Enimation

The Youth Cinema Network (YCN) proudly introduces one of its members, dedicating their work to developing animation techniques while working with young people.

For 15 years the ENIMATION school in Maribor, Slovenia, has been engaged in inspiring children, young people, adults and teachers to breathe life into the inanimate, creating animated films in classic cartoon or stop motion techniques. Regardless of age, there is something they all have in common - when they see their cartoon characters come to life on screen for the first time, they smile from ear to ear.

In addition to the enthusiasm for film, ENIMATION workshops encourage research and analysis of AV media and their communicative powers. Creating short animated messages and handling various materials strengthens the authors’ motor skills. Longer animation workshops train creativity and interdisciplinarity, organisation and planning of individual phases of work, patience and perseverance, which is a difficult challenge in today’s “fast food” society. The ENIMATION school emphasises the importance of the process of filmmaking. Connecting the analogue and digital strengthens the skills and knowledge of the individual.

Enimation box

The workshops with the youngest students led us to develop the ENIMATION box - an adaptable wooden stand for recording in class, that allows a stable installation of a tablet or smartphone for recording. Students come up with a short message, joke or saying, create characters and a scene, and capture moving images and sounds. The animation box was designed in cooperation with the Institute MARS Maribor and the Association for the Development of Film Culture. In addition to the recording stand, the package includes five optical toys. The set is suitable for both school groups and home use.

Enimation festival

The ENIMATION Festival is an international festival for children’s & youth film that has been developing since 2011. Starting as an animation festival, nowadays it also flirts with documentary, feature and experimental film. The ENIMATION Festival allows young people to have their films presented to the general audience, both on the big screen and online. In the competition programme, we show the best films made by children and young adults from all over the world in three age categories. In 2022, we are adding the thematic set Diversity/ Tolerance, to which also professional productions intended for young people can apply. The festival takes place in Maribor in November, so don’t miss the opportunity to submit your films by August 5, 2022 at www.filmfreeway.com/ENIMATIONfestival. More on www.enimation.si. Do you want an animation workshop at school, cinema or other cultural space? Write to hana@enimation.si.

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Hana Repse

The Youngsters Making Film column is curated by YCN (Youth Cinema Network), a worldwide network of youth film festivals, organisations and film & media educators. YCN focusses on films made by young people, using their right to express themselves through moving images. For more info about Youth Cinema Network, check www.youthcinemanetwork.org.