FEST ANČA 2026’S WINNING FILMS OPENED A NEW PORTAL
Fest Anča International Animation Festival’s 19th edition far exceeded expectations. The international jury announced the award-winning directors on Saturday during the closing ceremony: the main Anča Award went to God Is Shy by French director Jocelyn Charles, while Tourists was named Best Slovak Film. Both films now move a step closer to Oscar® consideration. The awarded films are united by a shared exploration of crossing the boundaries of reality and confronting one’s own shadows, closely resonating with this year’s festival theme, FAKE.
The festival’s fifth Student Forum welcomed guest of honour Boris Labbé, introduced a new VR film section, and expanded inclusive screenings. Over the first summer week, Žilina transformed into a vibrant hub of contemporary animation.
In 2026, they received a record-breaking 1,823 films from 86 countries. The selection committee – Jakub Spevák, Ema Nemčovičová, and Peter Gašparík – chose 233 films, and created a diverse lineup of works with the power to spark emotion, imagination, and critical thinking.
Best Animated Short
The main award went to God Is Shy by French director Jocelyn Charles. The film follows two friends on a train journey who pass the time by drawing their deepest fears.
“Precise hand-drawn animation and a vibrant colour palette sit in stark contrast to the film’s deeply unnerving story. By journey’s end, the line between reality and the subconscious has been dissolved entirely,” said the international jury – Lise Fearnley, Luca Tóth, and Philip Ullman.
The Special Mention was awarded to the Portuguese-French co-production Dog Alone by Marta Reis Andrade. The film captures the feeling of loneliness upon returning to a place that once was called home, as well as the nostalgia tied to coming to terms with the departure of a loved one.
Best Student Short
The same jury awarded the Anča Award to the student film Fried! by Lizzie Watts. The British film follows a man trapped somewhere between dream and reality, through which he experiences a form of spiritual awakening. The jury noted that the film celebrates something sincere and deeply human: community, presence, and the quiet joy of a shared moment.
The Special Mention went to a film about a boy discovering his masculinity. The Japanese film So He Grabbed the Knife by director Sam Kua is filled with questions touching on the transition from childhood chaos into adulthood.
Best Slovak Short
The Slovak competition was won by Tourists by director Mária Kralovič, a Slovak–French–Czech co-production. The film follows a married couple who get lost in a forest and are forced to confront the stagnation of their relationship. The jury – Canadian animator Daniel Sterlin-Altman, Czech animator and educator Michaela Režová, and Polish director Tomek Popakul – praised its unexpected narrative, richly drawn character psychology, and a sensitive story about recognizing one’s own value.
A Special Mention was awarded to Quantum Jump by director Šimon Mészáros. The film stood out for its conceptual exploration of existence and siblinghood.
Best Music Video and Best Film for Children
The music video jury – Patricio Cejas Martinez, Marek Jasaň, and Anastasiia Falileieva – awarded the Anča Award to director Julia Fernandez for her video emory – “dirt”, animated using three hundred hand-crafted ceramic tiles. The jury was amazed by the combination of delicate music and nostalgic visuals.
The Special Mention went to director Hoji Tsuchiya for the music video PRIME to a track by Tomoaki Baba. The clip combines action-driven paper puppets with cut-out animation, and the jury was captivated for a simple reason: how to master weirdness.
The special children’s jury awarded the Anča Award to the Polish–Portuguese film Kiki and Bouba: A Peach Story by the directing collective Leon Bugajski, Kinga Chłodek, Adrian Krzych, Basia Szczerbanowska, and Julia Wiereńko. In A Peach Story, we witness a meeting between two farmers with very different ideas of what it means to grow the perfect peaches.
And this is just the start for Fest Anča’s 2026 activities. The above-mentioned winning films will be available as part of the Best of Fest Anča 2026 distribution programme, and Fest Anča Edu animation workshops for children and young people also continue throughout the year.
Fest Anča celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2027 with a fantastic programme planned for summertime audiences in Žilina.
