Anifilm 2021 from the player’s point of view or focused on games -apkrig

According to the name, the International Festival of Animated Films Anifilm is already connected primarily with animated film and animation of all kinds, yet video games have had their place here for many years. Once the Czech Game of the Year award was even announced here, now it has its own game category in addition to animated works of all kinds. However, the festival is not just about prizes, as Anifilm increasingly seems to be an ideal place for meeting experts from practice, presenting various domestic studies and creators and, unlike other events focused exclusively on the gaming industry, can attract the attention of the general public. This year, like last year, took place in an unconventional period from 22 to 27 June, although it normally owns the first week of May, which, of course, had to do with the current situation. So what was it like at Anifilm this year?

What did this year offer in the field of games?

Anifilm was still affected by the current measures, but the important thing is that it could eventually take place in a more or less normal mode. Although this meant that the festival was deprived of some foreign guests in the field of animation and video games, for Czech developers it was the first event after a very long time that they could participate in person. In the Game Zone, we were able to come across the stands of Hangar 13, Warhorse Studios and Bohemia Interactive, which were joined by a number of indie creators, who had the ideal opportunity to get feedback from both visitors and experienced developers. Interesting looks are the emerging titles Weasel In Shadows from the Fairy Snail Games team and VR roguelike INDUSTRIA from Very Rare Software, which we will undoubtedly hear about in time, and SiCzech also showed up here with the game Velvetist. Throughout the festival, however, it was possible to come across other game creators, such as Amanita Design, SCS Software, Keen Software House, CBE Software or Charles Games, whose game Freedom 1945 is approaching its release, thus creating an ideal opportunity to interview the designer. Ondřej Paška, which we will have for you later. Overall, there was a very pleasant atmosphere, which is proof of a certain togetherness in our gaming industry. This could be seen in the approach of professionals to newcomers, the overall mood and friendly relations between the individual studies, but also in the unplanned mass debates, which simply suddenly they began. In addition to the fact that visitors could chat with individual developers, find out various information about a possible job or watch a dance motion capture match between the Hangar 13 studio and Bohemia Interactive, they could also play games that applied for the prize at Anifilm this year.

Lectures by game creators

Within the Industry program, several lectures on games and game development were prepared, during which those interested could hear a lot of interesting information about a number of games, there was also author’s play, a joint moderated discussion and Martin Vaňo also presented this year’s nominations for awards in several categories. Very interesting was the lecture of animator Michal Berlinger from Amanita, who talked not only about 2D animation in their games, but also showed a little bit of the game Phonopolis, which came down after its introduction in the documentary New Game from 2017. Tom Barsweik and Franz Bayer from SiCzech Arts talked about finding an approach to animation and graphics and their stylization in the game Velvetist, in which they showed a little behind the scenes of the development of the prototype, which was released last year and outlined how they are doing with the game at the moment. The authoring of highly unrelated titles Someday You’ll Return by CBE Software and Bear Cookbook by Czech Television was also a success.

Traditionally, there was also an India menu, which was again prepared by Lukáš Kunce and Jakub Dvorský from Amanity with tips for independent games that are worth attention.

The highlight, however, was probably Jaromír Plachý’s lecture on Amanita’s latest work called Happy Game, where he showed hitherto unseen parts of the game, which are hidden behind the released demo. However, he supplemented this with an overall cross-section of his work in the studio, but also across his own work, and in the end he enriched everything with a small ukulele concert; it is no wonder, then, that he enjoyed perhaps the greatest attention, but also the greatest applause. However, that was not all, as a friendly round table followed, where Ivan Buchta from Bohemia Interactive (ArmA), Prokop Smetana from SCS Software (Euro / American Truck Simulator), Natiq Aghayev from Keen Software House ( Space Engineers) and Lukáš Medek from CBE Software (Someday You’ll Return), whose debate also enjoyed a lot of attendance.

Traditionally, there was also an India menu, which was again prepared by Lukáš Kunce and Jakub Dvorský from Amanity with tips for independent games that are worth attention. The expected lecture was the program of the juror Petr Motejzík, currently the art director in the Hangar 13 studio, about the differences between his work in AAA and indie titles. So it came to Mafia 2 and, of course, a remake of the original Mafia, work on Dead Trigger, Shadowgun and Unkilled in MADFINGER Games or Arg and Vigor in Bohemia Interactive. There were also a number of interesting facts from individual developments. Everything was completed by a lecture by producer and director Tomáš Roller from the Plan A Collective studio, who has worked on many well-known games in recent years – from this huge list, let’s name at least Devil May Cry, Ryse or The Amazing Spider-Man). For a change, he focused on the differences in animation between film and games, and there were also practical tips on what to look out for and what to avoid. Overall, it can be said that all these performances met with a positive response and enriched the audience. Personally, I consider this concept to be one of the advantages of the game section at Anifilm, so I am pleased that it is still evolving and that it makes sense to visit it.

International competition of independent computer games

A total of fifteen indie titles made it to this year’s nominations, and there were also Czech games with three representatives. The nomination was given to the games A Monster’s Expedition, a pleasant relaxing logic adventure, All of You about a clumsy hen looking for his chickens or the adventure Carto about a girl of the same name, which solves puzzles with a magic map. There was also a crazy Moving Out about even crazier movers who have to move in all possible and impossible ways, a very strange My Exercise prank about making seats with the assistance of a faithful dog or a platform roguelite Noita with a simulation of every pixel in the game. Strategy lovers have sharpened their Pendragon game, which is heavily based on the story of King Arthur’s last battle, the Renaissance-style montypython-style adventure The Procession to Calvary has once again delighted art lovers, complemented by Tiny Money in a strange world where people are as tall as they are rich, and in which we have to help the official not to disappear forever, then Townscaper, where it is neither a story nor achieving any goal, just relaxing building your own cities, Tukoni about forest creatures of the same name, where you discover by clicking , you create and solve puzzles and finally the logical adventure Winding Worlds, in which you can experience a number of strange and magical adventures. For the Czech games, the titles Someday You’ll Return from CBE Software, the Bear Cook from the game work of Czech Television based on the evening show Mlsné medvědí příběhy and the logic platformer Creaks from Amanita Design fought.

The jury, which included graphic artist Barbora Podhorská from the Circus Atos studio, French director Cédric Babouche from the Un je ne sais quoi studio and art director Petr Motejzík from the Hangar 13 studio, finally awarded the main prize for independent play for children and young people to Carto. cleverly developing children’s imagination and experimenting without punishing them. The main prize for the work of art went to Radim Jurda from Amanita Design for Creaks, where, in addition to the magnificent visual processing, a mix of individual components of the game was highlighted, in which no layer is more important than the other.

For yourself for a year!

The games at Anifilm are definitely enjoying more and more popularity and attention, and in recent years there has definitely been an upward trend. The move of the festival from Třeboň to Liberec last year definitely helped the game zone, if I compare it with some years in previous years, which I visited as an animation student. There were also a number of lectures, studios were presented and budding creators gained experience and contacts, but here I feel much more space for games and more options that can help both parties – developers and presenters as well as players and visitors. So I can already say that I am looking forward to the next year and I am curious what it will come up with. Anifilm does not have to be just about animation as such, even though it was originally conceived in this way, and games do not have to be presented only at game conferences, which brings another unique view.