BIAF 2025 Winners: "Little Amelie', 'God Is Shy'

The 27th Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF2025) wrapped up its five-day run from October 24–28, 2025, in Bucheon, South Korea, with the announcement of this year’s Grand Prize winners: 'Little Amélie or the Character of Rain ' and 'God is Shy'. The Grand Prize for Feature Film was awarded to 'Little Amélie or the Character of Rain', directed by Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han.

Amélie, a Belgian child in Japan, explores life with her companion Nishio-san. Her third birthday becomes a turning point, marking the beginning of life-altering events that shape her understanding of the world - Film Synopsis

The Feature Film Jury — composed of acclaimed directors Brenda Chapman, Akimoto Kenichiro, and Kim Yong-hwan — praised the film for its poetic storytelling and emotional resonance. Brenda Chapman noted simple, “It is a beautiful film. The story, color, design, and music work exquisitely together to put us within the heart of a child.”

'Little Amélie or the Character of Rain

The Jury Prize for Feature Film went to 'Dandelion’s Odyssey' by Momoko Seto. Akimoto commented, “The dandelion fluff took us into a world beyond imagination. We were captivated by the film’s unique fusion of nature documentary and fantasy, and deeply moved by its pure animation language — expressing joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness not through words, but through gestures and visual composition.”

The Special Distinction Prize was awarded to 'A Story About Fire'. Kim Yong-hwan noted, “With its fairy-tale quality and playful artistic expression, the film evokes emotions that can be felt with the whole body, offering an intriguing and unique experience.” The Audience Prize in the Feature Film category went to 'Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise' (Chief Director: Uda Konosuke / Directors: Sato Takeru, Ishida Takafumi).

In the Short Film category, the Grand Prize went to 'God is Shy' by Jocelyn Charles, which also earns eligibility consideration for the Academy Awards® Short Film (Animated) category.

On a high-speed train, Ariel and Paul pass the time by telling stories of their deepest, darkest fears. But their spooky game takes an unsettling turn when an intrusive fellow passenger plunges them into the terrifying realm of the subconscious - Film Synopsis

The jury stated, “With its unique visual style and confident storytelling, this film commands attention from the first frame. Every detail — the script, animation, and performance — is handled with finesse. It’s a captivating glimpse into a unique world that leaves us wanting more, and we eagerly anticipate what this director will create next.”

The Short Film Jury — Nina Gantz, Anastasiia Falileieva, and Kim Hanna — also presented the Jury Prize to Autokar by Sylwia Szkiładź, describing it as “a beautifully imaginative journey that reawakens the sensations of childhood. Autokar turns the theme of migration into a playful, dreamlike adventure.”

Special Distinction Prizes went to 'The Night Boots' (Pierre-Luc Granjón), described by the jury as “A tender, beautifully crafted story whose rare technique, beautiful sound design, and heartfelt tone won us over from the very first frame.”

Night Boots

A Special Mention was awarded to 'Retirement Plan' (John Kelly) for being “simple and precise, yet perfectly balanced between thought-provoking humor — giving us a slice of human ridiculousness.” The Audience Prize for Short Film went to 'Shikaku' (Ando Naoya), and AniB’s Choice was presented to 'The Girl Who Cried Pearls' (Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski).

In other categories, the Graduation Film Jury Prize was awarded to 'Stone of Destiny' (Julie Cerna), and the TV & Commissioned Film Jury Prize went to 'A Small Garden by the Window' (Lee Jonghoon).

The Cocomics Music Prize, judged by Kim Taeseong and Lee Soojin (of Weeekly), honored 'Little Amélie or the Character of Rain' for its emotionally rich and diverse soundtrack — marking the first time a film has won both the Grand Prize and Music Prize in the same year at BIAF.

The Music Jury stated, “It has the power to move the heart. Through Amélie’s perspective, we experience her first encounters as she learns to adapt to the world, and the music gives these moments a fresh emotional depth. The way the film connects Amélie and the world through music was especially impressive.”

“BIAF continues to serve as a platform for creators who redefine the art of animated storytelling through beautifully hand-drawn works and exquisite stop-motion films -Eugene Kim, Program Director of BIAF.

Stone of Destiny, Julia Cerna

The full list of 2025 BIAF Awards

 
Feature Films

• Grand Prize: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Mailys VALLADE, Liane-Cho HAN)
• Jury Prize: Dandelion's Odyssey (SETO Momoko)
• Special Distinction Prize: A Story About Fire (LI Wenyu)
• Audience Prize: Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise (Chief Director: UDA Konosuke / Director: SATO Takeru, ISHIDA Takafumi)

Short Films

• Grand Prize: God is Shy (Jocelyn CHARLES)
• Jury Prize: Autokar (Sylwia SZKILADZ)
• Special Distinction Prize: The Night Boots (Pierre-Luc GRANJON)
• Special Mention: Retirement Plan (John KELLY)
• Audience Prize: Shikaku (ANDO Naoya)
• AniB's Choice: The Girl Who Cried Pearls (Chris LAVIS, Maciek SZCZERBOWSKI)

  
Graduation Films
Jury Prize: Stone of Destiny (Julie CERNA)
  

TV&Commissioned Films
Jury Prize: A Small Garden by the Window (LEE Jonghoon)
 
Korean Short Films
Jury Prize: Passing By (KANG Hanna) 

COCOMICS Music Prize: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Mailys VALLADE, Liane-Cho HAN)

  
 *Special Awards

• DHL Diversity Prize: The Last Blossom (KINOSHITA Baku):  “A moment of sparkling magic drifts past.”
• Korea Society of Cartoon and Animation Studies(KOSCAS) President's Prize: Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise (Chief Director: UDA Konosuke / Director: SATO Takeru, ISHIDA Takafumi). “With overwhelming popularity, it represents the pinnacle of entertainment that every audience can enjoy.”
• Korea Animation Industry President's Prize(Technical Prize): Pilgrims (HEO Pyoungkang)
• Korea Animation Producers Association President's Prize: A Walk into the Afterlife (JEONG Jiyun)
• Korea University of Media Arts President's Prize: Allah Is Not Obliged (Zaven NAJJAR). “It’s not a documentary, but an animation, which softens the intensity of its
  expression.”
• EBS Prize: Sulaimani (Vinnie Ann BOSE)

Bucheon International Animation Festival was held October 24–28, 2025, in Bucheon, South Korea. The 28th Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF2026) will take place from October 23–27, 2026, in Bucheon, South Korea. (www.biaf.or.kr).

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