The 35th World Festival of Animated Film—Animafest Zagreb (2-7 June 2025)—proved to be another socially and politically minded event, reflected in its award-winning films.

The always political bent of Sasha Svirsky found another short expression with the 'Dull Spots of Greenish Colours' (a German production), and ended up winning the festival's Grand Prix in Short Competition. The Estonian animation short 'On Weary Wings Go By' by Anu-Laura Tuttelberg, her second in the porcelain puppet film series, won the festival's Creativity and Innovative Artistic Achievement Award.

In the feature film category, Adam Elliot's personal snail-fan trappings in 'Memoirs of a Snail' gave the Oscar-nominated clay film the Grand Prix—the Brothers Quay won a Special Mention with their 'Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass'.

The stop-motion animation short 'Psychonauts' by Niko Radas, in which  mental disorders are depicted as spatial 'extensions' of their carriers, anthropomorphised objects or symbolic items was the winner in the festival's Croatian competition.

The technique-diverse and impressive 'Mother's Child' by Naomin Noir (Utrecht School of the Arts), a story of a mother with her adult disabled son won the Student Film Compettion; Jan Saska's 'Hurikán' was the audience favorite (for a short film); in the feature film category, the 'Living Large' by Kristina Dufkova, a 3-country co-production won the corresponding audience award.

The full list of Animafest Zagreb 2025 Winners

Grand Competition Short Film: Grand Prix
Dull Spots of Greenish Colours by Sasha Svirsky, produced by Wait a Second! GbR (Germany)

Jury Statement: This film powerfully reflects on how media influence both our society and individual minds. Through a skilful blend of techniques, it delivers a profound message in a way that feels both philosophical and organic. It invites us to question our relationship with the media — not only on a societal level, but also in terms of our personal and even physical experience of the world.

Golden Zagreb Award for Creativity and Innovative Artistic Achievement:
On Weary Wings Go By by Anu-Laura Tuttelberg (Estonia/Lithuania),produced by Fork Film, Art Shot and Moon Birds Studios.

Jury Statement: a mesmerising work that captures the raw and poetic beauty of nature. Through stunning time-lapses, we witness a landscape in constant transformation. Puppet animation is fluent and delicate, echoing the fragility of porcelain figures caught under the rule of a merciless natural world.

The Zlatko Grgić Award for Best First Film Made Outside an Educational Institution:
 Uroš by Mato Uljarević (Montenegro, Dok produkcija, Protos film d.o.o)

Jury Statement: a finely drawn charcoal animation. A man battles a dark presence while his life transforms through the shifting images of his own creation.

Special Awards:.

Osman Cerfon Special Award: A Night at the Rest Area (パーキングエイアチヤ) by Saki Muramoto (Studio Tampopo)
Jury member statement: A simple but daring film that stages with subtlety and tenderness a social clumsiness that everyone has once felt in such situation.

Špela Čadež Special Award: Deluge by Meejin Hong (US, independent production),
Jury member statement: a seamless, hypnotic loop of evolving ink drawings unfolds in 24 frames.

Erwin Gomez Special Award: Scars We Love by Raphaël Jouzeau (Balade Sauvage Productions, France),
Jury member statement: for outstanding aesthetics that awaken sensations on your skin, a love story that comes to an end – and yet makes you feel part of it.

Sarina Nihei Special Award: Dog Alone (Cão Sozinho),by Marta Reis Andrade (BAP – Animation Studios, Ikki Films, Portugal/France).
Jury member statement: Every shot in this film is visually striking, featuring a carefully curated, limited colour palette. I was captivated by the seamless animation transitions and the touching story of a girl’s deep love for her grandfather.

Ivana Volda Special Award: How by Marko Meštrović, produced by Kreativni sindikat (Croatia).
Jury member statement: Through dynamic repetition and the continuous flow of hypnotic drawings, the film shapes a surreal yet rounded perception of the world.

Grand Competition Feature Film
(Jury: Miljana Dragičević, Carolina López Caballero and Martin Vandas)

Grand Prix: Memoir of a Snail by Adam Elliot (produced by Arena Media and Screen Australia)
Jury statement: a film full of empathy and kindness, but also with an insight into difficult life situations, loneliness and cohesion. It has an extraordinary script combining bitter and sweet, humour and sadness. Life in every piece of stop motion animation.

