Saturday, 24 October 2026 at 1 pm
This year, we are celebrating International Animation Day with a rich two-day programme on 23 and 24 October at the Cultural Information Centre (CIC) and Šira Gallery.
The event, held worldwide, commemorates the first public screening of an animated film in 1892. The event, which is held worldwide in commemoration of the first public screening of an animated film in Paris in 1892, will once again bring together local authors, students, producers and animation enthusiasts with the aim of promoting this unique art form.
The programme features competitive screenings, book promotions and an exhibition, a workshop for children, and meetings for young authors with producers.
13:00 - 14:00 Animation for secondary school students
Three films made at the Frame by Frame workshop + a selection of student films
Films made at the Frame by Frame workshop:
- Al dente / I. Krasić, E. Čičak, M. Bulatović / 1'25"
- Potato - Potato / E. Katanić, N. Pandžić, E. Ivančić, J. Kostić / 1'12"
- UNLIT / K. Kuna, M. Birin, U. Pavić / 1'19"
Don't be late
Directed by: Ivana Šoljić
HR • 2024 • 5'14'' • animation
Jela, a roe deer, arrives at a café for a date with her boyfriend. He texts to say he's going to be late. The wait becomes increasingly tense, and Jela, growing more and more nervous, begins to lose her patience. The barman, unsure how to react to her frustration, also feels the tension. The romantic encounter turns into a tragicomic situation.
Illuminated
Directed by: Morana Marija Vulić
HR • 2021 • 6' • short film
An anthropomorphic lamp-robot lives in a world made entirely of humanoid electronic beings. By sheer chance, it finds itself in an awkward situation after, blind without its light-bulb eye, it ends up at the very heart of a secret organisation.
From Peter to Aida
Directed by: Petra Pavetić Kranjčec
HR • 2025 • 6'32'' • animation
While on holiday in Croatia in 1963, Peter met the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. For months after their first meeting, he struggled with himself over how to write her a letter. Once he overcame his fear, he sent the first letter.
M
Directed by: Vardan Tozija
HR, FR, MK • 2023 • 99' • feature film • coming-of-age film
In a desolate and dangerous world, eight-year-old Marko lives in his paranoid father's shelter. Armed only with his beloved picture book, he believes it holds all the answers. Marko's solitary existence is disrupted when he meets Mika, a gentle boy with Down's syndrome, on the edge of the forest. Left to navigate the dangers of what remains of humanity, the boys embark on a journey to find Marko's elusive mother. Stepping out of the safety of the forest, Marko is confronted by a devastated, silent world full of peril.
Love is a Colour
Directed by: Nikolina Žabčić
HR • 2023 • 8' • short Film
A man and a woman, the protagonists of this story, meet in a cold and colourless world and connect through occasional encounters that very quickly evolve into a beautiful dance of colours.
Of Mice and Books
Directed by: Ada-Nela Peharda
HR • 2025 • 4'48'' • animation
Two mice on a bookshelf are having a heated debate about the purpose of books – one is an intellectual who champions the spiritual and intellectual value of literature, while the other, a glutton, sees books as nothing more than a tasty snack.
Beneath the Mask
Directed by: Darian Bakliža
HR • 2023 • 6'22'' • animation
Set during the school days, this is a story about boys who physically show their misunderstanding of someone who is different, taking such behaviour to its extreme.
Foreign Side
Directed by: Sara Tomas
HR • 2023 • 5' • short film
While sightseeing in Zagreb with a stranger, Ema confronts the good and bad of her city. Through her and the stranger's eyes, we get to know the city as just another place, with its eternal desire for something better and a sense of home.
Cockpera
Directed by: Kata Gugić
HR • 2020 • 4' • animation
A mere cockfight.
18:00 - 19:30 Competition Programme 1 (62 min) and a conversation with the authors
The Book of Dreaming
Directed by: Irena Jukić Pranjić
HR • 2026 • 11' • animation
The narrator begins to keep a dream diary. After depicting several vivid nightmares, she turns to the dreams that take place in the cemetery next to where she grew up. Comparing her own daydreams with the collective fantasies surrounding the afterlife, the author delves into the depths of the human subconscious and there, at the source of human spirituality, she finds parallels between dreams and the medium of film, which is equally woven from fantasies and illusions in which we experience things that do not exist in our reality.
From Shadow to Shadow
Directed by: Lara Parun
HR • 2026 • 4' • animation
During a quiet night, an old mansion is shrouded in darkness. The moonlight only partially illuminates the rooms, casting long shadows. The silence is broken by a burglar in search of something valuable, but it soon becomes clear he is not the only one with the same goal. Yet, the shared pursuit is not the only thing that connects them.
In a Faraway Forest: Apple of Discord
Directed by: Timon Leder
SL, HR • 2026 • 8'39'' • animation
On a morning walk, a hedgehog finds a beautiful red apple. He takes it to his home and begins to redecorate. Meanwhile, a squirrel finds the apple and claims it as her own. The two friends argue about whose apple it is. They ask other woodland creatures for advice. After being disappointed by the rabbit's indecisiveness and the bear's greed, they decide to ask the wisest resident of the forest, the owl. She, in turn, immediately realises that it is a apple of discord that also harbours a little evil. She performs an exorcism, but not much of the apple is left. However, the squirrel and the hedgehog are happy that their friendship has stood the test.
