In the Focus: Animation competition, there are 9 films this year. The enormous freedom that animation gives the authors has been fully used to create expressive, artistic cinema. Each of the films was made in a different technique, has a different aesthetic and covers a different subject. Each of them is original and tells about significant things in an interesting way.

Dog – Apartment, dir. Priit Tender (Estonia) 2022, 14’, 16+
Ills of fortune have deported a ballet dancer Sergei to a suburban kolhoz. Here he’s having his mundane fights against routine, domestic animals and alcohol.
Film awarded at e.g. Animator IAFF and Stuttgart IAFF.

Margarethe 89, dir. Lucas Malbrun (France) 2023, 19’, 16+
Leipzig, 1989. Margarethe, a young punk opposed to the East German regime, is detained in a psychiatric hospital. She dreams of escaping and joining the man she loves – a punk musician named Heinrich. Though the regime’s days seem to come to an end, the Stasi informants are more present than ever.
Film presented at Cannes IFF and Annecy IAFF.

Ashen Sun, dir. Camille Monnier (France) 2024, 13’, 15+
Charlie and his cousin Jess watch over a rundown motel. On the radio, the monotone voice of a collapsology researcher predicts the imminent end of the world. The pool is empty, the sun is beating down and the tension is mounting….
Film presented at e.g. Locarno IFF. Polish premiere.

The Family Portrait, dir. Lea Vidakovic (Serbia) 2023, 15’, 18+
The Austro-Hungarian empire is coming to an end. Meanwhile, on a quiet Sunday afternoon, Andras’ aristocratic home is visited by his brother, Zoltan, along with his big family.
Film awarded at the Balkanima EAFF.

The Fold, dir. Patrick Buhr (Germany) 2024, 10’, 18+
Four stories about shocked pigeons, stolen underpants, judgemental robots and thrown marbles are interwoven in a world view that enables the narrator to confront her date with unexpected abilities.
Film presented at the Ottawa IAF. Polish premiere.