The International Festival of Animated Films AniFest has announced the format for the competition of the festival’s 7th edition, which will be held from 7 through 13 May 2008 in Třeboň, south Bohemia. Those who participated in the festival in recent years will notice some minor changes to both the structure and the names of the competition categories. Also new to the festival is a non-competition presentation of Czech, Slovak and Austrian films with active participation by the authors. This will take place under the title ‘CAS Presentation’ as part of ProfiForum.

Film-makers who would like to submit their films into the AniFest 2008 international competition may register free of charge using the entry form that is available on the festival’s website - www.anifest.cz. AniFest, the only competition festival in the Czech Republic dedicated exclusively to animated film, has become synonymous with a nearly week long animation marathon that presents the best of Czech and international animation. At this year’s festival, you will be able to see both hot new films and some unique archive animation...

The international competition is yet again divided into 7 different categories:
1. Very Short Films (less than 5 minutes)
2. Short Films (more than 5 minutes but less than 60 minutes)
3. Feature-Length Films (60 minutes or more)
4. Television Films and Serials, Video Clips, Advertisements, Introductory Spots
5. Internet Animation
6. Student Films

Once again, sitting on 3 different international juries will be 9 prominent personalities from the world of animated film. Together with the Honorary President, they will award the grand prize – AniFest Grand Prix (€ 2,000 in prize money) and 8 additional festival prizes (€ 1,000 or € 500 in prize money). Based on the audience’s vote, the organiser will award the Třeboň Town Prize and the Audience Prize for the best Internet film.

Even though AniFest is not oriented specifically towards children, some children’s films will also be judged; teams of children may also enter the competition, as long as the main film-maker, i.e. the director, is either an individual or a group of children under 15 years of age.

Aside from the films, the professional audience and the professional public will surely be interested in the content of the festival’s ProfiForum programme. This year’s edition brings with it a new feature that we intend to make an annual tradition, namely the ‘CAS Presentation’ – a comprehensive presentation of Czech, Slovak and Austrian animated production from the past 2 years, and we hereby cordially invite all writers, producers and distributors of animated film to participate. Both the presentation and the subsequent discussion will be moderated by professionals from the ranks of prominent film theorists and film-makers, and participation in the programme is not subject to selection by any committee. The only prerequisite for participation is the timely registration of a film or of an episode of a series (by 21st February 2008) created after 1 January 2006. The projection equipment, including crew and interpreting, are provided by the organiser free of charge. The ‘CAS Presentation’ programmes are open free of charge to all film professionals and media representatives. They will be included in the festival catalogue and, of course, will be continually promoted in the media, both domestically and abroad. The ‘CAS Presentation’ offers not only a welcome opportunity to exchange information and make new professional contacts, but also the unique opportunity for Czech, Slovak and Austrian animated production to introduce itself to the entire ‘animated’ world.

Other programmes within ProfiForum that are currently under preparation include: AniDesign (an educational programme focusing on computer animation, connected with workshops, presentations and seminars), Meeting the Visegrad Countries (screenings and workshops by young writers from Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic), Produced by... (a presentation by prominent animation studios and an opportunity to meet their writers and see their works), and also the international competition of flipbooks created by children (a flipbook is a series of cartoons drawn in a notebook, which, as you flip through the pages, appears to move).

Those of us who prepare the festival every year for all fans of animated production are looking forward to a great turnout in all the competitions and presentations and believe that this year’s films and other programmes will live up to the traditionally high artistic standard of the festival, attracting thousands of visitors to the city of Třeboň.

More information about the rules of the competitions, the dates and the necessary forms are available at www.anifest.cz.