On Friday, 9 October 2026, the Slovenian Animated Film Association (DSAF) presented its professional and student awards for 2026 at the Cultural Centre in Slovenj Gradec, as part of the Slovenian Animated Film Days in Carinthia.
The expert jury, consisting of Sandra Jovanovska, Maja Zupanc and Leo Černic, awarded Melita Sandrin the main prize for a student animated project in development. Brina Fekonja and Neda Ivanović received special mentions for their completed student animated films.
DSAF Award for Best Student Animated Project in Development 2026
Melita Sandrin – Šizika
Special Mentions for Completed Student Animated Films 2026
Neda Ivanović – Dekonstrukcija / Deconstruction
Brina Fekonja – Lišaja / Lichenlike
The official award ceremony was followed by a screening of the award-winning films, giving visitors the opportunity to experience the originality and creativity of young animation artists.
Congratulations to Melita, Neda and Brina on their outstanding achievements and their contribution to contemporary Slovenian animation. We are proud to have them as part of our academic community.
Two Professional Awards for Leo Černic
This year, our mentor Leo Černic received two professional awards, presented by members of the Slovenian Animated Film Association (DSAF) in recognition of outstanding achievements in Slovenian animation.
He received the DSAF Award for Best Direction of an Animated Project 2026 for the animated film Kozmonavti / Cosmonauts (Finta Film, Staragara IT, RTV Slovenija; Slovenia, Italy, 2026), as well as the DSAF Award for Best Art Direction of an Animated Project 2026.
Exhibition Lišaja / Lichenlike by Brina Fekonja
As part of the Slovenian Animated Film Days, the exhibition Lišaja / Lichenlike opened on 8 October at Raum Gallery in Slovenj Gradec, where it will remain on view until 13 November. This is Brina’s first solo exhibition. The gallery space features her animated experimental film Lišaja (English title: Lichenlike), which was created as part of her master’s studies at the School of Arts, University of Nova Gorica.
Lišaja is a film built around a fleeting narrative, but above all it is an authorial, poetic film composed of organic imagery, impressions, sensations, feelings and dreams. In the broadest sense, it explores the experience of human existence, as well as the interconnectedness and interdependence of humans and nature. Through an exploration of the details of the world we inhabit, it seeks beauty, meaning and life itself.
The film speaks of a feeling of human entrapment and of our connection with lichens. Lichens are complex, plant-like organisms formed through a symbiotic relationship between a heterotrophic fungus and an autotrophic alga and/or cyanobacterium. They can be found almost everywhere, yet we often fail to notice them. They also serve as bioindicators of air pollution: the cleaner the air, the more branched and three-dimensional the lichens that thrive there.
On a personal level, I connected the idea of being trapped with lichens. They are immobile, attached to the surfaces on which they grow. In a way, they are therefore trapped. Like lichens, we too respond to the environment in which we live; we are a reflection of it. The healthier our environment, the healthier we are – both as a society and as individuals.
The exhibition was curated by Lucija Smodiš, with Tomislav Gangl responsible for the video mapping.
Photo: Tisa Praprotnik
