Tales from the Magic Garden (Pohádky po babičce), a Czech stop-motion feature based on Arnošt Goldflam’s children’s book Of Unwanted Things and People, has been nominated for Best Film at the 2026 European Film Awards. The nomination places the project alongside leading European productions and highlights a rare moment of recognition for Central European animation in the EFA’s top category.
In addition to being nominated in the Best Film category, the movie was also nominated for Best Animated Film. Developed over a decade and produced through a multinational partnership, Tales from the Magic Garden has drawn early attention for its handcrafted animation, thematic sensitivity, and collaborative production model.
This year’s EFA nominations are led by Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value with five nominations, followed by Oliver Laxe’s Sirāt with four. Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident and Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling follow with three each. In a competitive field of 15 best-film nominees—including works by Albert Serra, Igor Bezinović, Kaouther Ben Hania, and Kamal Aljafari—Tales from the Magic Garden stands out as one of only two animated features recognized across the EFA’s top categories.
A decade-long international collaboration reaches a milestone
Tales from the Magic Garden was created through a four-country partnership: Maurfilm (Czech Republic), Artichoke (Slovakia), ZVVIKS (Slovenia), and Vivement Lundi! (France). Directors David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar, and Jean-Claude Rozec shared equal creative control, shaping a film intended to reflect the storytelling traditions of multiple cultures.
The film’s long development was supported by the CEE Animation network and backed by Eurimages, Creative Europe – MEDIA, the Czech Film Fund, Czech Television, and RTV Slovenija. Its cross-border structure has been a central part of the project’s identity.
“It represents a decade of patient collaboration among our teams and partners,” Maurfilm’s Alena Vandasová said when the film’s Berlinale premiere was announced. Slovenian producer Kolja Saksida emphasized the unusual parity of the project: “This project marks a groundbreaking achievement, where all production partners shared equal involvement.”
The story follows three siblings—Tom, Susan and Derek—who spend a night at their grandfather’s house after the death of their grandmother, a master storyteller. Unable to sleep, they begin creating their own tales featuring a mysterious cat, a gentle monster, and a high-flying adventurer.
As their stories unfold, the children reconnect with their grandfather and rediscover warmth in the wake of loss. Director Jean-Claude Rozec noted that the film intentionally addresses themes often absent from children’s programming: “We approached this subject with care to create a meaningful film.”
The production’s carefully constructed miniatures, atmospheric lighting and tactile textures reflect the handmade aesthetic typical of Central European stop-motion, while its narrative focus on imagination as a coping mechanism has resonated with programmers and festival audiences.
Czech animation gains rare recognition
The European Film Awards’ bBst Film category is traditionally dominated by large-scale live-action dramas, making this year’s recognition for Tales from the Magic Garden particularly notable for the Czech industry. The film is nominated alongside Trier’s Sentimental Value, Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident, Laxe’s Sirāt, Albert Serra’s Afternoons of Solitude, Andres Veiel’s Riefenstahl, and Olha Zhurba’s Songs of Slow Burning Earth, among others.
The project also appears in the European Animated Feature Film category, where it competes with Arco, Dog of God, Little Amelie, and Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake. Its presence in both categories underscores the film’s unusual crossover appeal—rare for a stop-motion feature intended for young audiences.
The 38th European Film Awards will take place on Jan. 17, 2026, in Berlin, where Tales from the Magic Garden will compete not only as an animated feature, but as one of the year’s leading European films.
