At first sight, Med dvema ognjema, a short animation by primary school students who participated in the ZVVIKS workshop, seems relaxed and playful: black-and-white, chalk-drawn characters, dancing around the screen like figments of our imagination. The film stands out both technically and aesthetically, with a strong message to boot. Through masterful usage of humble narrative means, Med dvema ognjema proves that childhood is not only a time of frivolous joy, but also a time of anger, hate and violence.
Authors: Maj Božanić, Lian Klančnik Poviri, Maj Durakovič, Lovro Ian Ozmec, Puja Grubnar Pohar, Ana Hodošček, Žana Hodošček, Lorina Pučko, Petja Kapele, Matevž Kastelic, Tian Šterbec Terbec, Maša Žgur
Mentor: Timon Leder
Production: ZVVIKS
The director’s achievement showed that he has a bright future, because this year’s winning entry features takes that expression to the next level. Complex editing techniques are glued into a whole that makes sense, and the sound design is on par with the masters of the industry. For its professionalism, emotional charge and perfection of cinematographic expression, Vonj po razkroju deserves main award.
Authors: Anže Testen, Andraž Žigart
Mentor: Ana Čigon
Production: SVŠGL
There is always a wide range of children’s animations at ZOOM, and this year was no exception. The British animation, The Lost Roar, a group effort led by Karen Bird, stood out among the tough international competition. Colourful characters gently flow from shot to shot and the vivid backgrounds are drawn with an immense feeling for beauty. However, the film is not exceptional solely because of its artistic flare: equal weight must be given to the story, which won the committee over with its simple, yet vocal message.
Authors: group work
Mentor: Karen Bird
Production: Signal Media&Film
This Is Us, a documentary essay by young Kosovan artist Arta Elezi, shows immense maturity. Instead of recent recordings, the director shows us found, archive footage – video clips, home videos, family photos, which Elezi masterfully and confidently weaves into a multi-layered whole. This Is Us clearly has a deep understanding of all the facets of first-person film, including a somewhat philosophical commentary, while still being politically potent enough to easily earn a spot (and an award) at a non-youth film festival. Films that achieve so much with such limited resources are few and far between.
Author: Arta Elezi
Mentor: /
Production: Doku Fest
