Regina Pessoa presented an exhibition of original studies and designs for her award-winning film Tragic Story with a Happy Ending. © 2005 Folimage, Ciclopes Filmes, National Film Board of Canada.

Instead of the festival being in one central location with two screening rooms, this year's Animafest was located in the center of town, using three separate theaters, an outdoor screening area, and two exhibition spaces. The three locations were not too far apart, but given the torrential downpours we had this year (for which the festival organizers cannot be held responsible), it would have been lovely to have had all the screenings at one site as had been done in the past.

The opening night ceremony was held at Gliptoteka, an open-air cinema in the Old Town area of Zagreb about a 15-minute walk from festival headquarters. It was very nice, but hard to find. British animator Martin Pickles and I walked for 45 minutes looking for the location. The small map that we were given sent us up the hill, where we indeed found an open-air theatre, but it was the wrong one. I talked to several other people who had the same problem with the map the first night.

The amphitheatre was a lovely setting for opening night, but unfortunately the wrong place for the competition screenings. Two competition programs were shown each evening. The first was scheduled to start at 9:00 p.m., but since it didn't get dark until 9:30, they always started late, as did the second program each evening. It was very cold in the late-night open air, and although the staff did provide blankets when they realized how chilly it was, many people left early.

The jury cited Andreas Hykade's strong, simple design and direction in awarding The Runt the Golden Zagreb Prize. © Andreas Hykade.

Unfortunately, many members of the audience treated the outdoor screening as though they were at a drive-in movie, getting up in the middle of films to buy beer, lighting cigarettes, and even talking during the screening. I felt very sorry for the animators whose films were shown during the second screening session, but as I told one filmmaker, at least those of us who were still there really wanted to see the films. The competition programs were re-screened in the main screening room the following evening, but unlike previous years, animators were only offered four days of festival hospitality and several of the filmmakers had to leave on the morning following their first screening and missed the chance to be introduced in front of the larger main theater audience. Some animators tried to find hotel rooms at their own expense so they could stay after their allotted time, but there were several other festivals occurring in town that same week, so every hotel was already fully booked.

Even though the main theatre had a café with a few tables, there was not enough room for lots of us to gather after a screening, and so I spent a good bit of time just trying to meet up with friends. In the future the festival should create an inviting, convenient gathering spot with tables and chairs spacious enough to accommodate large groups. Animators go to festivals not only to watch films, but also to talk to each other.

Everyone was treated to a lovely meal every afternoon, but there were only enough places for about half the group to sit down. When I asked why enough seating hadn't been provided, the answer was, "We wanted everyone to mingle." Unfortunately it was hard to mingle with a plate of food in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.

The festival was full of new, young faces and I had the feeling that the organizers were aiming to attract these young, hip animators, in contrast to past years, with the many familiar faces that made this festival an event I looked forward to. Many of the animators that I talked to had never been to Zagreb before, so they had nothing to compare it to.

I am sure the organizers and staff have their hearts in the right place and hopefully they learned a lot this year. Unfortunately, it takes more than a good programmer and the presence of animators to make a well-run festival. Animafest needs a good administrator who knows not only film, but also the mechanics of running a festival and hosting the filmmakers who inhabit this special world. I hope that by the next festival I will once again be able to say that Animafest is a must-attend event.