5th Festival of Animation Berlin: Official Selection + Focus
Skwigly
The festival programme of the 5th Festival of Animation Berlin (FAB 2021) is now complete. From October 1-3, Berlin’s animation film festival will show a total of 186 films, series and interactive formats from 39 countries on the big screen at City Kino Wedding, Centre Français de Berlin and the Russian House of Science and Culture. The Festival of Animation Berlin will also be present in virtual space: The competitions will be shown online at the same time as the physical screenings, making them accessible to a broader audience beyond the cinema at a low threshold (geoblocked screenings only). With its competitions and supporting programme, FAB 2021 will once again prove that the animated short form is capable of telling stories and illuminating discourses in a trenchant and multifaceted way for various target groups from children to adults. The advance sale of the Festival of Animation Berlin started on September 4.
The Five Competitions At a Glance
What did animation filmmakers have on their minds in 2020 and 2021? Five competitions shed light on the visual styles, technical advances and discourses filmmakers experimented with: the National and International Competition – including a “Russia Special,” as there was an unusually high number of outstanding submissions here – as well as the New Talents, Animated Commissioned Film and Animated Series Competitions. The 2021 selection includes two world premieres and numerous German premieres.
The Supporting Programme – Highlighting Different Parts / Political Developments Of the World
Hardly on the radar of the animation world a few years ago, now gaining and more attention and recognition: perspectives from different African countries. With a focus on female filmmakers from Sub-Saharan Africa “HerStories”, curated by Nigerian animation artist Ebele Okoye, the Festival of Animation Berlin acknowledges this development. Other insights into different regions of the world as well as political perspectives are to be had with programmes created with and by (festival) partners from Slovenia, Russia, Portugal and Belgium. Igor Prassel (Animateka) presents a children’s special as well as a film compilation on the topic of “War and Peace in the Balkans” dealing with the break-up of Yugoslavia 30 years ago. Dina Goder (Big Cartoon Festival Moscow) has curated one programme each for children and teens. Fernando Galrito (MONSTRA – Lisbon Animation Festival) assembled successful Portuguese films showcasing “Rituals”. In addition, the Belgian production studio Camera-etc. shows films which are the results of its workshops with children and young people in Burundi and Burkina Faso.
Scalp Deep (HerStories) ©Naseeba Bagalaaliwo
Animation You Can Dive In Or Touch: Masterclasses & Talks, Webinars, Workshops and Meet & Greets
Masterclasses, talks and webinars make animated series such as Julia Ocker‘s Grimme Award-winning “Animanimals” tangible and provide exclusive insights. The workshops are hands-on and practical, with a focus on stop-motion and puppet making, for example. In addition, there will be opportunities for exchange with the festival team and the filmmakers with the “Meet & Greets” (pre-registration is required for some events).
FAB Dimensional – Animation Expanded
The Animation Expanded exhibition “FAB Dimensional” at the Verwalterhaus of the Old Cemetery St. Marien-St. Nikolai presents works that explore animation in the physical space, question linear modes of narration or forego them altogether. Among the five works on display: Felicia Bergström‘s immersive 360° installation “Cycle of Violence”, an experiment that confronts the audience with a fictitious artist made of plasticine, and Eric Dyer with his “The Bellows March.” Dyer brings together historical and current animation techniques such as the zoetrope and 3D printing in two of his rotating sculptures.
Special Guest Luca Tóth + Festival of Animation Trailer
Hungarian animated film director Luca Tóth is the FAB 2021 special guest – she has designed the current festival trailer. Tóth’s impressive style captivates with intense colors as well as memorable character design and storytelling – making her a sought-after guest at many festivals from Berlin to Annecy (“The Age of Curious”, “Superbia”, “Mr. Mare”). At the Festival of Animation Berlin, she will lead a workshop on character design, among other things.