Biennial of Animation Bratislava

Festival description:
The Festival’s mission is to foster artistic confrontation in the field of animation intended for children, create conditions for the evaluation thereof and hence support the complex development of this unique kind of art.

The international competition of animated films for children is unique, since it reflects the non-commercial audio-visual culture as well as animated films from all over the world, just like the one which has been presented by the BIB for half a century of universal book illustrations for children.

2024 Coverage

Press Release

"On Monday, 25 March 2024, Zuzana Liptáková, the director of the Biennial of Animation Bratislava (BAB), was dismissed with immediate effect. The Minister of Culture of the Slovak Republic, Martina Šimkovičová, dismissed her without giving a reason, despite her being the first-ever director of BAB and BIBIANA, the international house of art for children, who was elected through a public selection procedure.

With concern, we observe the non-transparent actions of the current government, which are already affecting the field of art for children and young people. With this insensitive action, the Ministry is threatening the long-established credibility and international reputation of BIBIANA’s projects.

The new festival team, which has been preparing the 17th Biennial of Animation Bratislava since September, distances itself from the decision of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic and, for the reasons mentioned above, ends its involvement in the preparations of the festival.

The future of the festival and its content is unclear at the moment.

We would like to thank all our partners and friends, both at home and abroad, for their support.

Lucia Dubravay Trautenberger, BAB Executive Director
Andrej Kolenčík, BAB Program Director
Lívia Filusová, BAB Festival Production
Jana Vicenová, BAB Production Manager "

2024 Call for Entries (Coverage)

The seventeenth edition of the international festival of animated films for children and youth will take place from October 9–13, 2024, in Bratislava. The theme of the upcoming year is #FUTUREISNOW, focusing on the climate crisis and new technologies. Alongside a diverse selection of animated films for children and youth, international workshops, and accompanying exhibitions, the festival will feature the BAB Industry Forum (organized in collaboration with APAF), which has become an important professional platform for creators and producers of animated films in the Visegrad region.

Only animated films or films that contain animated parts will be included in the competition program of the Festival. The maximum length of films in the category of short films is up to 30 minutes, and they cannot be older than two years. In the competition category of feature films, the minimum accepted length is 65 minutes, and the films cannot be older than two years. Only authors under the age of 15 can apply for the junior film competition, and their films cannot be older than two years

Competition:

• Short animated film for children (up to 12)
• Short animated film for youth (up to 18)
• Animated feature film for kids and youth
• Junior (Films made by children)

• Regulations and submit via FilmFreeway
• Deadline: 31 March 2024

2022 Festival Coverage

• Award winners

2019 Coverage:

• Awards

NB: 2025 Dates are tentative