Anibar International Animation Festival Through The Ages

An entire world of art awaits you! 

Anibar International Festival is just around the corner, starting from the 23rd until the 30th of July. An entire world of art awaits you! 

The story started 12 years ago, when a group of youth activists got together with the hopes of creating a new artistic movement in Kosovo, focused on spreading awareness and educating their peers in artistic topics such as the importance and potential of the animated film. It was this noble cause that led to the founding of the Anibar festival organisation, as time went on, Anibar grew as an organisation which made it possible for other artistic projects to be born. So the journey had already begun. 

As the years went on, the organisation as well as the festival alike, started attracting more attention, both locally  and internationally, with the sole purpose of familiarizing the people of Kosovo with the latest trends from the animated film world. Its core purpose was to familiarize the youth and educate them on the potential that the artistic world offers to them, to the passionate ones, to the ones that create and love sharing, this was all dedicated to them, a safe haven for the creators, to unleash their craft. This beautiful journey filled with challenges and obstacles made Anibar the leading animation film festival in Kosovo. Thanks to Anibar, many more animations are produced today in Kosovo. Its spirit took over and inspired the youth, so that they never stop creating and expressing their true selves all through what they know best, animation. 

It has become a leading cultural event in Peja, attracting many tourists, visitors, media personnel and movie makers to the festival itself; the festival continues to grow and does so flawlessly to this day. 

Being the only animation festival in Kosovo has not proved to be easy, but it has continued to inspire all of the Anibar founders to push harder, to reach further and to do better, so that no one, not one single creator is left behind. The festival is always taken care of, organised and coordinated by the youngsters, which would explain its powerful energy that engulfs you as soon as you step foot in the city. It’s made with a lot of love and care, and it shines through in every corner of the festival. Bright smiling faces, doing what they do best. 

Because of the ongoing pandemic this year the festival has decided to embrace a hybrid form, it continues to be present in its captivating online format that captures the attention of thousands of  readers and fans all around the country as well as international reader and fans of the festival, but it has also managed to open its doors yet again. To all of those who want a front seat to the amazingness that only the festival provides in the beautiful city of Peja. Summer nights will be joyful and summer days will be filled with chatter and work to make sure that everything is running smoothly, it’s precisely because of this fast paced experience that sweeps you off your feet, that the festival continues to be the pushing force of the Anibar we know and love. 

This year’s program will be more special than ever. Audiences will get to experience a selection of more than 300 films of different categories, as well as the yearly activities that accompany every edition of the festival such as; workshops, lectures and masterclasses will be a contributing part as well for all of the animators that want to network, broaden their horizons and have a peek into the future of animation. It will all be there, waiting for you. 

The Anibar organisation, apart from founding and organizing the Anibar Animation International Festival, is also heavily involved in other projects as well. Projects that have a clear artistic goal, involving the youth in other exciting ways apart from the animation world. One of these very exciting projects is the Kinema Jusuf Gërvalla project. Anibar was continuously using the cinema before taking over the management of the premises as well, given to the organisation by the Municipality of Peja. All of this progress came as a result of perseverance, hard work, and a sheer desire to do more for the artistic scene in the city of Peja. 

The Anibar organisation has continuously been involved in revitalising and cultivating the importance of the Jusuf Gervalla cinema. Doing so by working closely with the municipality of Peja and other organisations to make sure that the cinema remains the cultural center of the city. This is continuously achieved by organising different cultural events that are beneficial to different audiences, concerts as well as regular movie screenings. 

 

In order to better capture the essence of each year, the festival has had distinctive themes ever since its 2015 edition. The festival’s main purpose is to channel the specific  energy of the current theme and to push a message better to the intended audience, to inspire them to act on social and environmental issues without leaving behind the unmistakable artistic expression.

In its 12th edition, Anibar International Animation Festival reveals itself to us with a different yearly theme. This year we explore isolation, in all its shapes, in all its colors, in all its ambiguity. This year we dive into a different aspect of human life, we experience it directly through the animator’s eyes. Locked inside, yet connected together. The pandemic has had a tremendous effect in shaping all our lives, it has made us understand things, feel things and see things, maybe from a perspective we never saw possible, yet it exists. To the Kosovar youth, isolation is a word with multiple meanings. Not being able to travel where we want to travel has taken a toll on all of us, we understand isolation in all its core. 

While the festival continues to thrive and attract the attention of internationally renowned filmmakers and animators alike, it also continues to be a nurturing force to the youth back at home, as a place they look up to, a beacon of hope and knowledge. Founded on sincere values of equality and inclusion, it’s what makes it one of the driving cultural forces in all of Kosovo. 

 

Anibar International Animation Festival will officially open its doors starting from the 23rd till the 30th of July, so make sure you bring the ones you love, do not forget the popcorn and strap on for the ride!