Slovenian Animated Film in the 21st Century: The Landscape in 2021

Matija Šturm

Animation has a long tradition in Slovenia. Since the 1950s, animated films have evolved in our country, from early state-run projects to later independent ventures, often taking the form of short films or TV series. Although today’s production models still focus on creating short formats and episodes, the potential to expand production capacity and produce more ambitious, longer projects has grown steadily over the past decade.

This positive trend is reflected in the success of many creators, the promise of emerging talent and a strong pool of established artists who are increasingly active internationally. Thanks to co-financing opportunities for minority coproductions and attractive tax incentives, Slovenian creators and producers have become interesting partners for international collaborations and service projects.

Recent years have seen a number of new short animated films and animated series episodes, signalling a strengthening of Slovenia’s animated film sector. With more stable public funding, increased international collaboration and notable achievements at festivals and in distribution, the industry is on a solid upward trajectory.

Before examining the state of Slovenia’s animated film industry and exploring opportunities for collaboration with local creators and studios, it is worth highlighting the sector's creative heart: the artists and their presence both at home and abroad.

Creators

Let’s look at some of the breakthrough Slovenian talents in short animated films who have made their mark internationally since 2010.

Špela Čadež (Studio Finta) has introduced audiences to films such as Last Minute (2010, co-produced with Germany), Boles (2013, co-produced with Hupefilm, Germany) and Nighthawk (2016, co-produced with Bonobostudio, Croatia). With Nighthawk, she established herself as one of the leading figures, earning numerous international awards for her work. Her short animated film Steakhouse, a co-production between her parent company, Studio Finta, Miyu Productions (France) and Fabian&Fred (Germany), also premiered in 2021. In addition, Studio Finta produced a commissioned short animated film for Netflix, Orange is the New Black, which has been shown in many regions.

Dušan Kastelic followed up on the success of Chicory 'n' Caffee (Bugbrain Studio, 2008) by creating the short film The Box (Bugbrain Studio, 2017) with a small team and using the open-source programme Blender. The film garnered numerous international awards, qualified for an Oscar nomination and was recognised as the best European independent film in 2018. After its festival tour, The Box became freely available online, attracting over 12 million views on YouTube.

Creators such as Leon Vidmar (Farewell, 2014, ZVVIKS), Timon Leder (Weasel, 2016, Invida), and Milanka Fabjančič (Liliana, 2018, ZVVIKS) have also presented notable short films. Creators like Zarja Menart, Lea Vučko, Anka Kočevar and Katarina Nikolov have also firmly established their reputations in the Slovenian animation scene over the past decade.

Many talented artists have also worked in the field of animated series, typically aimed at children, though sometimes produced as co-productions (often with Croatia and the Czech Republic). In 2019, Kolja Saksida completed production on the stop-motion puppet series Koyaa (ZVVIKS), which was accompanied by a comprehensive set of educational and didactic materials. Studio Invida, meanwhile, created the mini-series Muri in 3D computer animation and The Voyage of the Beagle in 2D, and is currently producing the series How It Grows (2D) along with other short animated films such as Weasel (2016, directed by Timon Leder).

Education

Despite some limitations, the Slovenian animated film industry offers a surprisingly broad range of creative and performance talent. This is largely thanks to higher education programmes that specialise in animation, ensuring a steady flow of new talent directly into the industry. The School of Arts, University of Nova Gorica (UNG), through its multimedia programme and production support, continues to train new generations of animators, often with an interdisciplinary or experimental edge. Many artists are also finding their way to animation through the Video, Animation and New Media programme at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design.

Popular Techniques

The Slovenian animated film scene is marked by a diverse range of independent production studios and a fluid network of creators and performers who come together for various projects. Artists work with many different animation techniques – from traditional hand-drawn styles to computer-generated 2D and CGI 3D animation. There is also a long-standing tradition of stop-motion animation, particularly with puppet films, as well as techniques such as collage and pixilation.

(Co-)Financing and Other Support

Production studios in Slovenia finance their projects through domestic public funding, with the Slovenian Film Centre and Radio-Television Slovenia (RTV Slovenia) being the key institutions. The Film Centre regularly announces calls for screenplay development, project development, project implementation and international (minority) co-productions. Support for animated projects typically amounts to several tens of thousands of euros, sometimes even over 100,000 EUR.

RTV Slovenia issues an annual call for coproduction partnerships with independent producers and projects that include them are broadcast on both traditional TV and catch-up online platforms. Between 2011 and 2020, an average of 12 short animated films or series episodes were supported each year through these channels, with total annual co-financing remaining under half a million euros.

However, animated series as a format remain less supported on a systemic level – producers cannot apply for series financing from public sources, which limits their access to international funds such as those from Creative Europe MEDIA calls. Recently, some producers (like Staragara) have accessed funds through a “slate funding” approach, though this has so far been limited to short formats.

International Collaboration

Slovenian animated projects benefit from a system of tax incentives that support animation. These incentives offer reimbursements of up to 25% of recognised production and post-production costs incurred in Slovenia. Key criteria include the share of spending in Slovenia and the cultural relevance of the project. This support enables Slovenian producers to participate in international projects and access additional funding.

A supportive environment bolsters the entire production chain – from organised industry groups advocating for better conditions, extensive cultural and educational programmes, international animated film festivals and networks of independent cinemas to a national broadcaster that champions animated films. All these elements help Slovenian animated films reach a wide range of audiences at home and abroad.

Development

European-supported programmes such as the CEE Animation Forum and CEE Animation Workshop – organised by the Slovene Animated Film Association (DSAF) – play an important role in developing and promoting animated films of various formats on the European market. One programme focuses on pitching projects and offering a B2B platform for industry professionals, while the other provides year-round support for project development through the expertise of established European professionals, producers and script doctors.

External links

About Matija Šturm