The Language of the Sea
Directed by: Nikola Pavošević
HR • 2026 • 6'55'' • animation
The film follows a little girl searching for her lost brother. The Sea itself speaks to her through the sea organ and teaches her its language. The longer the Sea and the girl converse, the more the Sea draws her into its depths, and eventually, she becomes a part of the sea herself.
Four
Directed by: Dea Jagić
HR • 2026 • 6'28'' • animation
In a world without water, four beings embark on a mystical journey, summoning new life.
School Show
Directed by: Ana Horvat
HR • 2026 • 5'31'' • animation
In the mid-1980s, in the SFR Yugoslavia, a school show is taking place. As songs and recitations are performed, a young girl notices a strange man in the audience, who is behaving in a strange way that she cannot understand at all.
The Girl Who Wasn’t Afraid of Bears
Directed by: Lea Vučko
SL, HR, HU • 2025 • 20' • animation
In a silent animated folk tale rooted in Balkan mythology and told with the brutality of a feminist western, a young girl escapes the roles imposed upon her by disguising herself as a man. On her journey, she outsmarts demons, slays beasts and earns the respect of kings – proving to the world that she is fearless. But her final test comes when she meets a shape-shifting dragon who sees what she has been trying to hide all along. The Girl Who Wasn't Afraid of the Bear is a story of courage, identity, and the quiet cost of becoming what the world expects.
20:00 - 21:30 Competition Programme 2 (60 min) and a discussion with the authors + awards ceremony
The Race of Friendship
Directed by: Dean Hamer
HR • 2026 • 7'09" • animation
On a clearing in the woods, a race begins that is finally set to prove who is faster: the persistent Tortoise or the speedy Hare. Both set off convinced they are the best prepared, while the Owl, the Squirrel and the Snail cheer them on wholeheartedly. Midway through the race, the runners suddenly vanish from the spectators' view. The Tortoise and the Hare fall into a deep, dark pit. When they touch the bottom, they realise they are surrounded by cold, high, slippery walls, and the pit is filled with thick darkness and terrifying echoing sounds…
Djevapas
Directed by: Julia Stura
HR • 2026 • 7' • animation
The film explores the relationship between a woman-dog and her desires, subconscious and imagination. Aspects of her psyche, daydreams and fantasies are depicted as vast spaces contained within her canvas bag. Through a magical interaction with these objects, the woman-dog deconstructs her own inner being and delves deep within herself.
Fin People
Directed by: Veronika Hozjan
SI, HR • 2026 • 10' • animation
A flood sweeps through the city. The inhabitants flee and adapt to the new reality – they immerse themselves in the water and, miraculously, fins grow on them. An old cobbler tries to preserve his way of life, salvaging shoes from the flooded streets that the transformed residents have discarded. His wife suffers in silence as he resists change, while she is increasingly tempted by the “siren call” of their carefree life. The water rises and the time for a decision comes. Will he follow the others? Is there another way?
Evolution of a Heroic Act
Directed by: Tara Klepac
HR • 2026 • 4'23'' • animation
A small worm sees a plane drop a bomb on the city through a window. His seemingly small action sets off a domino effect of chaotic and comical situations that save the city, making him an unexpected and unknown hero.
Vanja & Vanja
Directed by: Danijel Žeželj
HR • 2026 • 9'12'' • animation
In a war-torn city, where a dangerous children's game of hockey is considered popular entertainment, teenager Vanja tries to survive and save her friendship with the hockey player Vanja.
Hungry Heart
Directed by: Nikolina Žabčić
HR • 2026 • 6'21'' • animation
The film questions the internal struggle of an eating disorder. The protagonist is depicted as two visually identical characters, but in contrasting colours: as her true self and as her reflection. The reflection is intrusive and provocative, embodying the voice of an insecure mind and a disordered relationship with food. Structured into three emotional chapters, the film follows a journey from suppression and fear to awareness and acceptance. Food is symbolically represented through letters and words, emphasising the inability to communicate inner pain. The climax unfolds in a simple act in which the character visualises, shrinks, and ultimately swallows the disorder.
Heartwreck
Directed by: Luka Vucić
HR • 2026 • 11'20'' • animation
After a painful breakup, Brko wants to move on, but Srce is grieving in the passenger seat. A red scarf – a relic of the recently ended relationship – starts a fierce battle for control of the steering wheel. In the chaos, the crash and the memories of a lost love, they confront their grief and learn how to move on together.
WESTERNER: The Beggar's Rant
Directed by: Noa Pisačić, Cooper Bombadil, Matija Pisačić
HR • 2026 • 3'49" • animation
The film serves as a frenetic, sci-fi conspiracy rant detailing a hidden world order and impending doom. Delivered from the perspective of an eccentric outsider or street prophet, the narrative uncovers a bizarre cosmic reality.