Anibar International Animation Festival 2026

Festival Description

Anibar International Animation Festival is the only animation festival in Kosova, and one of the biggest cultural events in the country. Since the beginning, the festival is organized and held in various settings in Peja.

2026 Coverage

(Festival Statement): "From past themes to those that preoccupy us today, instead of focusing on just one, this year we are allowing them to manifest through the selected films that will be screened across five cinemas, in discussions with filmmakers and festival guests, in workshops and masterclasses suited for every curious mind, as well as in exhibitions, picnics, and music shared among friends. Among other things, this year the festival invites us to briefly disconnect from the rhythm of the digital world, reminding us to be present with one another in time and space, as well as with the creative process itself. Throughout the festival, we will explore our relationship with the senses, nature, materials, and memory."

Festival trailer by Jenny Jokela

Jenny Jokela (1990) is a Finnish animation director and illustrator based in Edinburgh. She graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2017, where she completed an MA in Animation. Her graduation film ‘Barbeque’ has won numerous awards, including the Cristal at Annecy 2018. Last year, she won second place in Anibar’s International Competition with her film ‘Dollhouse Elephant’. In her colorful and expressive personal work, Jenny explores the visualization of the invisible feelings and emotions, often around themes of sexuality and trauma.

Call for Entries (Archive)

The submission is open to any audiovisual animation created frame by frame, including computer-generated animation, experimental, and combinations of live-action that are completed after January 1st, 2025 can participate, films completed prior to the stated date cannot participate. 

 The duration of the films must be less than 30 minutes (including credits) for all categories. 

Competition Categories

• International Competition
• Student Competition
• Balkan Competition
• Human Rights Competition
• Animated Music Videos Competition
• Kids and Teen Competition

AWARDS & RECOGNITION:
– Best International Award
– Best Balkan Award
– Best Student Award
– Best Human Rights Award
– Best Animated Music Video Award
– Best Young Audience Award
– Best Audience Award

• Deadline: 31 March  15 April 2026
• Full regulations and submission form via FilmFreeway

2025 Festival Coverage

• Notes on Anibar Animation Festival 2025
• 'We Have to Do In Animation What Europe Is Strong In’: An interview with Draško Ivezić of Adriatic Animation

2024 Festival Coverage

• Anibar Festival 2024 'Smashes the Patriarchy', Announces Program

2023 Festival Coverage

Trailer:

• Anibar Festival celebrates love

2022 Festival Coverage

• Festival Winners
• Superstition' theme of the 2022 Anibar Festival

2021 Festival Coverage

• 2021 Festival Winners
• Festival Theme: Isolation
• Selection Results

2020 Festival Coverage

Winners:

International Competition

• Anibar Festival Returns with "Humans" Theme

Programme

From 1300 films, 139 were selected by the programming team to be screened during the 7 days of the festival. The films are divided into 7 categories, where 5 of them will be in competition: International Competition, Student Competition, Balkan Competition, Animated Music VIdeo Competition, and the Human Rights Category. Whereas the other 2 categories will be out of competition: Panorama Out Of Competition, and Kids & Teen Program.

Among the films selection Anibar will screen the World Premiere of All Those Sensations in my Belly by Marko Dješka in the Balkan Category and the Human Rights Category.

Most of the programs are held through the online platform "Zoom" while the films will have a special platform on which they will be screened. Also, each activity will be broadcasted directly through the virtual platforms.

The spicy program of films that will be screened during August have been selected, nominated, or screened in a number of other festivals like: Annecy International Animation Film Festival, The Academy Awards, Cannes Film Festival, Berlin International Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, Animafest Zagreb, Kaboom, Fantoche, Anifilm, Stuttgart Trickfilm International Animated Film Festival, Ottawa International Animation Festival, and many more.

Jury: Clémence Bragard, Yves Nougarede, Joanna Priestley 

• Full Schedule
• Selection Results

Festival Trailer

2019 Festival Coverage

• Anibar 2019 Winners
• Anibar Festival Collaborates With Central Eastern European Partners
• Anibar Festival Declares ARTivism for its 2019 Edition

2019 Festival Trailer

Hopes and Fears!

In a society which is consistently becoming indifferent towards political, social and environmental changes, in the tenth edition of Anibar, we will treat our hopes and fears to inspire action and promote civic activism through arts. Trailer, artwork, and animation by Alice Saey, music and sound by Ruben van Asselt.

2018 Festival Coverage:

Winners:

• International Competition: Winner: Carlotta's Face / Special Mention: Intimity
• Student Competition: Winner: Flower Found! / Special Mention: Augenblicke - a blink of an eye / Special Mention: Enough
• Balkan Competition: Winner: Untravel / Special Mention: The Monk
• Animated Music Video Competition: Winner: Happy / Special Mention: F I N K E L : w / o / Special Mention: Engine of Progress
• Feature Film Competition: Winner: Chris the Swiss
• Public Award Winner: iRony

• Anibar Workshops and Masterclasses
• The full festival programme
• Anibar Goes 50/50 in its 9th Edition
• 9th Anibar Festival Showcases Edvin Susuri 

2017 Festival Coverage

• Anibar Reclaims the City
• Competition Programme
• Anibar Talks: Q&A with the new director Petrit Gora
• Georges Schwizgebel Retrospective

2016 Festival Coverage

• Anibar 2016 Goes Environmental
• Q&A with artistic director Petrit Gora

2015 Festival Coverage

2015 WINNERS 

-Best International – We can’t live without cosmos, Russian Federation 15’
-Best Balkan - 100% mood, Bulgaria 4’
-Audience Award - We can’t live without cosmos, Russian Federation 15’
-Student Award – With joy and merriness, Belgium 6’
-Environmental Award – Planet ∑, France 11’
-Music Video Award – Sandro Joyeux, Romania 3’
-Best Strip - Arvan Berisha- Stripi për ambientin

2014 Festival Coverage

• Baths, Rabbitland Win at Anibar 2014

2013 Festival Coverage

• 2013 Anibar Programme