WTF! Anibar 16 – This Year’s Edition tests the boundaries of animation!
Skwigly
This year’s edition of the Anibar Animation Festival turns its focus back to the very essence of the medium, animation as an art form that speaks to us, about the world we live in, and the time we are living through. Carefully curated by Petrit Gora, Vita Kasapolli, and Panot Mahmutaj, this edition offers a rich, diverse, and deeply resonant film journey.
1,504 submissions from 111 countries, 162 selected films from 51 countries, 6 competition categories and 3 non-competitive ones!
The program is structured around two main dimensions: competitive and non-competitive categories, together showcasing experimentation, emotional depth, social realities, and the artistic courage of contemporary animation.
COMPETITIVE CATEGORIES
International Competition – 19 films from around the world that transcend language through
color, movement, and universal emotion.
Student Competition – 27 films by emerging talents who dare to experiment, disrupt forms,
and explore powerful new ideas.
Balkan Competition – 7 films from the heart of our region, portraying the Balkans with all its
tension, humor, and raw spirit.
Music Video Animation Competition – 10 animated music videos where sound is transformed
into image, with music as a co-creator of visual storytelling.
Young Audience Competition – 31 films for those experiencing everything for the first time, or
for those who haven’t forgotten the wonder of it.
Human Rights Competition – 7 films that explore justice, equality, and human dignity with
deep sensitivity and boldness.
NON-COMPETITIVE CATEGORIES
These categories provide space for exploration and documentation—beyond competition but
not beyond artistic relevance.
Experimental Category – 13 films that break the rules to find their own language. A space for
thinking differently and pushing the boundaries of animation.
Animated Documentary Category – 5 films that use animation to tell profound truths, blurred
memories, and emotions that often escape the lens of a traditional camera.
Commissioned Works Category – 24 commercial creations, advertisements, trailers, and
branded projects, that demonstrate how art can flourish even in the most unexpected formats.
This year’s program reflects how we understand and experience animation today. We invite
everyone to join us for a special week of film, sometimes quiet, sometimes loud, but always
honest.
Click here to view the full program.
See you at the festival from 14-20 July in Peja, Kosovo!