14th StopTrik in Maribor
StopTrik, now in its 14th edition, celebrates stop-motion animation through five days of dynamic events and 131 animated films. The festival honors the art of stop-motion while encouraging reflection on social, cultural, and political issues. This year, the festival continues to offer a diverse array of events, including an international competition program showcasing 38 animations. While these animations are somewhat lighter and less pessimistic compared to previous years, they remain critical, addressing the most serious contemporary challenges while remaining aesthetically daring and experimental in their nature.
The festival's central theme prompts a reflection on TRANSHUMANISM, with three retrospectives providing a glimpse into a reality where humanity merges with transformative technologies. On screen, automata, cyborgs, transitional identities, and embodied desires will come to life, prompting us to confront questions that are usually neutralized, suppressed, or tabooed.
This year's edition also stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who have lived under occupation and apartheid for decades. Among other topics, we will discuss the state of Palestinian animation, which reflects the traumas and tragedies faced by the Palestinian people and discuss ways to support Palestinian creators.
Prior to the festival, a stop-motion workshop for children will be held with Asja Trost. During the festival, there will be another workshop for those interested in learning stop-motion techniques, led by Piotrek Chmielewski. The professional workshop, Workshot, continues to evolve and consists of sessions on critical literacy, concept development, scriptwriting, and stop-motion animation production, with this year's mentor being Sofia Carrillo. Additionally, the festival will also feature a comprehensive film education program for children and youth, strengthen collaborations with partner festivals, and continue with a three-part competition program for children's stop-motion animations (16 animations).
The exhibition by the collective Total Refusal will address the reproduction of wealth and poverty in late capitalism, and we will also pay attention on reducing waste in the production process. Furthermore, we will host director and civilian astronaut Dragan Živadinov, who will present the fifty-year theatrical journey of Noordung.
Of course, the festival will not be complete without events providing first-hand insights into the world of stop-motion animation complemented by a lively music program with visual accompaniments at evenings. We will also showcase the international nomadic micro-festival of animated films Shcha 7 Seconds and host an animation duel.
programme
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programme 〰️
All events are free of charge.
Producer of StopTrik International film festival is Pekarna Magdalenske mreže, co-producer is Narodni dom Maribor – Vetrinjski dvor. Festival's co-financiers are Slovenski filmski center, Mestna občina Maribor, Active citizen found Slovenija, Urad RS za mladino in Ministrstvo za kulturo. Soorganizers of the festival are Lutkovno gledališče Maribor, Akademija umetnosti, Univerza v Novi Gorici, Društvo slovenskega animiranega filma, Film Factory, KUD Coda, AGD Gustaf, Zavod Mars in Društvo Slon.