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Unique Experiences in Denmark
Photo: Bo Amstrup
Viborg Animation Festival: A celebration of all things animated The only one of its kind in Denmark, Viborg Animation Festival (VAF) showcases the powers and possibilities of animation, truly bringing the imagined to life. With an exciting and inspiring programme, this year’s festival promises to share just some of what can be accomplished with animation in all its many forms, nourishing and supporting up-and-coming talent in the process. By Trine Jensen-Martin
“Danish animation is developing at a rapid speed, and there are no limits to what we can create,” explains festival director Jane Lyngbye Hvid Jensen. “And we want to show what we can achieve visually.” Viborg is one of UNESCO’s creative cities, and its popular animation festival, VAF, is a fantastic opportunity for creative and media arts to exhibit local and global talent. The festival, now in its 11th year, celebrates all aspects of animation, from films, adverts, documentaries and infomercials, to music videos and games. The focus is on developing ide40 |
Issue 142
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May 2022
as and creativity, and VAF invites visitors to actively explore the entire universe of animation. The power of animation Thrice Oscar nominated film Flee by Jonas Pohler Rasmussen started its journey in Viborg in 2013, and its success is a wonderful illustration of how creativity is nurtured in Viborg. “We love to discover and support the development of ideas and talent,” says Lyngbye Hvid Jensen. The focus on emerging artists is at the heart of the festival, and the original idea behind Flee was supported by ANIDOX, an initi-
ative that focuses on merging animation and documentary film making. The film is a beautiful example of the power of animation and how this medium can be used to tell erstwhile difficult and traumatic stories, possibly relieving some of the fear and stigma in the process of film making. The stories that can be explored through animation have the potential to be both powerful and truthful without feeling dangerous, perhaps because there is a sense of safety, anonymity and universality in the animated world. Here, imagination can be used to soothe, to explain and to educate, and the stories told can be fun or serious, fantastical or realistic all at the same time. A four-track festival This year, VAF takes place from 26 September to 2 October, presenting All Things Animated in the festival’s four dif-
