Jury
International jury representing 8 countries:
Italy, USA, Japan, UK, Serbia, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Cristina Angelucci
Italy
With over 20 years’ experience in the licensing and kids’ entertainment business, Cristina has a background in marketing, PR, communication, business and content development, events organization and management. Tasked by BolognaFiere to build a brand-new entertainment and licensing section, she was instrumental in launching the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair in 2008, one of the major trade events in Europe and taking place in the frame of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair. In 2021 she organizes the first edition of the International Kids Licensing Days, which have become a reference point for all those interested on the crossing developments of children’s contents. In 2024, she launched the TV/Film Rights Centre, always in the frame of the BCBF, to enhance the matching between audiovisual producers and children’s publishers. Always at BCBF, in 2025 she will be working on a brand-new business area devoted to the interaction between Gaming and Publishing.
Frank Gladstone
USA
Frank Gladstone has been working as a professional animator, producer, director, writer and teacher for more than 50 years. From 1973 to 1989, he managed his own Emmy award-winning studio, Persistence of Vision, Inc., producing commercials and educational films, and has since worked for the feature animation divisions at Disney, Warner Bros. IDT/Starz Media and DreamWorks. He is currently president of his own animation consulting firm, Gladstone Film, Inc. and is the past Executive Director of ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest honorary animation society in the world. In that capacity, Frank has also been the executive producer of the annual and influential Annie Awards. Mr. Gladstone was a producer at Warner Bros. Feature Animation and for Walt Disney Feature Animation he worked with production crews on Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, and Mulan. His feature film credits with DreamWorks include The Road to Eldorado, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, and Shark Tale.
Yuichi Ito
Japan
Yuichi Ito is an animation director, educator and president of I.TOON Ltd. He is a leading figure in Japanese animation, specializing in stop-motion techniques with a particular focus on clay animation. In 1998, Ito founded I.TOON Ltd., where he has directed numerous acclaimed projects, including the beloved NHK educational series Knyacki! and the award-winning short film Harbor Tale, which garnered international recognition in 2011. His diverse portfolio also includes music videos such as Ken Hirai’s You Are My Friend and the popular PON DE LION TV commercials for Mister Donut. Since 2008, he has been a professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, where he teaches in the Graduate School of Film and New Media’s Animation Department. Ito has also served as a guest professor at Osaka University of Arts and has been an international jury member for various festivals, including the Seoul International Comic and Animation Festival (2014) and the Hiroshima International Animation Festival (2020). He is an active board member of both the Japan Animation Association and ASIFA Japan.
Paul Robinson
United Kingdom
Paul Robinson serves as Kartoon Studios’ Head of International Sales & President of Kartoon Channel Worldwide, a family entertainment destination that delivers 1000s of episodes of carefully curated and safe family-friendly content and is available in 57 territories around the world with a potential audience reach of approximately 1.6 billion. Paul is an accomplished and seasoned media executive with significant experience developing media brands around the globe. Previously, he served as Managing Director of Disney Channel Worldwide, where he was responsible for global programming and production strategy. Paul also founded the Toon Disney and Playhouse Disney television channels internationally. Before his tenure at The Walt Disney Company, Paul was Head of Strategy for the BBC Network Radio, overseeing the strategy development for BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Live. Additionally, he has served as Managing Director of talkSPORT; Co-Founder and CEO of KidsCO, NBCUniversal’s international children’s channel; and Executive Vice President of Your Family Entertainment AG, in which Kartoon Studios maintains a controlling stake.
Ondrej Slivka
Slovakia
Ondrej Slivka is a prominent Slovak art designer and animation director. He studied at Academy of Arts and Crafts in Prague (Umbrella /1984/, If I Were a Bird /1986/). Slivka is Professor and Head of the Department of Animation at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava and has lectured at the Faculty of Multimedia Communication at Tomas Bata University in Zlín since 2003. In Slovakia, his 14-part Večerníček television series, Bratislava Fairy Tales (1990-1999), is one of the most successful and ambitious television projects to date. Slivka’s films entered official selection at film festivals including Huesca, Varna, Annecy, Chicago, Hiroshima, Dallas and others. International awards include Tampere (1988) and 1st Place at the 1991 Prix Danube Bratislava. As a laureate of Albín Brunovský Honorary Medal (1999) he also created numerous interactive exhibitions for the International House of Art for Children, BIBIANA, and authored the Biennial of Animation Bratislava signature posters.
