Animation Incubator: high schoolers, time to apply!

This year, Animest is celebrating five years of the Animation Incubator – our program dedicated to the imaginative youth in Romania and the Republic of Moldova who love digital art and animated films. Over the past half a decade, the Incubator has reunited over 200 community members, acted as a catalyst for multiple animations later selected, screened and awarded prizes at international film festivals in Romania, Canada, Croatia, the UK, and the USA, and is represented within universities such as UNATC – The National University of Theater and Film Bucharest, Animation program and Gobelins Paris, through its alumni.

At its fifth edition, the Animation Incubator is the largest animation and digital art community for teens, and there’s room for many more members! Two important opportunities have opened up: the Animate the Festival! workshop and the Teen Jury @ Animest, both with a September 10 deadline. Apply free of charge, online – but make sure you get the full scoop before, at incubatoruldeanimatie.ro (link in Romanian).

“Spending time with all the teens who took part in the Incubator over the years, I realized how useful it would be for them to have a community they could access year-round. This is how the Animation Incubator Community emerged, its mission ever-growing: educational platform, animation studio, cineclub, research lab – a space where teens lead their own projects, make friends, support other artists, create and grow together. Alumni return to lead workshops and share their university and industry experiences. We want to make new tech and digital art accessible to all teens, irrespective of background, through a mix of online and in-person initiatives. The Incubator’s success is a measure of the teens’ dedication as well as the uber-passionate team’s mission to grow the project right alongside its members,” explains Kar Bălan, the Animation Incubator’s coordinator.

Animate the Festival! – a five-day workshop for high schoolers who love animation

Between October 7-12, ten high schoolers from Romania and the Republic of Moldova will reunite in Bucharest to level up their skills through an intense animation workshop, complete with screenings, masterclasses, industry talks, and many other activities. The Animation Incubator team will be joined by Laura Pop and Cristian Radu, multi-awarded and educated animators (with PhDs in the field, in progress and completed, respectively). Laura directs films that propose philosophical perspectives on oneself, the cycle of life and death: Monster, The Lute. Cristian’s work includes multiple animations which garnered recognition and awards at international festivals: Skateboarding Is Not a Crime, Horses Don’t Die on a Dog’s Wish. With Laura and Cristian’s guidance, the ten participants will work on their first animated film, which will be screened at the Animest.19 Closing Gala on October 12, 2024.

Workshop participation is free of charge and includes lunch as well as access to all the technical equipment necessary. If selected, however, you will have to arrange accommodation, travel, breakfast, and dinner during October 6-13.

Until September 10, submit your online application form, including a portfolio with four representative projects using techniques of your choice, as well as a practical task – a three second animation in an urban environment, starting from the prompt “You’re playing hide and seek in the city. Where do you hide?”. Another important eligibility criterion is availability: only apply if you are able to take part in all of the five-day workshop activities in person.

Read all about Animate the Festival! and access the application form at incubatoruldeanimatie.ro/proiecte/animate-the-festival/.

Animest.19 seeks Teens Jury

Are you a teen interested in animation and film critique? Consider applying to become one of the three jurors to select the Teen Award winner during the Feature Film Competition of Animest – the most prominent animation festival and the only Oscar-qualifying film festival in Romania. As a Teen Juror, you’ll also get to talk to industry professionals and meet the directors of several of the films you’re evaluating.

Apply by September 10 for the chance to work under the tutelage of Ligia Soare, co-founder and co-organiser of Animest Festival, who will start you off on a workshop on film.

The application form centers around the following topics:

• Why do you think you’re a good fit for the Animest.19 Teen Jury?

• Pick a film you enjoyed and pitch it to others. You may reference themes, characters, social impact, artwork, visuals, etc.

Last year’s Teen Jury – Paula Benu, Clara Amariței and Zena Pop-Cohuț – will select this year’s Teen Screening @ Animest: a selection of short films by high-school and foundation year students, submitted during an open call this summer. The 2024 Teen Jury will carry on this tradition next year.

Full details and application: incubatoruldeanimatie.ro/proiecte/juriul-adolescentilor-animest.

Can you apply to both opportunities: Animate the Festival! and Teen Jury @ Animest?

Yes, but if selected, you’ll only be admitted to one of them, as organizers see fit.

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The Animest Festival is a project of the Animest Association, co-financed by the MEDIA Program of the European Union and AFCN–the Administration of the National Cultural Fund.

Institutional Partners: the Romanian Cultural Institute, The French Institute and the Embassy of France in Romania, Instituto Cervantes, the Italian Cultural Institute, The Austrian Cultural Forum, The “I.L. Caragiale” National University of Theater and Film, the Animation Festival Network (AFN)

Main Media Partner: Radio Guerrilla

Media Partners: Radio România Cultural, Adevărul de Weekend, Zile și Nopți, Observator Cultural, Revista BIZ, Haute Culture, IQAds, Scena9, AGERPRES, Ziarul Metropolis, Revista FILM, Mindcraft Stories, LiterNet, Movie News, CineFAN, HAPP.ro, MunteanuRecomandă, AndreeaVerde, SuntPărinte.ro

Monitoring Partner: mediaTRUST