Kosovo Animators Present New Projects at Anibar Pitch Session
One of the highlights of Anibar's industry program was the Pitch Session, a platform dedicated to supporting emerging and established Kosovo animators by connecting them with international producers, co-producers and animation professionals.
On July 17, Cinema Jusuf Gërvalla was filled with people eager to hear about the animation projects currently in development. Kosovo’s Minister of Culture Saranda Bogujevci, along with other cultural representatives visiting Anibar, also attended the session.
Five filmmakers presented their animation projects: Antik Doli with The Song of the Goat, Durim Klaiqi with Crow Funeral, Hana Kasemi with Gjith Ktu (Always Here), Jeta Sokoli with Through the Cracks, and Sado Musić with Moshi.
Each participant had ten minutes for their pitch, followed by questions and feedback from the international jury members Alexandre Siqueira, Clémence Pun, and Michael Frei.
First, Antik Doli opened the session with The Song of the Goat, a 2D/3D animated short about a young musician at the beginning of his artistic journey. The film follows the son of a famous musician, who struggles to play his father’s lute before an important concert. Frustrated by his failure, he throws the instrument away, only for the lute to come to life. The story explores the relationship between the boy and the lute, represented through a carved goat’s head. Their conflict emerges from their opposing perspectives: while the boy sees the lute as an outdated instrument, the lute sees him as impatient and inexperienced. Through their shared practice, they learn to trust one another and create a new sound together.
Durim Klaiqi shared Crow Funeral, a short hybrid documentary that combines archival footage and 3D animation. The film uses the personal archive of a man who has spent years finding missing persons after the war and recording testimonies from survivors of war crimes. It focuses on two survivors, whose testimonies form the basis of the documentary. The structure of the film comes from a melody, with the sound becoming more chaotic as the melody evolves, shaping the visual language of the film. The author uses 3D reconstruction to recreate spaces that no longer exist.
Hana Kasemi followed with her work-in-progress animated short Gjith Ktu (Always Here), inspired by memories from her childhood. The film follows Hana, a young girl who is constantly accompanied by Francis, a small, unpredictable character who comments on everything she does, criticizing her every move. Through Francis, the film personifies the inner critic, exploring the idea that everyone carries a little “Francis” within them. Always Here is a 2D animated short featuring backgrounds based on real locations in Kosovo, including the director’s bedroom, neighborhood, and the streets of Pristina. The film is expected to run between five and seven minutes, with dialogue presented through speech bubbles.
Jeta Sokoli then pitched Through the Cracks, a 2D animated film set in a dystopian, brutalist world. The story follows a man who enters a cinema and watches a film that reveals his past traumas. The main character is a 70-year-old man who sees himself as a young man because he has been stuck in traumatic experiences. The film will be in black and white, inspired by classic Hollywood cinema. It is a 5-minute 2D frame-by-frame animated film currently in production, and Sokoli is looking for post-production financial support for sound and music.
Sado Musić concluded the presentations with Moshi, a 2D animated short set in the world of the comic Eidam, a medieval fantasy setting. This is a story about Moshi, a child who lives in a village near a lake with his pet Waddle. After his village is attacked by the evil king’s army, Moshi is taken as a slave and spends years in the general’s castle, learning about explosives and planning his escape. After escaping, Moshi returns to the lake where he grew up and finds Waddle. The film is currently in the concept phase and will be a full-color animation with dialogue.
