BIAF 2026: Awards for 'Tangles', 'Eri', 'Fire In My Pocket'

Animated stories of compassion and resilience feature among the winners of the Korean Bucheon International Animation Festival (23-27 October 2026), which concluded its 28th edition.

The Cannes-premiered (Special Screenings) animation feature 'Tangles' by Leah Nelson  (US/Canada), based on Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer's, My Mother and Me by Sarah Leavitt, took home the Grand Prize in the feature competition category. The story of a daughter needing to move back to her conservative hometown to take care of her ailing from Alzheimer mother with Alzheimer's was deemed "a work of outstanding quality" by the festival jury.

In the short competition, the Japanese animation short 'Eri' by Honami Yano (previously known for his Ottawa-win 'A Bite of Bone') was honored with the Grand Prix. The Japanese animation filmmaker also premiered her short at Cannes (Directors Fortnight). This is a story of love between Eri, a Holstein, and another cow - in a hand-painted film with acrylic paints directly onto cels. The win makes 'Eri' an Oscar-qualifying animation short for the 2028 Academy Awards.

The Graduation Jury prize went to the Berlinale-premiered, MOME (Hungary) film, 'Fire in My Pocket' by Feiner Jenka. Combining hand-drawn animation and stop-motion, the 10-minute film leads us into a world of magical mushrooms, where a mysterious fire creature tempts the young protagonist into a surreal journey.

Check out the full list of the 2026 Bucheon International Animation Festival Awards.

The full list of 2026 BIAF Awards

Feature Competition

Grand Prize
'Tangles', dir. Leah Nelson

Jury comment: Tangles is a work of outstanding quality in every respect. The message conveyed through Sarah, the protagonist who continues to live her life, is deeply moving, while the direction and expressive techniques are equally remarkable.

Jury Prize
'Heart of Darkness', dir. Rogério Nunes

Jury comment: Heart of Darkness stood out for the exceptional quality and sophistication of its animation direction.

Special Distinction Prize
'Blaise', dir. Jean-Paul Guigue and Dimitri Planchon

Jury comment: Blaise impressed the jury with its timely and thought-provoking message, conveyed through black comedy.

Audience Prize
'Sound! Euphonium: The Final Movie', dir. Taichi Ogawa

Jury Special Mention
'Chimney Town: Frozen in Time', dir. Yusuke Hirota

Jury comment: Chimney Town: Frozen in Time stood out for its beautiful direction, appealing characters, and memorable songs.

Tangles, Leah Nelson

Heart of Darkness, dir. Rogério Nunes

Short Competition

Grand Prize
'Eri', dir. Honami Yano

Jury comment: Eri explores love, obsession, and the madness within them through a distinctive language of animation. The director’s powerful painterly imagery and dynamic movement vividly convey the emotions swirling within the character. What impressed us most was how seamlessly the story and visual expression come together, allowing the audience to intuitively experience the depth and intensity of these emotions beyond verbal explanation. The film creates a cohesive world in which its themes and artistic expression become inseparable, demonstrating the unique expressive power of animation. In recognition of its outstanding artistic achievement, we have selected Eri for the Grand Prize. — Joung Yumi, Short Competition Jury

Jury Prize
'Sister’s Swim', dir. Lola Degove

Jury comment: Sister’s Swim portrays the deeply moving and subtle relationship between two grieving sisters in a road movie with a highly distinctive graphic style, blending humour and poetry perfectly. From the voice acting to the direction and staging, the film brilliantly brings its drawn characters to life. — Jocelyn Charles, Short Competition Jury

Special Distinction Prize
'Living with a Visionary', dir. Stephen P. Neary

Jury comment: Living with a Visionary stayed with the jury long after viewing. It uses inventive animation to tell a thoughtful, first-hand account of the challenges of navigating a loved one’s decline due to dementia — John Kelly, Short Competition Jury

Audience Prize
'A Serious Thought', dir. Jonas Taul

AniB’s Choice
'Eri', dir. Honami Yano

Sister's Swim, Lola Degove

COCOMICS Music Prize

COCOMICS Music Prize
'Sound! Euphonium: The Final Movie', dir. Taichi Ogawa

Korean Short Competition

Korean Short Jury Prize
'A Trip to the Ear', dir. PARK Jeeyoun

Jury comment: The question marks float in zero gravity, then begin to feel gravity and turn into exclamation marks. At that moment, the director’s imagination transforms those exclamation marks into expressions of wonder.

Graduation Competition

Graduation Jury Prize
'Fire in My Pocket', dir. Janka Feiner

Jury comment: Through its beautiful combination of 2D animation and stop-motion, Fire in My Pocket explores a child’s unconscious tendency toward destructive behavior in a constructive way, showing how negative energy can be transformed into positive growth through self-realization.

Fire in My Pocket, Janka Feiner

TV & Commissioned Film Competition

TV & Commissioned Jury Prize
'The World Is Dancing', dir. KUROYANAGI Toshimasa

Jury comment: The protagonist’s struggle to reach true art is transformed into beautiful dance movements, making this an outstanding work.

Special Awards

Korea Animation Producers Association President’s Prize
'Motherhood', dir. Anca Damian

Korean Society of Cartoon and Animation Studies (KOSCAS) President’s Prize
'Sound! Euphonium: The Final Movie', dir. Taichi Ogawa

Korea Animation Industry Association President’s Prize (Technical Prize)
'Empty', dir. BAEK Nahyun and BAEK Dahyun

Our comprehensive Coverage of Bucheon International Animation Festival 

The 28th Buchen International Animation Festival (BIAF2026), an Oscar-qualifying festival, was held in Bucheon, South Korea, from October 23 to 27, 2026