At the seventh edition of the Flipbook Film Festival held in Skopje from August 3 to 9, films were screened in the Main, Student and Anidoc competitions, the Animated Music Video selection, the new BoomBar program for young audiences, and the European Panorama, alongside a number of special programs, retrospectives, and presentations by festival guests.

Related: The full selection of 2026 Flipbook Film Festival

The jury for the Main and Student competitions, consisting of Thomas Wolda from Croatia, Marija Vulić from Serbia, and Aleta Rajić from Bosnia and Herzegovina, awarded the Grand Prix for Best Animated Film to 'Please' by Swedish director Anna Mantzaris, a co-production between Sweden, France, the Czech Republic, Norway, and Finland.

Jury Statement: The film stands out for its bold and original vision, superbly executed stop-motion animation, and its ability to transform vulnerability and loneliness into a profoundly human, absurd, and moving experience. With tenderness and dark humor, the film reminds us of the universal human need to love and be loved.

Please, Anna Mantzaris

The first Special Mention in the Main Competition went to 'A Pint of Bitter' by Conor Kehelly, a film with a disturbing, dark sense of humor that takes the audience along on a wild ride—one that, as the jury put it, “makes me not want to have another beer.”

A second Special Mention went to the Montenegrin film 'Urosh' by Mato Uljarević, a disturbing and raw portrait of an artist confronting his own distorted nightmares of death and emotional trauma.

The Grand Prix in the Student Competition went to the Serbian film 'Floating' by Jelena Milunović.

Jury Statement: A poetic and deeply moving film that transforms the themes of mental health and family estrangement into a powerful visual metaphor. Precisely crafted, intimate, and emotional, the film guides the viewer through the relationship between a father and daughter.

Floating

Our review of 'Floating'.

A Special Mention went to the British film 'Warp and Weft' by Isolda Milenković, for its carefully executed animation, inventive use of textile materials, and sincere dedication to handmade craftsmanship.

In the new BoomBar selection for young audiences, the awards were decided by a children’s jury. The main award went to 'Citrus Cyclops' by Magdalena Metrycka, a co-production between Poland and the United Kingdom. A Special Mention went to the German film 'Line 12' by Sarah Schulz and Christopher Schmir, while a second Special Mention was awarded to the French film 'The Night Boots' by Pierre-Luc Granjon.

The jury for the Animated Documentary and Animated Music Video competitions, consisting of Tina Smrekar from Slovenia, Vuk Jevremović, and Marko Meštrović from Croatia, awarded the main prize in the Anidoc Competition to the Polish film 'My Polish Hair' by Michalina Musialik.

Jury Statement: Guided by a striking voice-over, the drawings take the viewer into unexpected spaces, turning the film into a kind of adventure.

Special Mentions went to the French film 'Flares' by Joachim Bouzek, for its bold painterly approach to serious illness and its combination of different animation techniques to convey a state of psychological exhaustion, and to the Irish film 'Inside,The Valley Sings' by Nathan Fagan, an animated documentary that gradually opens up an exceptionally difficult subject and allows the viewer to draw closer to the harrowing experiences of its protagonists.

In the Animated Music Video Competition, the main award went to the Italian 'Traffic Lights –Flea feat. Thom Yorke' by Nespy 5euro. The jury highlighted the video’s play with basic visual elements, reduced to a minimum and exceptionally well synchronized with the music, gradually developing and building throughout the composition. Special Mentions went to the Macedonian 'Rundek & Ekipa – Dance on Thin Ice 'by Gjorgje Jovanović, for its subtle interplay of light, color, and shadow in a precise relationship with the music, and to the Slovak 'Lower Resolution – Head feat. Lena Lies by Marian Vredik, a monochromatic and flickering homage to Edgar Allan Poe.

The award for Best Film with an Environmental Message, traditionally presented by the environmental organization Eko-svest, went this year to the Croatian film The Last Straw by Dorotea Radušić and Mislav Rotim.

Flipbook Film Festival 2026

The seventh edition of Flipbook Film Festival was supported by the Macedonian Film Agency, the City of Skopje, the environmental organization Eko-svest, and the Cinematheque of North Macedonia.

Our Comprehensive Coverage of Flipbook Film Festival

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