Special Mention: Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass by the Quay brothers (productions: Koninck Studios, IKH Pictures Production, The Match Factory GmbH, Adam Mickiewicz Institute, UK/Poland/Germany)
Jury Statement: for transforming the spirit of Bruno Schulz into a dreamlike universe where time, memory and matter dissolve into pure cinematic poetry.

Student Film Competition and the Croatian Film Competition
Jury: Michał Bobrowski, Waltraud Grausgruber, Jin Woo

Dušan Vukotić Award for Best Student Film:
Mother’s Child by Naomi Noir, Utrecht School of the Arts, The Netherlands)

Jury Statement: This film captivates us with its innovative visual style and realistic voice acting, emotional depth and narrative strength. Delicately drawn lines beautifully capture the fragility, the unconditional love and the bond between the characters. Surreal 3D sequences immerse us in the protagonist’s mental world as she experiences extreme exhaustion. This work takes us to a powerful emotional journey and raises awareness of caregivers’ realities in a highly artistic, activist way.

Special Mention: Poppy Flowers by Evridiki Papaiakovou (Estonian Academy of Arts)
Jury Statement: a film that poses profound questions about the consequences of religious upbringing, by means of remarkable visuals achieved through one of animation’s most demanding techniques.

Special Mention: Sh (嘘) by Qi Duan  (Chinese Academy of Arts)
Jury Statement: The film weaves together images of the frustration and uncontrollable stomach- turning irritation, anger and helplessness that individuals feel when they are shoved into a politically programmed box, eventually leaving them wanting to feel nothing.

Croatian Film Competition: Best Film ( a financial award of 1,000 euros, awarded by the Croatian Film Authors’ and Producers’ Association / also Oscar-qualified)
Psychonauts by Niko Radas, produced by the Vrapče Psychiatric Clinic, the Croatian Association of Digital Artists and the Zagreb Film Institution

Jury Statement: Anonymous voices along with the precise choreography of camera movement are letting us into spaces of intimacy. This film shows us mental disorders moulded like porcelain into the shape of ourselves. 

Special Mention:
Vuk Jevremović for Moral Support (Moralna zaslomba, prod. Canvas)
Jury Statement: for the dialectics of rhythm and disarray: fluid yet structured, fierce yet compassionate, rooted in the revolutionary avantgarde of 1920s yet fresh and topical.

Special mention for the best Croatian minority co-production:
Floating by Jelena Milunović (Set Sail Films, Adriatic Animation, Babelsberg Film University Konrad Wolf, Serbia/Croatia/Germany)
Jury: With deep sensitivity shows how a daughter gently brings her father – literally – back down to earth. A visually poetic story that translates individual experience into a reflection about love, responsibility and resilience

Best Film For Children and Youth Competition

(Children's Jury)

Snow Bear by Aaron Blaise, produced by The Art of Aaron Blaise, US

Jury statement: a film that conveyed the most important message in today’s world. It is very emotional and it tells us we are allowed to cry if we lose something we love. The film has messages on many levels. The other important message is to take care of the community, of each other and of nature. Nature is melting because of the climate changes we are responsible for which is putting the animal world in danger. Also, loneliness is a big issue today. Hang out and help each other. This film took eight years to make and this really shows the dedication of the author of this magnificent film. It is beautifully drawn and shows true feelings. There is a contrast between the drawn characters and the realistic backgrounds. The music and effects are well blended in and contribute to the emotional atmosphere.

Special mention (Films for Children Competition)
Bobel’s Kitchen by Fiona Rolland (Atelier de Production de La Cambre, Belgium):
Jury Statement: A film with two messages: Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, don’t move forward! The second message is: Whatever you’re like, taller, fatter, smaller, it doesn’t matter. What matters is to trust yourself and to believe someone one day will trust you and become your friend no matter what you’re like. This film also took a lot of effort to make, a whole year.

Special Mention (Films for Youth Competition) - decided by the audience (Zagreb High Scool Students):
 S The Wolf by Sameh Alaae (Salt
for Sugar Films, France).

Audience Mr. M. Award (short film):
Hurikán, Jan Saska  (Last Films, Maur Film, Laïdak films, Artichoke, Aeon Production, Czechia/ France/Slovakia/Bosnia-Herzegovina).

Audience Mr. Award (best feature film):
 Living Large, Kristina Dufkova (produced by Barletta, Novinski and Novanima, Czechia/Slovakia/France).

Animafest Zagreb 2025 - Award Ceremony

The 36th World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb 2026 will be held from 8 to 13 June 2026.

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