The 8th European Animated Film Festival Balkanima has officially opened in the Belgrade's cultural center Studenski Grad Tuesday, and its main competition program will show 50 films from 25 countries by October 8.

The festival, which is primarily aimed at presenting young authors, will present animation schools from the UK, Italy, Israel, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, and two of the local ones from Jagodina and Vranje and also the Belgrade Faculty of Applied Arts.

The festival's Panorama of European Films will show a total of 28 films. The Cartoon d'Or 2011 program will present six works nominated for the pan-European award for animation short films Cartoon d'Or 2011.

The focus of Balkanima 2011 will be on the Macedonian animation