Skopje, 7 October 2024 (MIA) -- The first Macedonian full-length animated feature, "John Vardar vs the Galaxy" (2024), had its world premiere at the 57th Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia.

The film, directed by Goce Cvetanovski and produced by Allan Castillo (Lynx Animation Studios), was screened in the Family Films section. 

The filmmaker introduced the movie to the audience in Spanish, saying they would be the first in the world to see it.

"The premiere fulfilled our expectations," Cvetanovski said after the screening. "I was happy the children and their parents enjoyed the movie and laughed out loud. I also met Macedonians from Barcelona who came to Sitges to see the movie."

"John Vardar vs the Galaxy" will be screened again at the festival, and the Macedonian premiere is scheduled for Nov. 1.

It is a story about "one completely unexceptional man, one emotionally unstable robot, and many aliens, who are on a mission to save the Galaxy from themselves."

The film is a Macedonian-Hungarian-Bulgarian-Croatian co-production. The art director is Mihajlo The Micho Dimitrievski, and Dimitar Gjorgiev is the animation director. The cast includes Zarko Dimoski as John Vardar, Damjan Cvetanovski as Zark, and Emilija Micevska as Lili.

"John Vardar vs the Galaxy" was financially supported by the national Film Agency. mr/