zagreb, 24 May 2011 – This morning at the Tuškanac cinema small hall, the introductory press conference took place announcing the 21st edition of the World Festival of Animated Film ANIMAFEST ZAGREB. Art Director Daniel Šuljić, producer Vjera Matković and Animafest’s children’s programme coordinator Tina Tišljar welcomed the media representatives and introduced them to the rich festival programme. The conference was also attended by the authors of feature animated projects from this year’s Animafest Pitching Forum: Darko Bakliža and Dino Krpan (Cricket and Antoinette) and Helena Bulaja (Mechanical Figures – Inspired by Tesla), and we also had the chance to see the premiere of the festival trailer by the young author Dalibor Barić.

Vjera Matković presented the titles from the programme GRAND COMPETITION and WORLD PANORAMA. She underlines the film Goodbye, Mr. Christie by Phil Mulloy, a dark comedy without a hint of political correctness; the first Serbian feature animated film Technotise: Edit and I by Aleksa Gajić; Folimage’s hit thriller A Cat in Paris; the love story of Chico and Rita by the Oscar winner Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal told to an outstanding jazz soundtrack; the first Chinese independent animated film Piercing I by director Liu Jian; and the almost cult Metropia by Tarik Saleh.

The WORLD PANORAMA is the programme that always presents titles crossing the boundaries of animation. Vjera Matković pointed out the greatly anticipated latest film by Jan Švankmajer Surviving Life (Theory and Practice), which is having its premiere in Zagreb, as well as some exponents of experimental animation: the films Mysterious Presages of León Prozak by Carlos Santa from Columbia; Midori-Ko by the Japanese filmmaker Keita Kurosaka; and Gravity was Everywhere Back Then by Brent Green. This programme will also present the only Croatian feature film at the festival: Rainbow by Joško Marušić.

Daniel Šuljić, the newly-elected Animafest art director, presented the films from the programme entitled CINEMA FOR THE EAR. Himself a musician – he plays the guitar in bands Stampedo and The Welcomin’ Committee In Flames – he announced the audiovisual parade of cult musical films of extreme importance for animation and pop culture: the psychedelic Yellow Submarine by George Dunning, abounding in The Beatles’ music; Pink Floyd – The Wall by Alan Parker, a live-action film with the cult fifteen-minute animated segment; and sci-fi Heavy Metal by Gerald Potterton, featuring Black Sabbath, Nazareth and DEVO.

On Tuesday, the 21ST ANIMAFEST ZAGREB officially opens with the screening of the film The Illusionist by Sylvain Chomet (Triplets of Belleville). The film is not an official competition entry, it is a part of the SPECIAL PROGRAMME, along with The Simpsons by David Silverman – who will introduce himself to the Zagreb audience personally – and Coraline by Henry Selick, represented by brand manager Mark Shapiro from LEICA Studio, the film’s producer.

Tina Tišljar, the coordinator of the exceptionally popular programme that expands from year to year, both in terms of the number of films and cities, introduced ANIMAFEST FOR KIDS. The additional short film children’s programme without subtitles is intended for the youngest Animafest fans, and composed in collaboration with Animateka, the animated film festival from Ljubljana, sponsored by Raiffeisen’s Bubašpara saving project. Animafest will also screen the ANIMATED MINDS serial, short films intended for teenagers, in which director Andy Glynne attempted to depict the experiences of people struggling different mental issues. During the festival, there will be numerous workshops taking place in Zagreb neighbourhoods for the youngest animation fans.

The authors of domestic feature animated films participating at this year’s Animafest Pitching Forum also presented themselves to the media: Darko Bakliža and Dino Krpan, the authors of Cricket and Antoinette, presented their film in the making, as well as their international team consisting of the famous Russian animato, Animafest’s great friend Alexei Alexeev, and the world-renowned Croatian animator Svjetlan Junaković. Helena Bulaja presented Mechanical Figures – Inspired by Tesla, animated documentary project in which a series of world artists, such as Marina Abramović and Laurie Anderson, lament about the mystical personality of the great Nikola Tesla.

The already traditional festival trailer was also presented for the first time, much inspired by the psychedelic animations of The Yellow Submarine, Terry Gilliam’s aesthetics and symbols of Zagreb, the work of the talented Croatian author Dalibor Barić.

Finally, Vjera matković thanked the festival sponsors: Croatian Audiovisual Centre, City of Zagreb, MEDIA programme and B.net.

Once again, the best films of the 21st Animafest will be decided by the jury consisting of: Paul Driessen – world-acclaimed animator whose fruitful career began in the late 1960s on the famous Beatles’ film The Yellow Submarine, David Silverman – American animator best known for directing The Simpsons and Dunja Janković – Croatian illustrator and comic book artist pursuing cut-outs and music.

ANIMAFEST ZAGREB 2011 festival awards are: Grand Prix for the best competition programme entry and €3,000, Golden Zagreb award for best film project in development and €3,000, and Audience Award for Best Grand Competition Feature Film.