We invite young creators aged 10–15 to participate in the primary school animation competition. The
selection committee will select the top 10 animations from those submitted, which will be screened
at the final event on 17 April 2026 at the Šmarje pri Jelšah Cinema. The winning film will receive a
monetary award.
The competition is organised as part of the activities of MOO, a platform dedicated to promoting and
encouraging film creativity. The organisers of the Animation Competition are Hruševec Šentjur Primary
School and Šmarje pri Jelšah Cinema, operating under the auspices of Šmarje pri Jelšah Library. The
project is supported by the Student Club of the Šmarje Region and Obsotelje (KŠŠO).
THEME: THE FUTURE?
The future is full of questions, possibilities, and uncertainties. It is a space of dreams, hopes,
technology, and change – everything we imagine, fear, or aspire to. But what does “the future”
mean to you? Is it a world without borders, where technology connects people and solves
challenges? Perhaps a world where we return to nature and seek balance? Or something
completely unexpected?
Through the competition The Future?, we invite you to reflect and creatively express your ideas
about where we are heading – as individuals, as a society, and as a world. Whether your vision of
the future is utopian, dystopian, dreamlike, or realistically grounded, what matters most is that it is
yours.
Take part and show us how you see the world that lies ahead.
RULES
● The competition is open to participants aged 10 to 15.
● Participants may enter individually or as part of a group, under the guidance of a mentor
or an adult supervisor.
● Each animation must have a lead author or mentor who will act as the main contact
person.
● Accepted animation techniques include stop motion and computer animation.
● The language of the animation may be local or English.
If a local language is used, the animation must include English subtitles.
● Each animated film must include a title at the beginning and a list of authors at the end
of the animation.
● No copyrighted material (such as images, music, etc.) may be used unless you are the
copyright holder or have obtained written permission to use it for this festival. Upon
request, all relevant written permissions must be provided.
● The duration of the animation should be between 1 and 5 minutes, including the title and
credits.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
● Idea and creativity
● Message
● Appropriate use of sound (including copyright compliance)
● Technical execution
TIMELINE
The deadline for applying and submitting entries is 31 March 2026.
The shortlist of selected animated films will be announced by 7 April 2026, while the closing
ceremony featuring the screening of selected works and the award presentation will take place on
17 April 2026 at the Šmarje pri Jelšah Cinema.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND THE FESTIVAL
We cordially invite you to submit your film material and participate in the International Primary
School Animation Competition by no later than Friday, 31 March 2026.
The ten best films, chosen by the experienced selection committee, will be screened at the closing
event of the International Primary School Animation Festival which will take place on Friday, 17
April 2026, at the Šmarje pri Jelšah Cinema. During this event, the committee’s main award will
also be presented. The selection committee is appointed by the festival organisers.
The films compete for the main award of €300, awarded by the expert selection committee and
provided by the general sponsor, Student Club of the Šmarje Region and Obsotelje (KŠŠO). For the
award to be paid out, the applicant must be an adult (mentor) or have an official guardian to
whom the payment will be made. Following the announcement, all necessary documents required
by the organiser to process the payment must be submitted. Upon payment, the Šmarje pri Jelšah
Library assumes all obligations related to the settlement of tax liabilities. If the applicant or
guardian fails to submit the required documents (such as a copy of the tax identification number, a
copy of personal identification, etc.) within 30 days, the award will be forfeited. Furthermore, a
representative of the winning animation must collect the expert committee’s award at the closing
ceremony; otherwise, it will be forfeited.
The audience will be able to see the films twice:
● once at the preselection of films on Friday, 7 April 2026,
● and again, at the final selection of films on Friday, 17 April 2026.
APPLICATION
1. Animated films can be submitted until 31 March 2026 via the following link:
https://moo.kspj.si/s/LN4GLtxgPBCix9x, using the password nalaganjedatotek.
2. Alternatively, films may be submitted on a USB drive by post to the following address:
Knjižnica Šmarje pri Jelšah, Aškerčev trg 20, 3240 Šmarje pri Jelšah, clearly marked “Za
natečaj animacije - NE ODPIRAJ”. Entries will be considered valid if posted no later than
Monday, 31 March 2026 (by the end of the day) or delivered in person to the Šmarje pri
Jelšah Library by 12:00 noon on the same day.
3. The submitted file should be named using the format surname-title_of_film (for example,
Novak-Flying_Dragon).
4. The file must be in one of the following formats: avi, mp4, mov.
5. The preferred video file resolution is Full HD or 4K.
6. Upon submission, participants must complete the online entry form available at
https://forms.gle/iDE1nUrnfvs4GmvY8.
7. If a single author submits multiple films, they must fill out a separate application form for each
film.
Incomplete entries or those not in accordance with the stated rules will not be accepted.
All postal costs are borne by the sender. We do not return submitted media.
The applicant must hold all necessary rights or permissions for any music or sound used in the film.
The author is solely responsible for the appearance and technical quality of their film. The
organisers accept no liability for poor image or sound quality and reserve the right to exclude films
of insufficient technical standard from the competition.
By submitting a film, each author grants the organisers the right to publicly present and use their
work, free of charge, on any medium or public platform, for the purpose of promoting the
competition and the Cinema.
For any further information regarding submissions, please contact kino@kspj.si or
katja.gajsek@hrusevec.si.
SELECTION AND PRIZES
The expert selection committee will choose at least ten of the best animated films from among
the submitted entries (or more, at the committee’s discretion) by 7 April 2026. The results will be
announced on the official website kspj.si and on the festival’s social media channels. The authors
of all ten selected films will receive a commemorative plaque in recognition of their achievement.
The Expert Selection Committee and Audience Awards will be presented at the closing event held
at the Šmarje pri Jelšah Cinema on 17 April 2026.
The best film will receive the Expert Selection Committee Award, with a net value of €300.
The award must be collected by a representative of the animation team during the closing
ceremony; otherwise, it will be forfeited.
MISCELLANEOUS
The organiser reserves the right to cancel or postpone the competition for justified reasons.
The Šmarje pri Jelšah Cinema will retain copies of all films participating in the festival. The Cinema
may use films from its archive to promote its film activities, to present them at other events, or for
additional screenings aimed at promoting the festival.
On issues not covered by these Rules, decisions will be made by the principal of Hruševec Primary
School and the director of the Šmarje pri Jelšah Library. In the event of a dispute, the
aforementioned representatives are credible individuals whose decisions are binding.
By submitting a film, the applicant agrees to the Terms and Conditions of the competition.
Marko Samec, PhD Boris Čujež
Director, Šmarje pri Jelšah Public Library Headmaster, Hruševec Šentjur Primary School