Projects Zlín Film Festival

Visual identity concepts for ZFF that (almost) clicked

When you say "Zlín's darling event," every local from Zlín immediately thinks of the Zlín Film Festival. When we got the chance last year to submit a proposal for the new visual identity of the 65th edition, we didn't hesitate for a second — and our designers' Apple Pencils started flying.

Client

Zlín Film Festival

Services

Visual Identity

We took it as both an honor and a challenge. Not just to create an appealing visual, but to bring an idea that honors the history of the festival, the city, and animation itself, while also reflecting our own values. It wasn't about quantity, but about quality and responsibility. We believe a festival of this significance deserves a strong visual identity that isn't afraid to be imaginative and modern while staying true to its context. What surrounds us shapes us, and that's exactly what we wanted to bring into the designs.

Three varied concepts were created, each offering a different perspective on the festival, its past, its current language, and its future direction.

Aty, who will grow together with the festival

Dia Randjak – 11th place

Our Dia created a concept built on connecting traditional Zlín animation with modern 3D elements. The main character became the dinosaur Aty, who comes from Journey to the Beginning of Time and got his name after the Kudlov film studios. His appearance references the classic animated films that made Zlín filmmaking famous. The visual is complemented by other inanimate elements from the film world, from environmental details to typography. The biggest advantage is flexibility for future years. Aty can evolve and adapt to trends — sometimes stop-motion, other times drawn, depending on where the festival and animation itself develop.

When the visual identity clicks

Adam Komůrka – 4th place

Adam introduced a concept built on childlike playfulness. Colorful characters like a clapperboard or a camera each have their own personality, but together they form their own universe that's fun and full of movement. In short, exactly what a children's film world should be.

Karel Zeman's mammoth ran off the screen, not just onto a poster

Pavlína Štefková – 2nd place

Pája placed highest among our concepts and came up with a visual inspired by Zlín's film history. The main character is a blue mammoth from Karel Zeman's film Journey to the Beginning of Time. The mammoth from the film screen takes on an animated role across all the yellow-and-blue Zlín festival materials, showing everything you can experience at the festival. Sometimes it invites you to the cinema, other times it waves at the opening ceremony or enjoys itself at a party. The visual style combines exaggeration and humor with bold color and movement.