Application for 25. comic festival
This year Leskovac school comics "Nikola Mitrović Kokan" operating within the Leskovac
Cultural Centre will organize the event The Balkans festival of young comics creators" for the
twenty-sixth time. The event will take place from 28th to 30th June 2024 in the premises of
Leskovac Cultural Center, the National Museum of Leskovac and the Public Library "Radoje
Domanović".
This year the festival will also be competitive, and the best in the categories of young comic
artists, illustrator, comic strip writer and theoretician in the Balkans will receive plaques with the
image of Nikola Mitrovic Kokan. Also, the second best in all four categories will also be awarded
with Diplomas... There will be a Diploma for the best rookie, and there will also be an award for
the contribution to the Serbian comic, whose winner will be the president of the three-member
jury awarding the other prizes. The received works will be digitally and physically presented in
the Gallery of Leskovac Cultural Center and their authors will receive Certificate of gratitude for
participation in the festival as well as the mention in the catalog that each participant will receive.
As part of the event which will last three days, there will be several lectures, public class drawing
in the lobby of the Leskovac Cultural Center, projections of animated films and documentaries,
the promotion of several comic magazine (from the country and from abroad) and a book on
comic books, as well as panel discussions, public interviews and round tables.
As for the propositions for participating in the competition, they are as follows: the term young
author means those authors under thirty years of age, and all who meet this basic requirement are
free to present their works to the jury in any of the four categories. The older authors may also
exhibit their works, and they are indeed invited to do so in order to set the example for the
younger artists, but they will not enter the competition for awards. Award-wise, only Balkan-
based authors can compete, but anyone from around the world can be part of the exhibit
(on the Twenty-fourth Balkans festival of young comics creators in 2022, for example,
3046 authors from 82 countries from six continents had their works on display). In the
category of illustration you can apply illustrations in color and black and white illustrations
alsike. The comic scenarios and theoretical texts should be submitted typed. One can also submit
a finished and completed comic that is based on a scenario. The pages doesn`t have to be from a
complete comic, and one can participate with as many works as one likes. Also, the work(s) you
are submitting does not have to be done specifically for our festival or done during last year. It is
only important that it has not been exhibited in The Balkans festival of young comics creators
before. Note: It is important to clearly state one`s age so as to avoid all possible
misunderstandings.
This notification is therefore a call for participation to all young comics authors, comic schools
and comics workshops operating in the Balkans; Leskovac school of comics will do our best to be
the best possible host for all guests.
Important note: The works should be sent in 300DPI to the following address: balkanska.smotra.stripa@gmail.com
no later than 1st May 2024 where it is also possible to get additional information.
The festival has a web site on: bsmsa.rs
