Anima Festival that took place in Flagey, Brussels (this year, 17-26 February 2023) is always a big celebration of animation, both for young and adult animation fans. This year it boasted 30,000 spectators in its main Flagey venue (back to its 2020 numbers), and 40 sold-out screenings.

The Holocaust-themed 'Letter to A Pig' by Israeli animation filmmaker Tal Kantor won the Grand Prix for Best International Short. In the feature film section, on the other hand, Pierre Földes' Murakami adaption of short stories 'Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman' won the Best Feature Award of the festival -with the audience award going to the 'No Dogs or Italians Allowed' by Alain Ughetto.

The Mascha Halbserstad-directed quirky pig story 'Oink (Knor)' won 2 awards for Best Animated Feature for Children and Audience Award for Children's Film as well.

The Oscar-nominated 'Ice Merchants' by the Portuguese João Gonzalez had an audience victory, winning the Audience Award for A Short film.

In the Belgian (National) Competition, the Grand Prix went to 'Whatever Moves Is Alive' (Ce qui bouge est vivant) by Noémie Marsily.

While slugs move across the kitchen floor, Noémie sketches a portrait of herself that is shifting and fragmented, on the border between the personal sphere and the hubbub of the world.

And the children's competition Best Short Film For Children went to the French film 'Funny Birds' (Drôles d'oiseaux) by Charlie Belin.

Ten-year-old Ellie loves nature and birds. She spends her time reading about them. One day, to return an ornithology book to the librarian, she travels a few miles from school to an island full of birds …

A more detailed festival report will follow at Zippy Frames.

The full Anima Festival 2023 Winners' List

 
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
Jury: CYRIL PEDROSA (France), MARLYN SPAAIJ (The Netherlands), MATS GRORUD (Norway)
 
AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
BLIND WILLOW, SLEEPING WOMAN (Saules aveugles, femme endormie) by Pierre Földes

AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
NO DOGS OR ITALIANS ALLOWED (Interdit aux chiens et aux Italiens)  by Alain Ughetto

 
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM FOR CHILDREN COMPETITION
Jury: KARINE MIRALLES (France), CARLO VOGELE (Luxembourg), BRITT RAES (Belgium)
 
AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FOR CHILDREN
OINK (Knor) by Mascha Halberstad
 
AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FOR CHILDREN
OINK (Knor) by Mascha Halberstad
 __________

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Jury: YIORGOS TSANGARIS (Cyprus), PABLO PICO (France), GAËLLE GRISARD (Belgium)
 
GRAND PRIX ANIMA 2023 FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM -provided by the Brussels-Capital Region (2.500 €)
LETTER TO A PIG by Tal Kantor

BEST STUDENT SHORT FILM
FEUX by Mohammad Babakoohi

SPECIAL JURY AWARD
IT'S NICE IN HERE by Robert-Jonathan Koeyers

AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
ICE MERCHANTS by João Gonzalez

ANIMATED NIGHT AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM
LA QUÊTE DE L'HUMAIN by Mélina Ienco, Lucie Juric, Caroline Leibel, Faustine Merle & Claire Pellet
 
INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FOR CHILDREN COMPETITION
Jury:  KARINE MIRALLES (France), CARLO VOGELE (Luxembourg), BRITT RAES (Belgium)
 
AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM FOR CHILDREN
FUNNY BIRDS (Drôles d'oiseaux) by Charlie Belin

SPECIAL JURY MENTION:
LA REINE DES RENARDS by Marina Rosset

AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM FOR CHILDREN
FUNNY BIRDS (Drôles d'oiseaux) by Charlie Belin

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BE TV AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE OF THE OFFICIAL SELECTION (partner awards)
Nayola, José Miguel Ribeiro

_________

NATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Jury:  LAURA ALMANTAITE (Lithuania), JEAN-FRANÇOIS BIGOT (France), PASCALE HECQUET (Belgium)
 
AWARD FOR BEST BELGIAN SHORT FILM -provided by Sabam for Culture (2.500 €) & acquisition of the broadcasting rights by Canvas
CE QUI BOUGE EST VIVANT by Noémie Marsily
__________
 
GRAND PRIX FOR BEST SHORT FILM OF THE FÉDÉRATION WALLONIE-BRUXELLES (provided by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (2.500 €)
PINA by Jérémy Depuydt & Giuseppe Accardo
__________
 
AUTHOR AWARD provided by the SACD (2.500 €)
SIBERIADE by Nado Poton
__________
 
AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT SHORT FILM provided by Amplo (1.000 €)
PASSAGERS by Célia Hardy

__________
 
INTERNATIONAL VR SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Jury: MARIANA CADENAS (Belgium), JAN HAMEEUW (Belgium), AN OOST (Belgium)
 
BEST VR SHORT FILM
MARCO & POLO GO ROUND by Benjamin Steiger-Levine
 
AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST VR SHORT FILM
SWARM by Maarten Isaäk de Heer

Ce qui bouge est vivant

Passagers

Funny Birds

Anima Festival took place from 17-26 February 2023. The festival will also be able to count on a new virtual audience from 27 February for another month with an online film offer available throughout Belgium on the Sooner streaming platform.