Anibar International Animation Festival is an annual festival dedicated to animated movies, held every year in Peja, Kosovo.
Every summer, the festival transforms the city of Peja into a hub for animation and cultural exchange through film screenings, workshops, discussions, and concerts.
Alongside the festival week, Anibar pursues its broader mission of capacity-building by organizing training seminars, debates, and other activities that provide visibility and support for emerging artists.
History
Anibar organization was founded in 2010 by a group of young art activists. What began with a budget of 500 euros and 80 films has since grown into one of the largest cultural events in Kosova, attracting around 15,000 visitors annually and participants from more than 50 countries.
The festival has played a significant role in revitalizing cultural life in Peja. In 2014, Anibar organization began discussions with the Municipality of Peja regarding the revitalization of the city’s only functional cinema "Jusuf Gërvalla. Although Anibar had been using the space for festival screenings since 2010, the cinema itself had largely remained non-functional for many years.
In 2016, the municipal assembly granted Anibar a 15-year mandate to administer the cinema. Under this agreement, Anibar presented a broad program that extended far beyond the festival week, including the development of the Animation Academy.
The revitalization transformed "Jusuf Gërvalla" cinema into a cultural center, with activities happening throughout the year, strengthening Peja’s cultural life.
Today, Anibar is known not only as an animation festival but also as a tool for cultural revival, education, dialogue, exchange, and art. The festival has had the power to transform Peja into a center of animation and continues to stand as a symbol of creativity, resilience, and freedom of expression.
Program
Films are divided into competitive and non-competitive categories.
The competitive program includes the following categories:
International Balkan Student Human Rights Animated Music Video Young Audience
Meanwhile, non-competitive categories are:
Virtual Reality Experimental Animation Animated Documentary Commissioned Works
Venues
Cinema-City "Jusuf Gërvalla" has a capacity of 300 seats, and features special programs, including those for children.
Competitive films are screened daily during the festival at the following spaces:
Cinema "Cubes" Istref Begolli theatre Cinema “lake” is an outdoor cinema by the lake, with 100 seats and inflatable boats.
Beyond film screenings, the festival hosts presentations, masterclasses, industry sessions such as Producers Meet Creators and Meet the Filmmakers, as well as panels, debates, and concerts. Open-air screenings and youth programs are part of its community outreach, alongside the Animation Academy training program.
Awards
Anibar gives awards in different categories, such as:
International Competition Student Competition Balkan Competition “Pitch It!” Human Rights Animated Music Video Young Audience
Editions
2010
2011
The second edition of the Anibar International Animation Festival held in 2011 continued to establish the festival as a platform for young artists and filmmakers in Kosova and the region.
Category Winner Country Director(s) International Competition The External World Ireland David O’Rally International Competition (Special Mention) Tussilago Sweden Jonas Odell Balkan Competition Guernika Albania Shaqir Veseli Balkan Competition (Special Mention) Dove Sei, Amor Mio Croatia Veljko Popović
2012
Category Winner Country Director(s) International Competition The Backwater Gospel Denmark Bo Mathorne International Competition (Special Mention) Oh Willy Belgium Emma de Swaet, Marc Roels International Competition (Special Mention) Borby Deline Switzerland Dustin Rees International Competition (Special Mention) In the Beginning of Time Croatia Bozidar Trkulja Student Competition The Father — Bogdanovit Student Competition (Special Mention) Perfect Life Turkey Ozgul Gurbuz Student Competition (Special Mention) Michael Pollan’s Food Rules — Marija Jacimovic, Benoît Detalle Student Competition (Special Mention) The Promise of Constantine — Marvina Cela
2013
The 4th edition of the Anibar International Animation Festival was held under the theme No Humans Allowed. The theme reflected on the relationship between humans, nature, and technology, encouraging audiences to imagine worlds beyond human-centered perspectives.
Category Winner Country Director(s) International Competition Darling / Liebling Poland Izabela Plucinska Student Competition The Rabbit and the Deer Hungary Péter Vácz Balkan Competition Ifran University — Riduam
2014
Category Winner Country Director(s) International Competition Baths Hungary Tomek Ducki International Competition (Special Mention) Papa Germany Kun Jia International Competition (Special Mention) Marilyn Myller United Kingdom Mikey Please Student Competition The Bigger Picture United States Daisy Jacobs Student Competition (Special Mention) Holding Brother’s Hand and How the Jelly Explodes Germany Kiana Naghshineh Student Competition (Special Mention) But Milk is Important Sweden Anna Mantzaris, Eirik Grønmo Bjørnsen Balkan Competition Rabbitland Serbia Ana Nedeljkovic, Nikola Majdak Balkan Competition (Special Mention) Hunger Croatia Petra Zlonoga Balkan Competition (Special Mention) Simulacra Croatia Ivana Bošnjak, Thomas Johnson Audience Award Don’t Fear Death Canada Louis Hudson
2015
The 6th edition of the Anibar International Animation Festival theme was Migration. The program included 200 animated films. This edition emphasized tolerance and the role of animated films in encouraging young people to understand social issues through creativity. A special highlight was the participation of Mike Reiss, a producer of The Simpsons, who shared insights into the making of the iconic series, including stories about guest stars and production challenges. The festival also welcomed back Italian collaborators from the Ottoman Laboratori to run workshops teaching children how to create short-length animated films.
