15th StopTrik IFF Official Selection Vol. 1
International competitive programme “Stop Motion Animation” & “Borderlands”, Non-Competitive Panorama “Wide View” & “JOY LTD.”
“We’re drowning in goodness,” admitted Michał Bobrowski, StopTrik Programme Director and selector of the international competition programme “Stop Motion Animation” and “Borderlands,” as well as the non-competitive Panorama strands “Wide View” and “JOY LTD.,” only half-joking, as the selection deadline approached.
The vast majority of the nearly 360 films submitted for his consideration this year demonstrated impressive skill in stop motion and an experimental approach to animation, as well as a deep understanding of cinema’s ability to convey stories of significance, sensitivity, and care. The selection process is always exciting, but one major limitation greatly influences the programming – time. Simply put, a festival must take into account the dynamics of the screening room and the audience’s need for space: to reflect on what they’ve seen, to discuss the films between screenings, to walk around the city and see the world differently because of what they’ve just experienced. At StopTrik, we care about our audiences greatly, even more so that the Grand Prix in all competition programmes is awarded by popular vote. Meanwhile, a growing trend in global production of making short films longer increasingly complicates the selection process.
We are very proud to announce the following selection results. In the programmes addressed to the grown-up audiences we will present 71 short films made in 29 countries encompassing Europe, Asia, South America, and North America.
What strikes us this year is the fact that all sections reflect a dynamic balance between celebrated directors and fresh, promising newcomers. The total number of student works in all now-announced programmes amounts to 22 films with a significant input of the young cohort of animators in Slovenia: Our Lady of Rot by Bibi Erjavec from the ALUO University of Ljubljana (International competition programme: Stop Motion Animation), Deconstruction by Neda Ivanović from the University of Nova Gorica (International competition programme: Borderlands), Another Way by Uku Jürgenson from the University of Nova Gorica (Panorama: Wide View), and Arachnophobia by Melita Sandrin, also from the University of Nova Gorica (Panorama: Wide View). Slovenia will be represented further by Žoel Kastelic’s Butterflies (Panorama: Wide View) and the films made abroad by the Slovenian and Slovenian-resident artists: Ana Prebil (A Letter to a Friend, made in Belgium; Panorama: Wide View) and Miloš Tomić (Garden, made in Serbia, Panorama: JOY LTD.). It is indeed a record year for Slovenian production at StopTrik!
The masters are still striving for more! The short line-up mentioned here is not giving justice to the presence of multitude approaches exercised by many great artists who have been chartering mind-blowing innovations in the field of stop motion and experimental animation for several years now. Once in Maribor you should not miss Bruno Collet's Atomik Tour (International competition programme: Stop Motion Animation), Maciek Szczerbowski and Chris Lavis's Girl Who Cried Pearls (International competition programme: Stop Motion Animation), Paulina Ziółkowska's Tears (International competition programme: Stop Motion Animation), Donato Sansone's Dark Globe (International competition programme: Borderlands), Vuk Jevremović's Moral Support (International competition programme: Borderlands), Elizabeth Hobbs's Close Up (Panorama: Wide View) – and many, many more!
Please be advised, the subject matter of many selected works explores the dark side of humanity’s influence on the world we live in. We believe the filmmakers are inviting us all to seek an answer to the question: Where do we go from here?
To be continued… The results of international competition “Stop Motion for Children” coming soon!
See the list of selected films below
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See the list of selected films below 〰️
Producer of StopTrik International film festival is Pekarna Magdalenske mreže, co-producer is Narodni dom Maribor – Vetrinjski dvor. Festival's co-financiers are Slovenski filmski center, Mestna občina Maribor, Urad RS za mladino in Ministrstvo za kulturo. Soorganizers of the festival are Lutkovno gledališče Maribor, Akademija umetnosti, Univerza v Novi Gorici, Društvo slovenskega animiranega filma, Film Factory, KUD Coda, AGD Gustaf, Zavod Mars in Društvo Slon.