Animation Enthusiasts Gather in Suzdal for Russia’s Premier Animation Festival
Short Summary:
The 29th Open Russian Animation Festival is set to take place in Suzdal and online, featuring a record 430 submissions including short films, series, student works, debuts, feature films, and applied animation clips. The event, attracting over 2,000 attendees, will focus on industry education, with workshops, roundtables, and a special film homage to Suzdal.
The Open Russian Animation Festival, now in its 29th year, will be held from March 20 to 25, 2024, in Suzdal, Vladimir Region, as well as online, starting March 19 on the platform SUZDALFEST.ONLINE. This festival stands as the most significant event for the Russian animation community, offering a professional platform for showcasing domestic animation.
This year's festival sees a record number of 430 submissions, surpassing last year's total of 381. The selection committee, comprised of notable figures in the animation industry, has chosen 109 animations for competition. These include 27 authorial short films, 14 series, 28 student projects, 9 debut films, 5 feature-length animations, and 26 applied animation clips.
The festival's jury for authorial animation includes director Dmitry Geller, Galina Golubeva, Tatiana Kiseleva, Natalia Orlova, and Metropolitan Nikolay, while the commercial animation jury features Vladimir Nikolaev, Larisa Pretorius, Igor Shibanov, and Anna Yudina.
The festival also highlights educational initiatives within the animation industry. Renowned animators Igor Kovalyov and Konstantin Bronzit will engage in film discussions, complemented by lectures, workshops, and roundtables on animation education. A notable discussion, in collaboration with the "Soyuzmultfilm" studio, will address the challenges of modern animation education.
The "Open Premiere" event, a national campaign, will showcase domestic animation across more than 650 venues nationwide, with a special prize from the "Movement of the First" youth organization. The festival's theme, "City of Masters," aims to celebrate Suzdal's millennium with a creative lab "Animadok" producing a film homage to the ancient city.
The festival is organized by the "Master-Film" company in cooperation with the Administration of the Vladimir Region and supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, highlighting its importance in promoting Russian animation on both a national and international level.