“Time flies, doesn’t it?” Anibar Ends 15th Edition with Grand Ceremony Announcing Winners
Skwigly
Anibar 2024 Winners (© Tuğhan Anıt)
The International Animated Film Festival, Anibar 2024, concluded its 15th edition with a grand closing ceremony held at Kino Liqeni in Karagaq Park, Peja. The event celebrated the festival’s achievements and announced this year’s competition winners.
This magnificent event marked the end of an intense week of the international festival, which, in addition to films and animation competitions, included various activities such as workshops, discussion panels, and after-parties.
Zana Berisha, the host of the closing evening, emphasized the significance of this edition and the emotions experienced during the festival. “Time flies, doesn’t it?!” she began with great enthusiasm, greeting all attendees and thanking them for their participation and support throughout the week.
She mentioned how the festival had brought together animation film enthusiasts who had attended presentations, competitions, workshops, and discussions, dancing and celebrating every night. Zana summarized the festival’s experiences and achievements, highlighting that participants had the opportunity to learn and enjoy, gaining new insights into the world of animation.
She also praised the young talents who participated in this year’s workshops and introduced the films created by the participants. “Wow, you’ve learned so much…” she said with a laugh at one point, encouraging everyone to continue with their passion for animation.
The closing ceremony continued by presenting the films of the seventh generation of the Animation Academy, who had worked for nine months under the guidance of Flaka Kokolli, Edvin Susuri, and Ari Zharku. She described it as a great pleasure to see the forms animation is taking through these talented students.
The evening proceeded with the award announcements, where 119 films in 6 competitions were evaluated by 4 juries. The Youth Jury awarded the prize for the best film for young people, while the Human Rights Film Competition reminded everyone that art is resistance, opposition, rebellion, and a call for empathy.
Supporting and gathering animators and animation enthusiasts has been a main goal of the Anibar Festival since its inception. This year, with the help of the Kosovo Cinematography Center and Toon Boom, Anibar awarded three prizes to three young animators, hoping this would help them develop their ideas.
Winners were announced in the student and pitch competitions, while the audience’s favorite film was declared “Our Uniform” by Yegane Moghaddam. Zana concluded the ceremony by thanking everyone who made this edition possible, including the staff, volunteers, supporters, audience, guests, and other followers.
List of Winners
STUDENT AND PITCH JURY
Student Competition
Student Special Mention: Adios
This film presents an unexpected change in the relationship between father and son with focused accuracy. While the distance between them has grown over the years, the young man is finally leaving the place where he grew up. Their farewell hunt does not go as planned. The story offers a gentle depiction of the changing bond and masculinity.
Student Winner: BunnyHood
The editing, sound design, and visual aesthetics are created in a refreshingly punk way. The main character’s perception of her surroundings feels like an endless fever dream. She is not only losing control of her body, but Bobby is also losing faith in her mother.
INTERNATIONAL AND BALKAN JURY
International Competition
International Winner: Zima by Tomek Popakul and Kasumi Ozeki
Young people seek freedom while experiencing a conflict of expectations from the older generations. Using animals as metaphors to hold onto cruel traditions, they also desire a different life.
Balkan Competition
Balkan Winner: The Family Portrait by Lea Vidakovic
A portrait of a declining society, the fall of a dark empire, the emptiness of the upper class, the absence of love, a broken family, division, and misery, decisions leading to social disasters only for power and money.
HUMAN RIGHTS AND ANIMATED MUSIC VIDEOS JURY
Animated Music Video Competition
Music Video Special Mention: Stop the Music by Weronika Anna Marianna
Special Mention goes to a unique visual piece that connected our heartbeat to the music and left us with a sweet taste when the music stopped.
Animated Music Video Winner: Illusion by Jin Woo
A music video that presents its mesmerizing audiovisual composition as a whole. In a fluid universe, nothing is certain; everything can be true, but it can also be an illusion.
Human Rights Competition
Human Rights Special Mention: Kissing Day
How do you express love? A touch? A kiss? But what if you risked your life when you kissed? A brave team has created a disturbing and informative story about LGBTQI+ activism in Russia that left us uneasy.
Human Rights Winner: Chicken by Anna Benner
A film that not only destroys the patriarchy but also calls for burning it down. From the catharsis of fire comes an extraordinary tale. For its unique visual approach that manages to depict violence in a delicate way, the Human Rights Award goes to “Chicken.”
AUDIENCE AWARD
Audience Award: Our Uniform by Yegane Moghaddam
YOUTH JURY
Best Film for Youth: Awaker by Filip Diviak
A film that shows how important it is to have respect and appreciation for your surroundings, and therefore, for nature.
Best Youth Film Special Mention: The Sprayer by Farnoosh Abedi
This film shows how an individual, even under difficult conditions, can pursue their dreams and bring about positive change.