ABOUT
StopTrik IFF, a unique international celebration of worldwide stop motion animation takes place in two European countries, Slovenia (Maribor) and Poland (Łódź). Once a year the city of Maribor becomes an alternative capital of animation thanks to the festival of highest quality film programme, inspiring additional events and inventive professional workshops of stop motion filmmaking. StopTrik vibe tears down the “red carpet” barriers – the audiences, guest filmmakers, and the organizers spend time together watching films, discussing traditions and new trends of animation, creating new works, and partying at the end of the day. A new kind of relationship between the audiences and the artists emerges at the StopTrik - the viewers are positioned in the role of the jurors deciding about the main festival's prizes.
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION PROGRAME: STOP MOTION ANIMATION outlines the best contemporary achievements (professional, student, and independent production) in the field of traditional use of stop motion techniques (puppet film, claymation, objects / loose materials animation, pixilation, cut-out, etc.). INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION PROGRAME: BORDERLANDS stands out as a celebration of experimental approaches towards stop motion and emphasizes limitless possibilities of combining it with other means of animation techniques and cinematic expression (live-action included). Since 2022 StopTrik IFF presents also INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION PROGRAMME: STOP MOTION FOR CHILDREN, i.e., competitive programmes engaging the youngest viewers in the processes of discussing and evaluating aesthetic and humanistic qualities of stop motion films.
StopTrik IFF emphasizes critical reception of film art. Each year a specific subject related to the problems of culture, society, and politics is being discussed by the examples of the films presented in special thematic retrospectives; this reflection also reoccurs in the themes of additional events such as panel discussions, exhibitions, performances, etc. The past editions posed questions about animated cinemas from Latin American countries, feminism and animation, rebellious animation and propaganda film as well as mythological storytelling.
The international dimension of the festival becomes clearly visible through artistic programme as well as fruitful and creative cooperation with festival co-organizers in Poland. Since 2012 complimentary editions of the festival have been held in various locations in Poland (formerly Niepołomice and Bielsko-Biala), and currently the Festival is held in Lodz
Since 2011 the Festival grew to 5-days event that embraces:
- three international competition programmes („International competition programme: stop motion”, for traditional stop motion films; „International competition programme: Borderlands” outlining experimental and mixed-media potential of this animated form; “International competition programme: Stop Motion for Children” presenting films for the youngest audiences),
- international „Panorama” selection,
- retrospective programme built around leading theme of each year's edition that refers to the problems of socio-political environment as well as theories of culture,
- presentations of experimental forms of animated films, video-art, and other hybrid forms of cinema,
- film education programmes that consist in special screenings of partner festivals' programmes (among them Annecy, Animafest Zagreb, Tricky Women/ Tricky Realities, Fest Anča, Stop Motion Barcelona, ZubrOFFka International Film Festival and many others) held at various high schools,
- children programme section aimed at presentation of classic and new animation production from Slovenia, other European countries as well as distant geographical and cultural contexts such as Russia, China or Bangladesh as well as introduction of basics of animation art in a form of talks and workshops,
- expanded workshops that lead the participants through the phases of critical literacy, script-writing, and animation; on this project we have collaborated with Hugo Covarrubias, Martina and Marko Meštrović, Špela Čadež, Ana Nedeljković and Nikola Majdak Jr., Osbert Parker, Miloš Tomić, Anita Kwiatkowska-Naqvi, Leon Vidmar, Vassilis Kroustallis, and Urška Breznik and Kaja Fiedler,
- panel talks, discussions about technique and filmmaking process, book presentations, exhibitions … all of them stirring discussion around the key problem exposed the Festival's programming,
- an exciting and high quality music programme combined with an attractive set design and visuals, an audiovisual treats for long relaxed, dancing and drinking evenings,
- and plenty of other events and interactions we're developing each year in hopes they will bring new thoughts and feelings for the StopTrik community...
Stop motion animation
is one of oldest techniques of animation that embraces a whole spectrum of different artistic approaches towards this specific film medium. Stop motion artists animate puppets, clay figures, random three dimensional and loose objects, cut-out papers or even human bodies. Extraordinary realities are brought to life by the magic of frame-by-frame photography that releases illusory movements and powerful transformations. It is an exceptional kind of cinema – emotional, intimate, and aesthetically sophisticated yet familiar and engaging. Fascinating art of stop motion uses contemporary technological innovations however digital tools do not turn animation into sterile 3D pictures. Stop motion is breathtaking not breathless.