Category Winner Country Director(s) International Competition We Can’t Live Without Cosmos Russia Konstantin Bronzit
2016
The 7th edition took place from 15 to 21 August and was focused on the environment climate change.
Category Winner Country Director(s) International Competition A Coat Made Dark Ireland Jack O’Shea International Competition (Student Special Mention) Shell All France Zaver Najjar Student Competition Sea Child United Kingdom Minha Kim Student Competition (Special Mention) Velodrool Estonia Sander Joon Student Competition (Special Mention) The More I Know Czech Republic Marek Naprstek Student Competition (Special Mention) RRRING RRRING Germany Thomas Kneffel Student Competition (Special Mention) D 729 Belgium Levi Stoops Student Competition (Special Mention) Ivan’s Need Switzerland Veronika L. Montano, Manuela Leuenberger, Lukas Suter Balkan Competition Of Slaves and Robots Serbia Miloc Tomic Animated Music Video Competition Quack Fat – Opiuo Australia Jonathan Chong Environmental Competition October 2050 Czech Republic Alzbeta Gobelova Audience Award He Who Has Two Souls France Fabrice Luang-Vija
2017
Reclaim the City, was the official theme of this edition. Reclaim the City focused on the struggle for democratic values in public space. The festival attracted many people, with different activities that represented a depoliticized culture as well as a more open mindset toward new media.
Category Winner Country Director(s) International Competition Nothing Happens Denmark Michelle Kranot, Uri Kranot International Competition (Special Mention) Pussy Poland Renata Gąsiorowska International Competition (Special Mention) Ogre France Laurene Braibant International Competition (Special Mention) Nighthawk Slovenia Spela Cadez Student Competition Oh, Mother Poland Paulina Ziolkowska Student Competition (Special Mention) Juliette Belgium Lora D’Addazio Student Competition (Special Mention) Tough Canada Jennifer Zheng Student Competition (Special Mention) It’s a Date United States Zachary Zezima Music Video Competition Zapaska Ukraine Oleg Shcherba Music Video Competition (Special Mention) GastaLoops United Kingdom Nicola Gastaldi Balkan Competition Wicked Girl France Ayce Kartal Balkan Competition (Special Mention) 20 Kicks Bulgaria Dimitar Dimitrov
2018
The 9th edition of the Anibar Festival was organized under the theme 50:50 - Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.
During this edition, several panels were held, aiming to promote awareness whereas 220 animated films were screened. The idea was to inspire both women and men to address gender inequalities.
Category Winner Country Director(s) International Competition Carlotta’s Face Germany Frédéric Schuld International Competition (Special Mention) Intimity Spain Amarna Miller Student Competition Flower Found! Netherlands Jorn Leeuwerink Student Competition (Special Mention) Auegenblick – A Blink of an Eye Germany Kiana Naghshineh Student Competition (Special Mention) Enough Sweden Anna Mantzaris Balkan Competition Untravel Serbia Nikola Majdak Jr., Ana Nedeljkovic Balkan Competition (Special Mention) The Monk Thailand Juck Somsaman Animated Music Video Competition Happy — — Animated Music Video Competition (Special Mention) FINKEL: w/o France Sanni Lahtinen Animated Music Video Competition (Special Mention) Engine of Progress — — Feature Film Competition Chris the Swiss Switzerland Anja Kofmel Public Award iRony United Kingdom Amy Nicholson
2019
This edition of the Anibar International Animation Festival took place under the theme “Hopes and Fears”, highlighting the collective hopes and fears of our society. Through animation, the festival sought to spark dialogue on political, social, and environmental challenges, while giving young people and artists the space to express their visions and encourage civic activism. This edition marked a decade of Anibar as a vital cultural and artistic platform in Kosovo, showcasing the power of art to inspire social change and preserve hope for a better future.
Category Winner Country Director(s) International Competition And Then the Bear France Agnes Patron International Competition (Special Mention) I’m Going Out for Cigarettes France Osman Cerfon International Competition (Special Mention) Egg United States Martina Scarpelli Student Competition Applesauce Austria Alexander Gratzer Student Competition (Special Mention) Hide N Seek Czech Republic Barbora Halířová Balkan Competition Imbued Life Croatia Thomas Johnson, Ivana Bosnjak Balkan Competition (Special Mention) N’korniz Kosova Gëzim Ramizi Feature Film Competition The Tower Norway Mats Grorud Animated Music Video Competition SIAMÉS – MR. FEAR Argentina Pablo Rafael Roldán, Ezequiel Torres Audience Award Toomas Beneath the Valley of the Wild Wolves Croatia Chintis Lundgren
2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Anibar was organised in the virtual format for the first time. This year's theme was "Humans", and through films, presentations, and panels throughout the weeks of the festival, the main focus was on the collective humanitarian effort, which was highlighted even more because of the situation caused by COVID-19.
2021
After COVID, the festival's theme was "Isolation". It reflected challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting solitude and claustrophobia. It included hybrid, online, and in-person events during July 23–30.