Michal Zeman
Czech Republic
Michal Zeman is a Czech art designer, animator and educator. In the 1980s he graduated in Film and Television Graphics at UMPRUM in Prague. Like his father, he started out in Zlín Studios, but soon became his frequent collaborator. He authored the story, script and art designs while working together with his dad on successful Večerníček genre series for Slovak Television. These included Lap and Hopko Detectives (1988-94) and Kač-kač-kač (1991-96). Episodes from latter won the Grand Prix in Cairo 1992, had a special screening in Chicago 1992, entered official selection in Annecy 1993, Hiroshima 1994, Chicago 1994, had official showcase in Laon 1995. Since 1999, he has been working at the Faculty of Multimedia Communications of Tomas Bata University and he likes to intertwine his university lectures with teaching at the School of Applied Arts in Uherské Hradiště. The Slovak Film Institute associates him with more than 50 films on which he collaborated in Slovakia.
Tatjana Žeželj Gojković
Srbia
Tatjana Žeželj Gojković is a renowned producer with a portfolio of over 20 feature films and series, earning numerous international accolades. Her first feature film as a producer, Panama (2015), directed by Pavle Vučković, premiered in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the prestigious Camera d’Or awarded to the best debut film at Cannes in 2015. Tatjana’s work spans international co-productions and groundbreaking projects, including the immensely successful South Wind franchise, which has won over 20 best picture awards and has remained a regional favorite for years. She has also ventured into gaming, multimedia, and animation, playing a key role in establishing two animation studios in Belgrade and Novi Sad. These studios, built to global standards, produce content for worldwide distribution. With Johnny Depp in a key role, Tatjana Žeželj Gojković produced six seasons of the animated series Puffins Impossible. Tatjana has significantly contributed to the development of animated forms in Serbia.
Felix Vanginderhuysen
Belgium
After studying Sociology, Felix Vanginderhuysen founded his own company JEKINO to supply Belgian cinemas with children’s films. As an independent distributor, Jekino forced a place for children’s films on the competitive film market. Jekino specialised in high quality children’s films from around the world, but also nourished film education, initiated the first Flemish Youth Film Festival (which still lives on under the name JEF), and stimulated the cautious growth of Belgian youth film production. As a distributor, Felix Vanginderhuysen often explored the boundaries of the genre. Jekino did not shy away from including youth documentaries, socially engaged social dramas, and even quasi-experimental cinema alongside animated films and adolescent adventure fiction. As his business partner Xiaojuang Zhou (sales agent for the internationally renowned Attraction Distribution) wrote: „Felix has an eye for powerful films and the courage to bring them to his country.“
Awards
Meet the Winners and Laureates of the XVII Year
Biennial of Animation Bratislava 2024
The Prix Klingsor for Lifetime Achievement in 2024 is being awarded to Professor Rudolf Urc. For the first time in the history of the Biennial of Animation Bratislava, the Klingsor Award stays in Slovakia. Professor Urc is a co-founder of the Biennial of Animation Bratislava and the Department of Animated Creation at the Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts. Professor Urc is a dramaturge, publicist, screenwriter, director, author of many animated films, and has been involved with the entire development of animated creation in Slovakia.
The recipient of the Albín Brunovský Honorary Medal for an exceptional contribution to animated film in 2024 is also Felix Vanginderhuysen. As the General Secretary of the European Children’s Film Association, he has supported the creation of high-quality children’s films for decades, promoted film education, and founded an international film festival that has been running for over 30 years.
Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Swineherd” as you have never seen it!
Thanks to an extraordinary common thread, a grumpy grandpa builds a new relationship with his granddaughter.
A monster, desperate to fit in among humans, hides behind a human disguise but is forced to confront the truth about himself when a visit to an indoor pool leads to a dramatic unravelling of his identity.
Alternate version of a history about beggining of human race. The Great Spideress raises the first human to teach him ways of the world.
Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Swineherd” as you have never seen it!
BAB International Forum
From Illustration to Animation
Next-Generation Media Education
From Illustration to Animation
There is a deep connection between illustration and animation, one that continues to expand through advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (A.I.). Media education today is no longer just about mastering fundamental artistic techniques—it increasingly involves understanding how new technologies impact and transform the creative process itself.
Illustration serves as a foundational element in animation, depicting static characters and environments, while animation breathes life into them. In today’s world, with the rise of A.I., animation is becoming more automated and efficient, opening the door for a new generation of creators. A.I. simplifies many aspects of animation, from generating movements to crafting complex scenes and effects. Yet, the creative input of the artist remains essential, as they continue to shape the concept and aesthetics of the work.
