The International Animated Film Festival in Banja Luka is the only film festival of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The association for visual arts Fenix Art organized the first festival in October 2008 with the presence of international animators - Jerzy Kucia (Poland), Piotr Dumala (Poland), Borivoj Dovnikovic-Bordo (Croatia) and Bill Plympton (USA). In addition to Banja Luka, since 2010 the Festival has been held simultaneously in six other cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo, Trebinje, Tuzla, Bijeljina, Gradiska and Mrkonjic Grad, and that is why this festival became unique in the world because it was held simultaneously in all major cities of one country.
During the eighteen years of the Festival (one year it was not held), more than 4,000 animated films were shown, the most important national schools of animated film (Poland, Russia, Canada, Great Britain, France...) were presented, with representatives of the most important world festivals of short films and animated films such as Animafest (Croatia), Oberhausen (Germany), Clermont-Ferrand (France), Annecy (France) and Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (Germany). The guests of this festival were the most important animators of today, among others, Mikhail Aldashin (Russia), Cordel Barker (Canada), Phill Muloy (Great Britain), Nedeljko Dragic (Croatia), Priit Parn (Estonia), Georges Schwizgebel (Switzerland), and the Oscar-winning Aleksandar Petrov (Russia). Animafest (Хрватска), Oberhauzen(Germany), Clermont-Ferrand (France), Annecy (France), and Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (Germany). The guests of this festival were the most important animators of today, among others, Mikhail Aldashin (Russia), Cordel Barker (Canada), Phill Muloy (Great Britain), Nedeljko Dragic (Croatia), Priit Parn (Estonia), Georges Schwizgebel (Switzerland), and the Oscar-winning Aleksandar Petrov (Russia).
The International Animated Film Festival in Banja Luka is one of the most important film festivals in the Republic of Srpska. This festival was of crucial importance for the start of the animated scene in Banja Luka, and the direct result of that was the opening of the department for animated film at the Academy of Arts of the University of Banja Luka, unique in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Nebojsa Djumic
