GoCritic! Interview: Jakub Spevák • Programme Director of Fest Anča
"I believe animated film can convey the depths of a person's inner being very effectively"
- Fest Anča’s new programme director Jakub Spevák talked about the focus of the event, milestones in the festival's history and current trends in animation
The Fest Anča International Animation Festival has been transporting audiences from Žilina in Slovakia to Mordor and to Wonderland for 16 years. This year's theme was “Utopias” and there was a celebratory feel in the air as the festival had recently been confirmed as an Oscar-qualifying event with regard to its international short-film competition and its Slovak competition. The new programme director Jakub Spevák talked about the focus of the event, milestones from the festival's history and current trends in animation.
GoCritic!: What kind of festival is Fest Anča?
Jakub Spevák: Fest Anča offers up the most progressive selection of contemporary, world and Slovak animation. I believe that, when it comes to our selections, we're not afraid to experiment and offer up works that reflect what we are currently living through in the most relevant ways. It's also important to mention that Fest Anča started out as a kind of "punk" festival and it's managed to maintain that punk spirit, in the best sense of the word, whilst also evolving and transforming.
Its status as an Oscar-qualifying festival speaks to this change. However, Anča remains a festival which supports independent animation, filmmakers who push the boundaries of animation, bending them in different directions, and those who experiment. The festival is a highly dynamic, cultural event and should be in tune with the times.
What milestones have you seen in the festival’s history?
J.S.: One of our biggest milestones was a negative one: the 2019 fire in the Stanica Žilina-Záriečie venue. There have also been several changes in leadership. The entire festival team has changed. The Covid years have also left their mark on the festival. In more recent years, the festival has been expanding: we have new venues, and this year marked the second year of the Student Forum. It's open to interactions and the development of animation approaches across Europe.
Our networking events and presentations of individual schools are geared towards exploring the possibilities of animation, and they sit at the intersection of craft and authorial film creation. This year, we had over 80 students and educators from Estonia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Norway, Slovakia and other countries. We hope the forum will be helpful in the transition from student to professional worker.
How do you approach your role as Programme Director? How do you work with the audience, and do you have any long-term plans?
J.S.: That's a very interesting question. I think many people assume that my work starts when we open the call for entries and films start coming in. But that's not true! My aim is to constantly stay informed, continuously educate myself and place animation in new contexts. This work is ongoing, and I always try to stay in touch with other festivals and attend them. I need to have an overview of what's new and what's coming up. I also participate in industry events and pitching forums, where I can see what to expect and which topics are interesting for filmmakers. This helps me in selecting films but also in choosing the festival's focus for a given year. That focus is a response to what the current world and the animation world are experiencing.
Have you observed any recurring themes in modern animation?
J.S.: I’m noticing greater openness among people. More personal testimonies from filmmakers are emerging. I believe that animated film can convey the depths of a person's inner being very effectively. In the past few years, I've also noticed a focus on authentic, personal experiences at Fest Anča, and a willingness to break down boundaries, whether genre- or content-related.
What does Anča look for within its competition selection?
J.S.: Uniqueness. Maybe that’s why I lean towards student films; I feel like that’s where the most interesting things come from. Students have the time to experiment and explore animation, resulting in really intriguing forms which we want to showcase. Often, directors of these films that we’ve selected go on to create more and more works, growing and finding success in other festivals.
We're delighted when we realise that we've "caught" a filmmaker early on in their career, and we see that their trajectory is going somewhere. We award prizes for best animated short and best student short, and we mix these two sections together in our screening blocks. Sometimes, the only way people can tell which films are student works and which films aren’t is by looking at the catalogue, and this is the kind of programming we enjoy.
What films and authors have caught your attention recently?
J.S.: I was particularly impressed by Lola Lefevre, who won the student competition at Fest Anča in 2022 with her film Mom, What's Up With The Dog? (2021). Her animation is highly suggestive and filled with humour. I appreciate her boldness in addressing the themes she explores, delving deep into the heart of things and even revealing the animalistic aspects of human behaviour.
Apart from that, everything in this year's competition resonates with me in some way. But one film that was well-received by many viewers here was the stop-motion film BLUSH - An Extraordinary Voyage (2022) by Iiti Yli-Harja, which tells the story of a boy wearing makeup in public for the very first time. It's a sensitive and humorous film that conveys a heartfelt message about embracing uniqueness and acceptance.
What’s your view on the current state of Slovak animation?
J.S.: I think Slovak animation is in good shape. We're always able to put a strong competition and non-competitive line-up together. But what I am noticing is the lack of a really young and new generation coming through. Maybe we're still waiting for individuals who’ll bring new themes and ideas. The generation that includes Michaela Mihalyi, David Štumpf and Martin Smatana represents Slovakia really well, but there's a sense of a vacuum right now, and a need for new voices. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a state of affairs that I hope will bring new names to the fore in the foreseeable future. But director Filip Diviak has caught my attention recently.
What was your overall opinion of this year's festival?
J.S.: Every day of the festival was filled with euphoria. On the opening day, we received the news about our Oscar-qualifying status. I still can't fully believe it; I feel like I'm floating on a little cloud. Attendance numbers are growing, which brings me immense joy. People came at 10 in the morning to watch Slovak animated films from the archive, and they're not just people from the animation "bubble." They're individuals who have no connection to animation, but they’ve come to see it nonetheless to experience the stories. I'm extremely delighted that it’s working this way.
Many people approach me and say that they actually create their own programme by picking films from different sections and days, depending on what resonates with them. That, in my opinion, is what this festival is all about. Everyone has their own, individual Fest Anča, and that fits perfectly with this year's edition, where the theme was “Utopias”. I believe that everyone carries their own utopia in their mind. I'm glad that people feel comfortable here and secure enough to share their visions. I hope that Anča will continue to be a place for the freshest and most progressive animated creations.
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