Next-Generation Media Education
Media education must evolve alongside these changes, as integrating technologies like A.I. is crucial for modern creation. Thus, the goal of education is not only to develop artistic skills but also to teach creators how to effectively use these new tools so that their work remains both original and innovative. The intersection of illustration and animation today extends beyond traditional techniques to include the ability to harness modern technologies that significantly broaden the potential for creative expression.
This evolution, and the symbiotic relationship between artistic and technological elements, defines the future of animation and media education, where art and technology come together to shape new approaches to creativity and learning.
Program
Biennial of Animation Bratislava all over Slovakia
Schools, cinemas, twin cities, masterclass, animation workshops, exhibitions and more
Screening of the Most Beautiful Animated Films From Around the World For Children in Your City.
Film screenings will take place throughout October not only at BIBIANA but also in more than 13 partner institutions across 11 cities in Slovakia: Hlohovec, Nové Zámky, Martin, Nitra, Banská Bystrica, Prešov, Poprad, Zvolen, Žilina, Trenčín, and Detva. In Bratislava, the traditional screening of competition programs will be held at the Lumière cinema.
An Odyssey of Art: Michaël Dudok de Wit Artistic Designs for Oscar Nominated Masterpiece from Two Perspectives
More than 12 international awards, and 33 additional nominations…
This exhibition crosses borders and spaces, each with its own meaning and presents a fresh, multi-dimensional journey, straddling the nation. Intricate artistic designs for The Red Turtle inhabit unique spaces offering a distinct perspective on the author’s creative process.
This selection of artistic designs features pencil drawings created by Michaël Dudok de Wit during the development process of an animated masterpiece. For the artist, some of the drawings may appear rough and chaotic, but he chose them precisely because he believes they embody life and energy; the qualities that were of utmost importance to him.
These are not perfect illustrations; rather, they tell a story, explore emotions related to the narrative, study scene compositions and experiment with camera angles, all the while establishing a relationship between the character and their environment. De Wit used a standard 3B pencil on office or animation paper. Worldwide, most of these drawings have only been seen three times since their creation.
Film Poems and Songs: An Exhibition of Animated Poetry
“Film Poems and Songs” returns to this venue after six years, inviting a new generation of young viewers to experience its enchantment. The universal themes of family, nature, and discovery remain as fresh and relevant today, offering children a renewed opportunity to engage with these beautifully animated stories. Revisiting this collection celebrates its lasting impact, showcasing the timeless dialogue between poetry, animation, and the imagination of childhood.
Special Thanks MOME Budapest: Rector József Fülöp, Zsuzsanna Vincze, Orsolya Sipos, Dominika Szosznyák Dominik, Rita Domonyi
Special Thanks Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Center in Bratislava: H.E. Ambassador of Hungary to Slovakia Csaba Balogh, Liszt Institute Executive Director Pál Venyercsan, Rozália Stifterová, Zsuzsanna Somogyi
EduGami Experience: Animation, Innovation, and Learning Adventure Workshop
Miomir Rajcevic
This groundbreaking workshop, taking place from October 7th to 9th during the Biennial of Animation Bratislava, is designed to transform education through the integration of animation, gamification, and interactive illustrations. Participants will engage in creative storytelling, leveraging the power of GenAI to craft personalized learning experiences. Through immersive activities and themed escape rooms, attendees will develop essential skills like problem-solving and teamwork, making education an exhilarating journey. Dive into the future of learning with EduGami, where education meets creativity.
This project is at the forefront of innovation and creativity. By integrating GenAI, EduGami provides personalized and adaptive learning experiences, making education more intuitive and effective. Students are drawn into vividly animated stories that not only bring academic content to life but also encourage creative thinking. Interactive illustrations simplify complex concepts, turning them into easily digestible visual narratives.
The impact on learning is profound. EduGami incorporates engaging gamification, using gamified assessments and progress tracking to make education enjoyable and motivating. The project also integrates themed escape rooms, embedding academic content into scenarios that develop critical skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and communication under pressure. Additionally, EduGami offers a multi-sensory learning approach to support young individuals with intellectual disabilities, ensuring an inclusive and stimulating educational experience for everyone. Experience the future of education with EduGami, where learning becomes an adventure.
Young Creators: A New Beginning for the Biennial Studio
Subby
Authors: Miomir Rajčević, Edulienka Elementary School, Bratislava.
Cat Island
Authors: Mikael Lindbom, Jeséniova Elementary School, Bratislava.
Walk to Bratislava
Authors: Elodie Marechal and Nadial Talah, AAA Studio, Dudova Elementary School, Bratislava.
Principal Ceremony
October 10, 2024
Winter Riding Hall, Bratislava Castle
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