School of animated film SAF from Vranje was founded in year 1987. on the foundations of film art club lovers, which have gathered film lovers. Miroslav Simonovic, leader of SAF, entered the pioneer job of organizing and creating the school for animated film. That year also the first SAF’s animated film was created under the name “The Box” in duration of 1 minute and 12 seconds. Today, 27 years later, we have more than 200 titles behind us. At the very beginning of our work, SAF had almost none special technical possibilities, but as the time goes, he became stronger in technical way. Right now, SAF is located in the centre for culture of city of Vranje, in rooms that many filmmakers would envy us. Leader of SAF, from the founding of SAF until 2011. was Miroslav Simonovic. Work with children are unfolding twice a week, Wednesday and Saturday, but of course where there is a need more often. Children are more familiar with film art, animation, at that level so they can understand and to be interesting to them. Basic notion about the film and animation are learnt: idea, synopsis, scenario, story board, layout, animation, shooting process, editing, filling with sound.

Before else, school of animated film’s main goal is making children’s animated films. In order to get close to animation, workshops for animated film have been organized in Vranje and in other cities in Serbia.

Traditional manifestation which SAF organizes is International Children Workshop of Animated Film, ICWAF, which is biennial character.

Until now, nine workshops of that kind was held with guests from our and foreign countries. Some of group leaders at the workshop were Robi Engler from Switzerland, Pencho Kunchev from Bulgaria, Borivoje Dovnikovic from Zagreb, Croatia, Sayoko Kinoshita from Japan, Nikola Majdak from Belgrade, Stevica Zivkov from Belgrade, Rastko Ciric from Belgrade, Nitin Donde from India… Children participants of these international workshops were from Spain, Macedonia, Romania, Egypt, Sweden, Italy, Canada, America, Croatia, Bulgaria, India, Ukraine and of course from our country Serbia.

SAF has a very good cooperation with ASIFA and especially with AWG (ASIFA WORKSHOP GROUP). We are participating actively on all international projects which has been organized by ASIFA and AWG.

We have been awarded many times for previous work with different prizes and places but it should separate a second place and “Silver Knight” at festival “Golden Knight” Slovenian and orthodox countries, 1997. in Kiev; GRAND PRIX at 29.34. and 41. review of Serbian children film creation in Belgrade…