Special programs that include 149 movies are featured at Anifest coming next month in Teplice, Czech Republic.
AniFest, a traditional animated film festival is to enjoy its 12th year. One of the biggest film events takes place in Teplice from 26th April to 1st May 2013. Film lovers will be offered a large selection of the best Czech and foreign film productions.
At the end of April, Teplice will for the 12th time host AniFest, an International Festival of Animated Films. The event not only offers a variety of films, but also includes a competition, which received 1400 entries from almost 70 countries around the world. The best 149 movies have been included in the programme. This year's festival is under new management, since former director Jakub Hora was replaced by Petr Šplíchal, who brings both managerial expertise and a great deal of experience of film production. “Animation has a long-standing tradition in the Czech Republic. There is great public interest, as shown by the regular attendance of around 20 thousand visitors. Personally, I am looking forward to meeting the professionals and people of all different ages, who respond positively to film as an art form,” said Petr Šplíchal, the new director of the festival AniFest. The event is of great importance and can be rightly ranked amongst the likes of the International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary or the Film Festival Zlin.
The organisers have already revealed some high points from the film selection. Titles that have been successful in prestigious contests will be shown, for example the Belgian film “Oh Willy...”, which was awarded the Cartoon d´Or by the European Association of Animated Films and Michaela Pavlátová's “Tram”, which claimed top honours at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. Apart from pieces by world-renowned animators, visitors will also be able to see productions by up-and-coming members of the next “film generation” – students of FAMU. “Well-made animated film is simultaneously both the signature tune of AniFest, and the invitation to the event itself. Noro Držiak, winner of the film prize Český lev 2012 in the category Best Fine Art for the film Alois Nebel is collaborating on the trailer,” said Petr Šplíchal.
AniFest has become a popular event not only for film fans, but also for families with children, producers and film makers. Besides leading figures from home-grown and foreign film animation, visitors will also find other significant representatives from cultural, social and political life seated in the screening rooms.
About the festival Anifest
AniFest is the largest international festival specialising in animated films in the Czech Republic. Together with the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and Film Festival Zlin, AniFest
is one ofthe three largest film festivals in the country. The organisers of AniFest are continuing the fine Czech tradition of animated film production and actively supporting and promoting contemporary animation by means of year-round projects such as “Echo of AniFest”, “AniFest in Schools” and “Schools of Animation”. They also promote Czech animated productions abroad through the project “New Wave of Czech Animation”. More information is available here: http://anifest.cz/2013
Press Contact: Aleš Povr, phone: +420 608 272 217, e-mail: ales@4info.cz
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
