Animest.18: Latvia is country in focus at animation film festival in Bucharest

Latvia is the guest country at this year’s edition of the Bucharest International Animation Film Festival - Animestscheduled for October 6-15. Representative names in the field will be present at the screenings and artist talks hosted by the event’s 18th edition, offering a unique perspective on Baltic cinematography, the organizers said.

Ilze Burkovska Jacobsen will watch and judge the films from the International Feature Film and Romanian Short Film Competitions. Moreover, the public will be able to meet her at the screening of her most recent production, My Favorite War- laureate in Annecy with the Contrechamp Award and the French Film Critics Award.

Meanwhile, Sabīne Andersone was invited to the short film jury, which will designate the winner of the Animest Trophy. She is one of the most active film producers in Latvia and the director of the Atom Art animation studio, invited to Animest.18.

Another important presence in the program dedicated to Latvian animation will be that of Anna Zača, director of the Latvian Animation Association and curator of the Short Riga program presented at the Riga International Film Festival.

“In the program of author shorts, adult audiences will discover eight animated gems produced from 1993 to the present day, with diverse and unexpected stories about ridiculous accidents, princes, princesses, difficult choices and new beginnings. For their part, children will be enchanted by the films included in the program of 8 Latvian short films dedicated to them, with collected stories produced in the last 50 years, inspired by Latvian folklore, with characters from nature and with educational messages,” reads the press release.

As every year, an animation studio will have a showcase in the dedicated industry program at Animest. At the 18th edition, the focus will be on Atom Art, the independent animation studio from Riga.

(Opening photo: The Kiosk; photo source: the organizers)