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| Interview with managing director Margit "Buba" Antauer | Questions: David Ehrlich (USA) |
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ZAGREB 2002 15th World Festival of Animated Film |
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The World Animation Festival
in Zagreb, after Annecy the oldest major animation festival, was founded
in 1972, and so celebrates its 30 years anniversary (15th edition) in
2002. David Ehrlich, long time ASIFA Board member, has been working for the festival in the selection jury and has spoken with the Managing Director Margit "Buba" Antauer |
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David:
"Buba, you've been connected to this Zagreb Festival in one way or another since I began coming to it in 1982. Can you give us a little story of how and why you first became part of it?" |
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Buba:
"Film and filmmaking are a part of my life since my teens: I joined a Youth Cinema Club, started to write scripts and to direct 8mm documentaries and short live action films. My best film "The Excursion"( a Buster Keaton-like 10 min bike ride with obstacles) even won " La Decima Musa", first prize at a European Film Festival for Kids and Youngsters in Italy" . That was in 1965 and my father awarded me with a very noisy Soviet 8mm camera which was for years my steady companion. But somehow my love for music prevailed and I became the drummer of the first girls' rock band of my hometown. In 1974 I started my professional career in artistic management and event organization behind the reception desk of the 2nd World Festival. Only two months before the start of the Festival I joined Koncertna direkcija, a state establishment in former Yugoslavia, which was involved in the organization of all kinds of big cultural events in Zagreb and Croatia. It was an amazing opportunity to be a part of this Festival with more than 500 international guests, with its own post office and exchange office at times when it was unthinkable to walk into a bank and try to change some money just for fun! It might sound funny nowadays, but believe me it was a unique experience. Also in 1978 I was with the Festival helping here and there but from that time till the late 80's I have been dedicated to opera production and management. I was travelling a lot from the Met to La Scala, meeting and working with many famous opera singers. But more or less I have seen all the Festival competition programs throughout the years." |
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David:
"OK, that was the beginning of it all. But after all these years you're still with the festival. How has this happened?" |
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Buba:
"In 1991 when the war started in Croatia, I was living in Dubrovnik and I had to experience really bad times. In 1992 I was back in Zagreb, and in February when the Festival Council decided that Koncertna direkcija should take over the organization of the approaching Festival I accepted together with Josko Marusic as Programme Director and Vesna Dovnikovic as Festival Secretary to try to prepare an event of goodwill, peace, tolerance and high artistic value. Not too many people from abroad shared our belief, but those who did, and who had the courage to visit us despite alarming news and constant warnings, people like Bob Godfrey, Nicole Salomon, Joan Gratz, some Hungarians, some Slovenians and a few other friends, their confidence made me believe that the job I was doing was useful and right and worth doing. In 1994 much more people came, and the atmosphere of 1998, with a family of about 150 satisfied animators in Zagreb is simple unforgettable. This year I hope to experience some more of it! " |
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David:
"The festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary. That's quite a triumph after all the political and economic difficulties in Croatia the last ten years, and most of us are in awe of the strength and perseverance of your people to have made sure this festival would survive and prosper. Can you tell us the secret recipe? Don't answer, "Slivovica". " |
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Buba:
"Certainly I won't, although a toast on animation and animators is a part of the recipe! But seriously I think that the recipe is very easy if you know what you want to do and if you have the luck to get at least so much money that you can set the priorities and then carefully build your pyramid. This Festival was built on very solid foundations. The Zagreb Animation School and the masterpieces they have left behind are the guidelines. I hope that some new kids are coming, talented, creative and curious. But they need time to grow up and to continue the work of the famous group who made possible that we meet every two years in Zagreb celebrating animation. And that is what the Zagreb Festival should preserve. Buyers and sellers are welcome too, but they should gather and make business in Annecy and other places leaving Zagreb to animators and their work. I think that a certain family feeling, as an interaction between the audience, the filmmaker and the entire Festival team is quite unique and significant for Zagreb. Of course that is my vision and it has been formed on the traces of the first Festival director, late Mr. Zelimir Matko whom I honor and admired. The decision is with the Festival Council - they choose the Programme Director and the Management, and the Festival's future depends on their decisions." |
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David:
"How would you characterize Animafest in the context of the entire constellation of animation festivals now on the stage?" |
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Buba:
"I think these days nobody knows the exact number of animation festivals, and the festivals where animation is a part of the programme. And that is good. Almost every film finds its way to the audience and the audience has the possibility to judge, to applaud or to reject. Some Festivals are annual while some are still biannual - and I have absolutely no problem with it. There is almost not a single day of the year without an animation festival. Annecy and Zagreb, the two oldest are held within the same month in even years. It is certainly not ideal but there is hardly a better solution. The main problem is with the films - they have to arrive on time for each event and if we do not collaborate and if we do not take care of each other - the loser in the end is the artist and that is not fair. Some people in Zagreb, and also some in the Festival Council would prefer a new date for Zagreb - preferably October - but Ottawa is in October, so the problem would be the same, even bigger because intercontinental film transportation is much more expensive! Zagreb can host about 150 to 200 guests. If filmmakers are not interested in coming to the Zagreb Festival - then this is certainly not the problem of the date. In that case we should have to ask if the Festival itself is justified. I don't think we will have such problem in 2002. About 90% of the entrants would like to come to Zagreb. We will try to be good hosts for all those who come, and we hope they will be back in two years, as most of our friends do." |
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