International Cluj Comics,
Illustration and Animation Festival
Initiated by the ArtiViStory Association and collective, Platforma BD is a pilot event that aims to support young artists who create comics, illustration and animation by providing a professional context in which they can showcase their projects and connect within a professional community.
The Festival draws attention to the creative potential of Romanian art schools and their opportunities for collaboration in an international context, as well as to the role of contemporary artists as facilitators and mediators for social, political, economic and cultural development. Comics is one of the most versatile media that can contribute to bringing the cultural field closer to other areas of public life, since, as a fine arts language, through comics, artists can reveal social stories or debate acute community issues. Comics have the capacity to activate and catalyse the individual and collective imagination and, in direct and indirect ways, to activate civic engagement. Comics provide settings in which the public can feel and understand complex contexts they witness and can find their role and involvement in the life of the community.
Platforma BD is the first initiative of its kind in Cluj-Napoca and aims to contribute to the development of the cultural scene in Cluj, as well as to the increase of expertise and professionalism in the field of sequential art. During the festival, young artists will have the opportunity to showcase their projects in Cluj-Napoca, to interact with the public in the exhibition spaces or creative workshops and to connect with other artists, representatives of publishing houses or academia.
What's included in Platforma BD ?
Platforma BD competition:
Comics section: 108 projects included in 3 categories:
1.1 One-page comic strip
1.2. Comic strip between 8 - 24 pages
1.3. Graphic novel between 24 - 56 pages
Illustration Section: 64 illustrated images and publications included in 2 categories:
2.1. 1-page illustration.
2.2. Illustration for publications
Animation Section: 40 animated films.
Animated film exhibitions and screenings
Platforma BD Official Selection Exhibition: Comics and illustration - exhibition organised in partnership with the Art Museum of Cluj-Napoca. (Curators: Alice Iliescu, Anamaria Tomiuc, Adrian Buda / Exhibition curator: Alexandra Sârbu / Design and architecture: Evelina Grigorean, Octavian Ciotlăuș)
Affective Cartographies exhibition organised at the Centre for Youth Cluj-Napoca (Curators: Alice Iliescu, Maria Brîneț, Adrian Buda / Coordinator of the Schools Community: Dana Ungur) in partnership with Cluj Cultural Center and Cluj Youth Federation
Animation Screening at Cinema Florin Piersic Cluj-Napoca (Animation Section) (Curators: Alice Iliescu, Adina Constantin)
The Art Book Fair: publishers, creators and creators of zines, comic books, illustrations and graphic novels - Book Launch - Signatura Publishing House - Slices of You(th)/ Parte din Tine(ri) - publishing project co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund.
Creative workshops with the participation of special guests: Radu Gaciu (animated film director), Juan Antin (animated film director), Iulia Burlac (illustrator), Maria Surducan (illustrator, comic book author and scriptwriter), Roma Gavrila (illustrator and comic book author), Gizem Güvendag (visual artist, illustration and animation), Cristian Opriș (visual artist, professor at UAD Cluj-Napoca), Adorjani Marta (visual artist, UAD Cluj-Napoca) Horațiu Coman (visual artist), Adrian Buda (visual artist, comic book author), Maria Brîneț (visual artist).
Round tables and artist talks with the participation of special guests: Paul Mureșan (visual artist, director and illustrator), Aneta Ozorek (director of Kaboom Animation Festival Amsterdam), Juan Antin (animation film director), Nicola Alessandrini (visual artist, founder of Ratata Festival Maceratta), Bianca Mereuță (director of Signatura publishing house), Lambert Barthélémy (professor Paul Valery University Montpellier), Animation Incubator, Helga Fodorean (president of Animest Bucharest Association), Matei Branea (UNATC Bucharest), Adina Șuta (UAD Cluj-NApoca), Meister Kante (University of Oradea), Bianca Simionescu (UNAGE Iași), Sabina Drinceanu (UNAGE, Iași), Greti Adriene Papiu (UTCN Baia Mare), Mihai Ciplea (UTCN Baia Mare), Alexandra Rusu (German Cultural Center), Dana Ungur (Clujean Cultural Center), Andras Farkas (Pont Group), Paul Marc (FTC)
Platforma BD Festival organiser:
The ArtiViStory Association founded in 2023 comprises a community of artists, curators, researchers and other professionals from interdisciplinary fields who work together for social engagement, primarily through sequential art. ArtiViStory Collective's practice investigates in subjective ways the urban imaginary and social identity and is based on the belief that art is always connected to real situations, contexts and processes and should engage directly with society, either by reflecting ordinary aspects of everyday life, by stirring reactions, conversations or discourses on different topics, or by engaging in projects that act for the well-being of the community.
Partners:
Universitatea de Artă și Design din Cluj-Napoca / Muzeul de Artă din Cluj-Napoca / Casa editorială Signatura / Cinematograful Florin Piersic Cluj-Napoca / Federația Tinerilor Clujeni / Centrul Cultural Clujean / Centrul Cultural German Cluj-Napoca / Centrul pentru Tineret Cluj-Napoca / Grupul PONT / Ratata festival - Illustration & comics festivals / Kaboom Animation Festival / Animest International Animation Film Festival / CINANIMA - Festival Internacional de Cinema de Animação de Espinho
PlatformaBD jury is supported by the contribution of institutional partners:
Universitatea Națională de Artă Teatrală și Cinematografică „I.L. Caragiale” din București / Universitatea Națională de Arte București - Facultatea de Arte Plastice, Departamentul Grafică / Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara - Facultatea de Arte și Design / Universitatea din Oradea, Facultatea de Arte / Universitatea Tehnică din Cluj Napoca, Centrul Universitar Nord din Baia Mare, Facultatea de Litere, Programul de studii Arte Plastice – Pictură / Universitatea Națională de Arte ”George Enescu” din Iași / Universitatea de Artă și Design din Cluj-Napoca / Editions GRÈGES / Associazione Culturale Ratatà APS / Casa Editorială Signatura / Animest
Financed by:
The project is organised with the support of Cluj-Napoca City Hall and the City Council of Cluj-Napoca under the title Platforma BD - Festival of urban comics, illustration and animation + The mobilities Program Erasmus +
Sponsors:
KeepCalling, CEMACON, HEXAGON, MediaYoung, Narativo, Estudio, Centra PPlus Prod, CONA, AEDIFICIUM, LEONIDAS, Academia de Artă Eugeniusz Geppert din Wrocław, Institutul Polonez, Asociația Acasă la Hundorf, Galeria de artă Danel, Crama Oprișor, USAMV, Meron
Media Partners: Radio Cluj, EBS Radio
