WORLD FESTIVAL OF ANIMATED FILMS

The stamp has been issued in a 20-stamp sheet, and the First Day Cover (FDC) and souvenir card have also been issued. Motif: Free author's creation out of the animated film world In the second half of the twentieth century few things were known about Croatia in the world, with the exception of the notion of Dubrovnik. So little, in fact, that you could count them on one hand. One of these notions was Zagreb School of Animated Film. The history of animated film in Croatia begins in twenties of the last century. In 30es it was already very rich and world known production. From fifties to these date, several producers where engaged in many productions of animated film (Adria film, Croatia film, Duga film, Filmoteka 16, Jadran film), but Zagreb film stressed most attention of their work towards the animated films, so it is not surprising that they recieved the best results. Authors assembled in Zagreb film (Zlatko Bourek, Borivoj Dominković, Nedeljko Dragić, Zlatko Grgić, Boris Kolar, Aleksandar Marks and others) have been engaged for centuries in the production of animated films, which, despite their individual features, were characterized by common features that have made the world accept them as the Zagreb School of Animated Film (or the Zagreb School of Cartoons). (The term invented by one of the greatest names and authorities in this field - Georges Sadoul). The fact of their having abandoned lavish realistic drawing has drawn their work towards the very essence. "Shortened animation" has possibly been primarily the consequence of their cramped premises and indigence, but by its high quality application it turned the necessity into advantage, and resulted in the common identifiable features which brought about their work being accepted by the world. In contrast to Disney's production of children's cartoons that were also appreciated by adults, the Zagreb School of Animated Film has grappled with themes of the life of adults and the real world, and they have created films for adults that children, too, loved to watch. By taking up this style, the Zagreb School has succeeded in putting up a radical opposition to Disney's domination, uncontested so far, though they have never been able to achieve his success in terms of business. This has also given a new drive to the world's ample production of authors who have continued in the direction the Zagreb School has charted. The animated films and authors from Zagreb have been awarded on numerous international festivals and cultural events, the best known of which is "Oskar" award, presented to Dušan Vukotić in 1961 for his animated film "Surogat". The lively artistic activity, lavish production of the film company that assembled numerous authors and their world reputation, all this became fertile soil for sprouting the idea about a world festival of animated films that would take place in Zagreb, at the same time being a solid foundation to help realize the idea. - idea created by glorified Croatian authors In 1972 the First World Festival of Animated Film was held in Zagreb, and it has become a biennial event organized under the name "Animafest". The festival managed to gather the most significant world authors of animated films and also present a cross section as well as the top achievements of world animation. In only the first year of World animated film festival 132 films from twenty eight countries were shown to public. "Animafest" as a venue of showing, assessing and proving has become one of the most significant world focal points of animation, the meeting point of experience in this field, of stimuli and new ideas. Shoulder to shoulder with Annecy, Otawa and Varna, Zagreb became unavoidable point in the world map of the >8th Art> The destiny of the animated film in Croatia has fallen under the influence of shifting fortunes, but "Animafest" has remained the living proof of what animated film in Croatia used to be, but also of what it could become again.