Animating Apothecary - Perpetrations by Jim Middleton: #animationhistory

Wednesday, February 05, 2025

Post 719 - 2025's IAD Poster Released!

Lucija Mrzljak created this year's IAD Poster. She is a Croatian animation film director based in Estonia, teaching at the Estonian Academy of Fine Arts.
Since 2016, Lucija directed several acclaimed animated short films, produced at the Eesti Joonisfilm studio in Tallinn and Adriatic Animation studio in Zagreb. Film "Eeva" (2022) premiered at the Berlinale 2023 and went on to be screened and awarded at numerous film festivals, earning a place on the shortlist for the 2024 Academy Awards and Emile Awards for best character and background design.
In addition to her film work, Lucija collaborated with Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard in 2019, directing the music video for "The Closing Door." In 2024 she worked with a renowned Estonian musician Mari Kalkun directing a music video for her song Maaimä (Mother Earth).
As an illustration artist Lucija has published several children’s books and created posters for many film festivals.

Her project "statement":
"For my ASIFA World Animation Day poster, I embraced a classical approach, working with graphite and colour pencil on paper to create a tangible, hand-drawn aesthetic. The central inspiration behind the poster is the concept of animation as "light in the dark," a creative force that illuminates and brings life to the unseen. I also drew inspiration from the visionary pioneers of animation, such as Émile Reynaud, Eadweard Muybridge, Joseph Plateau, and Simon Stampfer. The poster pays homage to their legacy while celebrating the timeless artistry of animation. Animation continues to evolve as a powerful medium for storytelling and self-expression, inspiring new generations to push creative boundaries and keep the light shining."