On Gaku: Our Sound, Don't Know What, The Physics of Sorrow Win 2019 Ottawa Prizes

On Gaku: Our Sound, Don't Know What, The Physics of Sorrow Win 2019 Ottawa Prizes
Thomas Renolnder in OIAF's Meet The Filmmakers

The OIAF received a total of 2,424 entries from 93 countries and selected 117 for competition. The Grand Prize for Feature Animation has been awarded to On Gaku: Our Sound, directed by Kenji Iwaisawa.

For being a triumph of economic storytelling without sacrificing the richness of its characters. We were particularly impressed with the perfect timing, the simplicity of design, and the joyous celebration of the medium of animation - Jury Statement

The Nelvana Grand Prize for Independent Short has been awarded to Don’t Know What, directed by Thomas Renolder.

For its impeccably executed, playful exploration of the animated form, but not only that – it also stands out as a piece of art - Jury Statement

Best Canadian animation was awarded to NFB production of Theodor Ushev's The Physics of Sorrow.

For its arresting, expressive style, its searching contemplation of identity and exile, and its fearless fusing of imagination and autobiography - Jury Statement

This year’s Short, Feature and Young Audience Competition screenings were judged by three official juries. The Competition Feature Jury featured Lizzy Hobbs, Faiyaz Jafri, and Lei Lei. Hobbs is a BAFTA award-winning animator known for her use of unique mediums and historical storytelling, Jafri is an award-winning animator and professor at Parsons School of Design in New York. Lei Lei is China’s indie darling in animation, known worldwide for breaking out of his country’s rigid creative mould.

The Competition Short Jury included Emily Pelstring, Piotr Bosacki, and Eva Cvijanovic. Pelstring is a professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, and brought the Kathy Rose retrospective to this year’s festival. Bosacki works in the Intermedia Department at the University of Arts in Poznan, where his work finely blend literature and the spoken word with the moving image. Cvijanovic is the award-winning director of the beloved NFB short, Hedgehog’s Home, and is an animator living and working out of Montreal.

The Kids Jury, comprised of Ottawa-area children between the ages of 8-12, judged the Young Audiences: Preschool and Ages 6-12 Competitions.

FULL COMPETITION PRIZE WINNER LIST

Canadian Film Institute (CFI) Award for Best Canadian Animation

Physique De La Tristesse/The Physics of Sorrow , Theodore Ushev
For its arresting, expressive style, its searching contemplation of identity and exile, and its fearless fusing of imagination and autobiography.

Honourable mentions:
Finding Uranus, Ivan Li
For its startling, contemporary, and frank animated approach to something we all do, and for creating an inventive visual vocabulary for self-love.

Girl In The Hallway, Valerie Barnhart
For its stark, evocative animation and its honest, haunting telling of a moving tale of suffering and compassion.


ANIMATION FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES COMPETITION: PRESCHOOL

Winner: Le Tigre Sans Rayures (A Tiger With No Stripes)
Second Place: Fuwa Fuwa Hour 'PuiPui & MuuMuu Itsumo Issyo' (Fluffy Hour 'PuiPui & MuuMuu Always Together')
Third Place: Nest and I am Not Afraid of the Crocodile

ANIMATION FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES COMPETITION AGES 6 TO 12

Winner: Looney Tunes Cartoons: Curse of the Monkey Bird
Special mention: Matches and Teofrastas

ANIMATED SERIES
Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space, 'Little Fingers'

CRAFT AWARDS

BEST SCRIPT
Acid Rain Tomasz Popakul, Jury Comment: "For its haunting storytelling, cinematic fluidity, and vividly-rendered perspective."

BEST DESIGN
The Six ; Jury Comment: "For its arrangement of the frame, which was both economical and ornate, blending antique and contemporary styles."

BEST TECHNIQUE
Erodium Thunk, Winston Thucking  : Jury Comment: "For its intelligent arrangement of source material and fascinating transitions."

BEST SOUND
Slug Life : Jury Comment: "The complex sound design and original music contributed to this film’s rich, exuberant landscape."

VIRTUAL REALITY
Gymansia  : ury Comment: "For the way it guides the eye around a simple space, with great control over composition, leading up to a moment remarkable for its corporeal sensation of the glance."

COMMISSIONED ANIMATION
Tricky Women 2019 Trailer
Jury Comment: "This tricky trailer made our hearts skip a beat."

NON-NARRATIVE ANIMATION
Erodium Thunk, Winston Thucking 
Jury Comment: “With its compelling balance of control and chance, this ever-morphing collage just kept surprising us.”

ANIMATION GUILD STUDENT AWARD
Alfred Fauchet, Here and There
Jury Comment: “For its sophisticated play on the idea of polyphony, and its clever blend of absurdity and abstraction. “

CARTOON NETWORK AWARD FOR BEST NARRATIVE SHORT
Slug Life, Sophie Koko Gate
Jury Comment: “Because it is wild, janky, and funny. The vocal performance, quotable dialogue, and boneless narrative structure are refreshingly liberating.”

CANADIAN STUDENT
Winner: Finding Uranus, Ivan Li, Emily Carr University of Art and Design
2nd place: J'ai Hiberné toute l'année, Adele Vendette, Concordia University
3rd place: The Fox and The Pigeon, various directors, Sheridan College

VIMEO STAFF PICK AWARD
Girl in the Hallway

PUBLIC PRIZE
Gravedad, Matisse Gonzalez

NELVANA GRAND PRIZE FOR SHORT ANIMATION
Our Sound: On Gaku
Jury Comment: “For being a triumph of economic storytelling without sacrificing the richness of its characters. We were particularly impressed with the perfect timing, the simplicity of design, and the joyous celebration of the medium of animation.”

NELVANA GRAND PRIZE FOR SHORT ANIMATION
Don’t Know What, Thomas Renoldner
Jury Comment: “For its impeccably executed, playful exploration of the animated form, but not only that – it also stands out as a piece of art.”

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF)  is an annual five-day event bringing art and industry together in a vibrant hub and attracting more than 34,000 artists, producers, students and animation fans from around the world. This year’s OIAF runs September 25 – 29, 2019.

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