Trik Show or StopTrik's Delight

Saturday and Sunday, 26. in 27. 9. 2025 at 11.00 / Vetrinj mansion, big hall

Our traditional discussion with the attending filmmakers delves into the behind-the-scenes process of creating the animations screened at the festival. A quick Q&A after a screening simply isn't enough - both the animators and the audience crave more, eager to uncover the finer details and secrets of stop-motion filmmaking.  We hand over the floor (and the screen) to our visiting filmmakers, particularly those featured in the Official Selection (Competition and Panorama), allowing them to share making-of videos, behind-the-scenes photographs, their tools, and puppets. Most importantly, they will discuss the various developmental stages of their projects. TrikShow provides the wider public with answers on how stop-motion animation comes to life, while offering industry professionals an opportunity to exchange experiences, debate ideas, and gain in-depth insight into diverse stop-motion workflows. Due to the high interest from industry professionals in this content, we have been presenting it in two segments since 2024.

The discussion is moderated by Amanda Barbour and Piotr Chmielewski

Piotr Chmielewski is a self-taught animator with one foot in the animation industry and the other in education. In his work, he strives to tackle socially relevant topics; thus, alongside his studio films, he also creates campaigns and educational animations for NGOs. His animated short Crab (2023), which marked his directorial debut, has won numerous awards at festivals both in Poland and abroad, including accolades from the youngest audiences.

Amanda Barbour is an award-winning film critic and president of Australia’s oldest online film journal, Senses of Cinema. With a background in politics, she served as media adviser to the first Aboriginal Senator for Victoria in the Australian Parliament. She oscillates between theory and practice in art and politics. Both disciplines require a critical analysis of the author, audience and aesthetics of the stories that we’re told.