'I Died In Irpin', 'Electra', About A Cow' Animation Shorts Continue Garnering Festival Awards

Czech animation films stills collage

3 Czech-produced/co-produced films by Czech production company MAURFilm continue their lucky streak at the recent animation festival circuit.

'I Died in Irpin', directed by Anastasiia Falileieva, is a deeply personal and poignant account of the early days of the war in Ukraine. The film follows the story of a woman and her boyfriend as they travel from Kyiv to Irpin, only to face a rapidly worsening reality.

Through its raw and emotional narrative, 'I Died in Irpin' has captured two significant awards at the Kyiv International Short Film Festival (KISFF): the Main Film Critic Award and the Grand Prix. It also recently won Best Script at the Ottawa International Animation Festival and the Grand Prix of the International Competition at the LINOLEUM Festival in Ukraine.

 

Ottawa jury statement: The film reflects on the traumatic events that the author had to go through again and again, to tell her story of sacrifice, persistence, and resistance. For the bravery to share this intimate recount in her own voice

'About a Cow' directed by Pavla Baštanová, is a visually playful collage exploring the life of cows across different cultures. The film portrays the cow as a sensitive creature, experiencing both joy and hardship globally. With its poetic and humorous style, About a Cow offers a hopeful vision of our relationship with animals. It was awarded at Fantoche, and Honourable Mention in the category Young Horizons at the Ottawa International Animation Festival.

Directors' statement: It is necessary to have a complex view of animals as living beings, not just a product to be used by industry and the economy. I do not want to be radically activist or strictly documentary and critical, even though I will work with real facts. My feelings are expressed indirectly by using animated collage and playful narration which is looking at a cow‘s life from a wide perspective

'Electra', directed by Daria Kashcheeva, dives into a young girl's reimagining of her 10th birthday, blending memories with fantasy and hidden desires. Isolated in a world of exaggerated dolls and fragmented body parts, 'Electra; revisits her complex relationship with her body and her parents.

The film has earned both the European Animation Award (Best Animation) 2024 and Best Actress at the Sapporo International Short Film Festival.

Related: Our interview with Daria Kashcheeva

(press release)

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