"III" AND "BLESS YOU!" AWARDED AT ANIMATEKA

Marta Pajek's animation won Grand Prix and Audience Award, and Paulina Ziółkowska's film was awarded by the student jury at the International Animated Film Festival in Ljubljana.

Animateka is one of the most interesting animated film festivals organised in Central Europe. The festival takes place at the beginning of December and lasts 6 days. Each year the organizers  present to the audience the most important animated films made around the world.

Apart from the awarded animations 14 other Polish films were included in the programme. In the competitions the festival presented "Room" by Michał Socha, "Colaholic" by Marcin Podolec, "Squaring the Circle" by Karolina Specht, "You Are Overreacting" by Karina Paciorkowska, "Loneliness" by Betina Bożek and Igor Kawecki, "Oh God!" by Betina Bożek and "REM" by Artur Hanaj.

Following films were shown outside of the competition: "Tango of Longing" by Marta Szymańska, "The Other" by Marta Magnuska, "My Strange Elder Brother" by Julia Orlik, "Incarnation" by Barbara Rupik, "The Notebook" by Aleksandra Rylewicz, "Norma" by Agata Mianowska and "Thicket" by Adrianna Matwiejczuk.

Marta Pajek's animation charmed not only the jury but also the Slovenian audience. "III" is a story of middle aged woman and man who meet in a waiting room. Slowly, they get closer. He helps her take off her heavy, black fur coat that covers her naked body. That's how the game between them begins: they keep seducing and exposing themselves. Their hands reach inside their bodies where organs resemble floral forms.

The awarded animation directed by Paulina Ziółkowska is a colourful story of interpersonal relations. "Bless You!" takes place on a sunny day. People are waiting at a bus stop. Suddenly someone sneezes. And then someone else. And yet another person. The epidemic breaks out. However, in the midst of the sneezing chaos, it turns out that the worst thing you can do is to get sick of yourself.

The full list of the awarded films can be found here.