Fest Anča 2027: Free Animation and Music Video Submissions Open 31 October
Early-bird entry is free but has not started as of 23 October
Fest Anča International Animation Festival will run its twentieth edition in Žilina, Slovakia, from 29 June to 4 July 2027. It welcomes animation from international film artists, student filmmakers, animation directors and creators of animated music videos. The festival's FilmFreeway registration period opens on 31 October 2026, meaning that on 23 October it is announced but not yet open for the coming edition. It closes on 31 January 2027.
The fee has three phases: entries uploaded from 31 October to 30 November 2026 are free; those registered from 1 through 31 December cost €5 each; entries uploaded from 1 through 31 January 2027 cost €10 each. FilmFreeway Gold offers a discounted rate for the later phases. Filmmakers should not pay an intermediary advertising a fee during the free early-bird window.
Which animations and music videos qualify?
For the international competitive programme, animated films must run under 30 minutes and must have been completed after 1 January 2025. Categories include International Short Animated Film, Student Animated Film, Animated Short for Children and Animated Music Video. A separate Slovak animated-film category is limited to work with majority involvement of Slovak producers or filmmakers; foreign filmmakers should enter the international category fitting their project.
Submission requires the complete film, clear production credits and rights to the imagery, music, performances, character design and any stock elements. Works containing dialogue in languages other than English normally require English subtitles. Short videos made for musicians and new media artists can qualify when animation, rather than only edited live-action footage, is integral to the work.
Human artistic input, AI assistance and intellectual-property rules
The festival explicitly allows consideration of AI-assisted art only when clear creative input from human artists is evident. It does not impose a universal ban on AI tools, but a fully automatic output without meaningful human authorship may be ineligible. This makes it important to explain the artistic direction, animation process and actual use of generative tools truthfully.
Filmmakers retain their underlying rights and grant screening and limited promotional permissions according to the rules. The organiser may use excerpts and still images to publicise the edition and selected titles. Authors must read the full licensing terms and make sure every collaborator and music copyright holder has approved festival presentation.
Festival track record and submission procedure
Fest Anča is a dedicated international animation festival whose screenings, retrospectives, workshops and artist talks form a meeting point for independent animators in Slovakia and nearby Central European countries. The festival's established competition programmes recognise professional, student, children's and music-video animations separately.
Submit through the festival's 2027 FilmFreeway page, linked from the official website and the Animation Festival Network calendar. The entry window starts 31 October, the final 31 January 2027 deadline is followed by planned notification in March. Final programme selection does not automatically include reimbursed travel, accommodation or a paid exhibition fee. Check the current conditions and screening formats before uploading.
Official submission and festival information
Official 2027 application conditions reviewed 23 October 2026. Early-bird entries open 31 October; confirm eligibility, original film dates, exhibition rights and charges before submitting.