If you think Koyaa is an extraordinary character, you're probably right. The Native Americans of Arizona might agree as well, as koyaa is the word for something extraordinary in the ancient Hopi language.

Impressed by the experimental documentary Koyaanisqatsi (1982, dir: Godfrey Reggio), Koyaa’s creator Kolja Saksida was so compelled by the name and its meanings that he decided to dedicate his life to Koyaa and his extraordinary adventures.

Assembling a spirited crew, the team began animating short clips starring Koyaa way back in 2001. Working for years in a garage on the outskirts of Ljubljana, the crew honed their skills while also shaping the course of stop motion animation in Slovenia. Koyaa grew slowly, but surely, until the proud unveiling of the first original series, Koyaa – Wild Life, which was screened on Sundays on national television in the 2004–2005 season. So Koyaa became one of the country’s staple animated protagonists, earning his place in the history of domestic animated film production. Many of the people involved with the project went on to achieve subsequent success with their own work, helping to put Slovenian animation on the global map.

The great audience response encouraged the Koyaa team to redouble its creativity. Most went into improving the animation technique and the screenwriting, and to polishing the design of the lead character himself. In 2009 the overall artistic concept was revised: the new (yet still familiar) Koyaa moved from the village to a rocky mountain ledge high above the clouds, and was joined by a new friend, Mr Raven.

It took two years to present the redesigned Koyaa to the public. Koyaa the Extraordinary enjoyed a successful festival run on the international circuit and received quite a few prizes. In 2013 it was followed by another, equally well-received episode, Koyaa – Flower, the first Slovenian stop motion animation filmed using the stereoscopic technique. These episodes are now considered to be the pilots of an ambitious series, the springboard for which when Koyaa impressed the international panellists so much that it was awarded the Grand Prize at the Visegrad Animation Forum in Trebon, Czech Republic, in 2014. After three years of daily toil and dedication, the long-awaited premiere finally arrived, with six new episodes being screened for the first time in November 2017, accompanied by three short gag clips and a documentary, Hi Koyaa!, for children and the young at heart.

Koyaa's story is far from over. Things are already looking exciting in 2018, when our hero’s latest adventures are due to be filmed. Koyaa will continue to entertain audiences with his unconventional handling of daily mishaps, situations we all have to deal with one way or another. At the same time, he will remind us, like only he can, of the value of persistence and positivity. Koyaa and Mr Raven Koyaa is lanky, funny and curious – and always ready for an adventure. He lives light on his feet, looking ahead with optimism. A cheerful spirit, persistence and bagfuls of imagination get him out of trouble whenever he's in a fix. Satisfied with small triumphs, he enjoys being outdoors on the rocky mountain ledge. Mr Raven is calm, composed and usually busy with his work, building birdhouses from all kinds of materials. He’ll occasionally grumble when Koyaa is making a mess, but it's all in good spirit. The wise raven knows a thing or two about patience.