The Czech-Slovak animated short Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe! has received a Special Jury Mention in the Animated Short competition at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival in New York, adding another international accolade to the film’s festival run.
Directed by Andrea Szelesová, the film was presented in its North American premiere as part of Shorts: Whoopi’s Wonderful World of Animation, a program curated by Academy Award-winning actor and producer Whoopi Goldberg. According to the filmmakers, it is also the first Czech or Slovak short film ever selected for the prestigious North American festival, which reportedly considered around 9,000 short film submissions this year.
Jury recognizes ambitious storytelling
The Special Jury Mention highlights the film’s distinctive visual style and storytelling ambitions. In its official statement, the Tribeca jury wrote:
“Sweeping and grand in its ambitions, this short takes on a tall order: quickly establishing a full world that dances from one group of characters to the next as it oscillates from action to emotion — all while remaining centered on the film’s beating heart, a young protagonist finding his place in the world (or heavens, more accurately).”
Inspired by ancient mythology and Minoan frescoes, Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe! explores themes of difference, loneliness, acceptance, and self-discovery through the story of a young protagonist searching for his place in the heavens. While aimed primarily at younger audiences, its themes are intended to resonate with adult viewers as well.
The Animated Short Award at Tribeca went to the American film Violet and Marlow Rob a Bank, directed by Wesley Wang. That prize qualifies the winning film for Academy Award consideration in the animated short category.
For Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe!, the Special Jury Mention nevertheless represents a significant milestone, underscoring the growing international profile of Czech and Slovak animation on the festival circuit.
Festival journey continues after Berlinale and Pragueshorts
The Tribeca recognition follows a successful launch earlier this year at the Berlin International Film Festival, where Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe! held its world premiere. It later received its Czech premiere in the National Competition at the 20th Pragueshorts Film Festival, organized under the auspices of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Pragueshorts highlighted the film as one of three Czech premieres in its national competition. The festival lineup featured 15 Czech short films across animation, live action, documentary, and experimental filmmaking, showcasing many of the country’s leading contemporary short-film productions.
The Tribeca honor continues a busy international festival run for the film. Following New York, Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe! is scheduled to compete at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, one of the world’s leading animation events, in the Young Audiences section. It is also screening at the Sydney Film Festival and Slovakia’s Fest Anča, while additional festival selections include events in Sweden, Norway, Hungary, Morocco, Australia, China, and India.
The film was produced as a Czech-Slovak co-production and has quickly established itself as one of the region’s most internationally visible animated shorts of the year. Its selection by Tribeca—particularly within a program curated by Goldberg—and subsequent Special Jury Mention further reinforce the growing presence of Czech and Slovak animation at major international festivals.
