Queer Toons – Special Program
We are proud to announce Queer Toons.
The attitude we hold towards the queer community and minorities in general speaks volumes about us as individuals and as a society.
It is through mediums like film that we can effectively communicate and explore topics that are important to understanding and empathising with those whose rights and experiences differ from the majority.
In this spirit, we are proud to announce the special program for Anibar’s 14th edition: Queer Toons.
Queer Toons is a curated selection of five exceptional films, each crafted using different techniques and storytelling methods. This program aims to bridge the gap between viewers and members of the LGBTQIA+ community by presenting stories that shed light on the unique challenges they face throughout their lives.
Marko Dješka is the curator of this year’s Queer Toons program.
Marko, born in Osijek, Croatia in 1983, is a distinguished animator and graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, specialising in animation. He has participated in numerous training programs, including Animation Sans Frontieres and a scriptwriting course at La Poudriere in France.
His student films, ‘Slaughtered’ (2010) and ‘The Son of Satan’ (2012), received acclaim at various festivals, with ‘Slaughtered’ being acquired by El Rey Network, owned by producer Robert Rodriguez. In 2016, his film ‘Ghost Town’ was awarded the prestigious Octavian Prize at a festival in Zagreb, recognizing it as the best animated film in Croatian production.
One of Marko’s recent animated creations, ‘All Those Sensations in my Belly,’ has garnered 25 awards and mentions, captivating audiences at over 150 festivals worldwide. This outstanding film has been showcased at esteemed events such as Annecy in France, Outfest and Rhode Island Festival in the USA, Message to Man and Big Cartoon in Russia, Animafest in Zagreb, and OIAF in Ottawa, where it received the Best Script award.
Marko is also the co-founder of the Adriatic Animation Studio, dedicated to animation production in Zagreb. He is one of the organisers of the OHOHO Festival of Comics and Street Art since 2019. Marko has also contributed his talent to various publications worldwide, with his short comics gracing the pages of many magazine
With such an accomplished curator, Queer Toons promises to be a powerful experience. We invite you to join us for this program, where the films will challenge stereotypes, evoke empathy, and inspire dialogue.
You can watch Queer Toon Program at Cinema Jusuf Gërvalla on the 18th of July starting at 12:00. For more information about the films in the Queer Toons program, click here.
