Official Film Program of Anibar 16!

As an animation festival, we’ve always placed this medium at the center — as an art form that speaks about us, about the world, and about the times we live in.This year’s film program brings together a variety of categories that reflect the voices, forms, and bold experiments of contemporary animation.

Competitive Categories

From international titles to voices from the Balkans, from student films to those that speak about
human rights, these categories capture what’s happening in animation today.
They measure courage, form, feeling and leave a mark.

International Competition

19 films from around the world, each with a unique point of view and a story that needs no
translation. Color, movement, and emotion that transcend language.

Student Competition

27 films by students unafraid to take risks, to challenge form, and to search for something new.
Ideas that may just be emerging — but come with strength and sincerity.

Balkan Competition

From the heart of our region — 7 films that are at times raw, at times tender, but always real. A
window into the Balkans as we live it: full of tension, humor, and soul.

Animated Music Video Competition

10 music videos where sound and image co-create. Works where the music isn’t just
background — it’s a driving force of expression.

Young Audience Competition

31 films for those who experience the world with fresh eyes — or for those who remember what
wonder feels like.

Human Rights Competition

7 films that awaken awareness, and speak of justice, equality, and human dignity — stories that
are urgent and necessary.

Non-Competitive Categories

The non-competitive categories create space for exploration, experimentation, commissioned
work, and documentaries.Here, animation moves beyond competition but never beyond
attention. These categories remind us why animation is so alive, diverse, and free.

Experimental Category

13 films that break rules to find their own language — not by following a path, but by creating
one. A space for those who push the medium forward, fearlessly and freely.

Animated Documentaries Category

This category features 5 films built with care, sensitivity, and just enough boldness to tell truths
that aren’t always easy. Animation helps express what cameras sometimes can’t: blurry
memories, unspoken emotions, and feelings that don’t sit still within a frame.

Commissioned Work Category

A collection of 24 works created with purpose — advertisements, trailers, commercial and
branded projects proving that creativity can blossom big time even within constraints, often
going beyond our expectations.

This year’s program was thoughtfully curated by Vita, Petrit, and Panot, who shape the film
selection each year and craft a unique cinematic journey for our audience.

Through these categories, we’re not just sharing a lineup, we’re sharing the way we understand,
live, and think through animation today. We’re happy to invite you to experience these films with
us — sometimes quiet, sometimes loud, but always honest.

See you at the festival!
July 14–20

Click here to view the full film program and all selected films.