Moxie, A Latter to Momo win at the 11th AniFest
The 2D noir Moxie by Stephen Irwin (also awarded at Ottawa 2011) emerged as the winner in the short films category (5-15 min).
The international jury (Will Vinton, Pedro Serrazina, Sula prfi Hijazi, Igor Kovalyov and Michal Zabka) esteemed the "mysterious and challenging world" of a film whose main protagonist, a suicidal bear, remains strong in memory even after its eventual fate.
Special mention to the ebullient Luminaris by Juan Pablo Zaramella (Argentina). The longer shorts (15-60min) had their own winners: the documentary animation, The Chronicle of Oldřich S., dir. Rudolf Šmíd, Czech Republic won the first prize - special mention was reserved for the Chinese Chasing (dir. Chao Wu).
A double Asian victory in the category of 0-5 minutes shorts: The playful and quirky The Mechanism of Spring / Haru no shikumi (dir.Atsushi Wada, Japan) won the first prize, and Erick Oh from South Korea had his own special mention with "How to eat your apple".
Two awards were given in the student category. The sibling rivalry of Twins (dir. Peter Budínský, Slovakia) won the first prize, while Michael Frei (Estonia/Switzerland) and his Not About Us won a special mention.
In the feature film category, the lovable anime A letter to Momo (review) won the premier prize, yet the dark and deadpan humored Goodbye Mr. Christie (Phil Mulloy, UK) had both a special mention and the audience award for best film.
Best non-narrative/experimental film Bubi (dir. Veronika Vlková, Jan Šrámek, Czech Republic), and best music video to the Japanese Mirai Mizue for the AND AND music video.
The 11th AniFest also awarded hybrid award, the Grand Prix, selected both from the short and student session. Its winner was the French Agnes Patron, with her Widow Caillou/ La Veuve Caillou.
See all the winners,
AniFest Grand Prix: Widow Caillou/ La Veuve Caillou, dir. Agnes Patron, France
Argument: A beautiful, poetic, moving visualization of the author's very personal tale.
Feature film
Main prize: A Letter to Momo/ Momo e no Tegami, dir. Hiroyuki Okiura, Japan
Argument: Solid direction, writing, pacing and a strong narrative core.
Special mention: Dead But Not Buried, dir. Phil Mulloy, Great Britain
Argument: Very strong writing, conceptually brave film.
Short film up to 5 minutes
Main prize: The Mechanism of Spring / Haru no shikumi, r. Atsushi Wada, Japan
Argument: Very contemporary and unpredictable short film, that uses a minimalistic approach to seduce the viewer.
Special mention: How to eat your apple, dir. Erick Oh, South Korea
Argument: An elegantly designed film with a strong humorous concept.
Short film 5 – 15 minutes
Main prize: Moxie, dir. Stephen Irwin, Great Britain
Argument: A film that manages to create a mysterious and challenging world (that invites us to review and explore it again and again).
Special mention: Luminaris, dir. Juan Pablo Zaramella, Argentina
Argument: An entertaing pixilation film with an engaging and well crafted story.
Short film 15 – 60 minutes
Main prize: The Chronicle of Oldřich S., dir. Rudolf Šmíd, Czech Republic /Argument: Clean, traditional but ironic story, interesting journal visualised via animation.
Special mention: Chasing, dir. Chao Wu, China / Argument: Fresh and creative film.
Non-narrative/experimental film
Main prize: Bubi, dir. Veronika Vlková, Jan Šrámek, Czech Republic / Argument: Video-animation Bubi presents an open „narrative" form, seemingly without end or beginning. It works very convincingly in the enviroment of a big cinema, where it manages to provide a confrontation with the viewer's experience of film and graphical reading of moving images. It's a graphic testimony, civilisation apocalypse which „saves" the first edition of this section of non-narrative and experimental phenomenon in contemporary animation in a symbolic way.
Student film
Main prize: tWINs, dir. Peter Budínský, Slovakia / Argument: Unusual style, good use of metaphoric storytelling.
Special mention: Not About Us, dir. Michael Frei, Estonia/Switzerland / Argument: Nice design, well constructed abstract storytelling
TV Film and series
Main prize: Dodu – the Cardboard Boy/ Dodu – O rapaz de cartao, dir. José Miguel Ribeiro, Portugal
Argument: For combination of simple storytelling and very good cinematography.
Special mention: Pat and Mat in the country/ Pat a Mat na venkově, dir. Jan Beneš, Czech Republic
Argument: For the humor of the constant topping of gags and the ability to keep the series fresh for so many years.
Music videos
Main prize: Toru Matsumoto: AND AND, dir. Mirai Mizue, Japan / Argument: for the unique visualization of the music and incredible design concept.
Special mention: Paristetris: Sponge Ideas, dir. Katarzyna Paulina, Nalewajka Szewczyk, Poland / Argument: For the combination of storytelling with the music.
Jingles and Commercials
Main prize: Y film logo, dir. Nupur Bhargava, India /Argument: for the clever mixture of comics, animation, human interaction, camera movement to present the logo in the final shot.
Special mention: Filmfest Dresden trailer 2011, Volker Schlecht, Germany / Argument: Dynamic visualisation of the history of the film.
Films made by children under 12 years:
Main prize: Circus / O circo, dir. group of children from the EB school, Portugal Argument: Elaborated animation and visual style, great work with camera and editing.
Special mention: The Wild World of Hawai / Le Monde Sauvage de Hawai, dir. group of children from Camera etc.
Argument: Very creative and playfull, artistically elaborated and nice subtitles.
Films made by children from 12 to 15 years
Main prize: Ljeto na plaži, Barbara Radman, Marija Nikolič, Croatia
Argument: for the surprising story and original idea with wires
Special mention: The School of Lego, dir. Sawston Village College, Great Britain
Argument: witty, interesting animation and humourous Star Wars parody, that uses the possibilities of lego.
Best flipbook by artist under 15 years
The Snail and The Mushroom / Šnek jí hřib – Adéla Koziorková, chosen by Ian Mackinnon / Argument: Lovely character and great animation, well done.
Best flipbook by artist 15+ years old
Blue Tiger/Modrý tygr – Juraj Horváth, Michal Struss / Argument: for the movement of the tiger and for creating the illusion of depth on a flat page. Very beautiful and well done.
Audience award
Dead But Not Buried, dir. Phil Mulloy, Great Britain
The award of Czech-Estonian Club for best film of the Estonian retrospective
Knot/ Solm, dir. Kalju Kivi, Estonia (audience award)