StopTrik International Film Festival 2025 Announces Full Lineup
Maribor, Slovenia – September 24–28, 2025 – The StopTrik International Film Festival returns this fall for its 15th edition, celebrating the best in global stop-motion animation. This year’s program features 71 films from 31 countries, selected from nearly 360 submissions, solidifying StopTrik’s reputation as one of the world’s most vibrant showcases of stop-motion artistry.
A Diverse Global Selection
The 2025 lineup highlights a wide spectrum of voices—ranging from internationally acclaimed auteurs like Ülo Pikkov, Miloš Tomić, Bruno Collet, Paulina Ziółkowska, Donato Sansone, and Elizabeth Hobbs to promising student filmmakers from Slovenia’s University of Nova Gorica and the Academy of Fine Arts and Design (ALUO), University of Ljubljana.
Among the standout entries are:
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The Girl Who Cried Pearls (Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski, NFB of Canada), fresh from its premiere at Annecy.
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Dark Globe (Donato Sansone), a moody, experimental short.
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Close Up (Elizabeth Hobbs), a playfully tactile film.
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Slovenian entries such as Arachnophobia (Nova Gorica), Our Lady of Rot (ALUO), and Žoel Kastelic’s Butterflies (Panorama Wide View).
Festival Themes: Joy and Darkness
This year’s programming carries the playful yet sobering subtitle “Panorama JOY Ltd.”. As Programme Director Michał Bobrowski explains: “We’re drowning in goodness.” Many films confront humanity’s darker impact on the world, showing that stop motion continues to be an unparalleled medium for storytelling that blends sensitivity, imagination, and cinematic depth.
Competitions and Screenings
The festival will present a packed schedule of screenings and debates across its four main categories:
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Stop Motion Competition (Sept. 25–26) – 24 films spanning Brazil, Canada, Croatia, France, Germany, Slovenia, the UK, the USA, and more. Highlights include Atomik Tour (Bruno Collet), Dolores (Cecilia Andalón Delgadillo), On Weary Wings Go By (Anu-Laura Tuttelberg), and Pool or Death of a Goldfish (Daria Kopiec).
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Borderlands Competition (Sept. 27) – 12 films pushing boundaries of animation and hybrid practices, featuring Dark Globe (Sansone), The Graffiti (Ryo Orikasa), and Sewing Machine (Ülo Pikkov).
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Panorama Wide View (Sept. 26) – 24 shorts including Arachnophobia (Melita Sandrin), Butterflies (Žoel Kastelic), and Close Up (Elizabeth Hobbs).
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Panorama JOY Ltd. (Sept. 28) – 11 works exploring themes of absurdity and resilience, including Garden (Miloš Tomić), Ovary Acting (Ida Melum), and Garu & Ponki (Cristhian Jallier).
Stop Motion for Children
The International Competition for Children’s Films adds another layer of inclusivity, with 15 films divided by age group. Young audiences (ages 6–14) will experience imaginative works such as Bobel’s Kitchen (Fiona Rolland), Clayful Adventure (Florrie Macleod), Dragfox (Lisa Ott), and Down in the Dumps (Vera van Wolferen).
Jury by the People
As always, the Grand Prix awards are determined by popular vote, making StopTrik a festival uniquely grounded in community and audience engagement.
About StopTrik
Founded in 2011, StopTrik International Film Festival has grown into Europe’s most significant event devoted exclusively to stop motion. Co-curated by Olga Bobrowska and Michał Bobrowski, the festival is known not only for its screenings but also for creating a dialogue between filmmakers, audiences, and scholars around the art of stop-motion cinema.
The 15th StopTrik International Film Festival takes place in Maribor, Slovenia, September 24–28, 2025.
🔗 Learn more at StopTrik.com
