Rising of Lusitania Animadoc Film Festival 2026: Awards

The real-life animated dramatization of the murder of the eight-year-old Narin Güran in 'Who Killed Narin G' by Ayce Kartal  (I Gotta Look Good for the Apocalypse) won the Grand Prix of the 8th Rising of Lusitania Animadoc Film Festival (12-15 October 2026).

The festival celebrates the art of animation documentary -this year with 51 films from 30 countries (22 films in the professional category and 15 in the student category -the festival also includes a MOCK<anima>DOC category and a Panorama section, called "Panoramic View from the Command Deck").

'Unlearning Motherhood' by Juliana Erazo Gómez won the Special Prize; it is an animated documentary that tells the empowering stories of women with their unconventional motherhood experiences.

The Best Student AnimaDoc award went to 'Error: Connection Lost' by Uliana Gromyko (The Netherlands). This autobiographical film centers on two siblings growing up in Ukraine in the early 2000s; it follows their move to the Netherlands and how it affects their relationship.

A festival highlight was the Polish premiere of Aria Covamonas's *The Great History of Western Philosophy* animation feature.

The full list of the 8th Rising of Lusitania Animadoc Awards

PROFESSIONAL JURY: Maja Markowska, Vahram Mkhitaryan and Urszula Morga

 “Lusitania Grand Prix Award” for the Best Professional AnimaDoc:
WHO KILLED NARIN G? (France 2025, 04:42), Director: Ayce Kartal
Professional Jury justification: For the masterful use of animation to create a world of boundless imagination, and for the courage to pose questions without imposing easy answers.

Special Jury Award for the Best Professional AnimaDoc:
UNLEARNING MOTHERHOOD (Netherlands 2025, 10:45), Director: Juliana Erazo Gómez
Professional Jury justification: For opening the door to a motherhood that can be lived out without one's own child. For creating a rounded, pink world that offers refuge in the midst of an internal struggle against fear.

“Rising Award” for the Best Student AnimaDoc:
ERROR: CONNECTION LOST (Netherlands 2025, 05:02), Director: Uliana Gromyko, HKU - University of the Arts Utrecht
Professional Jury justification: For a minimalist form that translates a deeply personal story into a universal experience of loss, and of love for our near ones whose fate and health we tremble for.

Special Jury Award for the Best Student AnimaDoc:
I'M PAINTING A SELF-PORTRAIT, BUT ALL I SEE IS MY SISTER'S FACE (Poland 2026, 10:45), Director: Helena Stańczyk, Lodz Film School
Professional Jury justification: For the extraordinary tenderness in portraying the bond between Alicja and Bożena Wahl, twin sisters and artists. For weaving a deeply personal story of closeness, shared creativity, and lives intertwined with art from a rich archival record.

Who Killed Narin G, Ayce Kartal

Error: Connection Lost, Uliana Gromyko

3 SPECIAL MENTIONS FOR CREATIVE APPROACH TO THE TOPIC:

AS THE CROW FLIES (France 2025, 29:59), Director: Clara Lacombe
Justification: For giving a refugee a voice, involving him in the creative process, and portraying a young man who retains his sensitivity and hope despite difficult experiences.

OUR WALLS (Czechia, Slovenia 2026, 07:35), Director: Živa Divjak, FAMU - Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
Justification: For an intimate portrayal of an intergenerational relationship and a visually accomplished exploration of caring for loved ones, raising questions about the limits of personal freedom.

RAPTUS (Cuba 2025, 10:16), Director: Ivette Ávila Martín
Justification: For a genuine testament to violence, hand-sculpted into a symbolically beautiful, visual narrative.

PERSONAL MENTION FROM THE JUROR – Maja Markowska:
THE AUTOHARP CRUSHING ON HOT GUYS (Czechia 2026, 08:23), Director: Antonie Zavadilová, FAMU - Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
Justification: For a tender tale of mundane anxieties, inviting the viewer to a café table for a deeply satisfying, brilliant discussion on the follies of love.

PERSONAL MENTION FROM THE JUROR – Vahram Mkhitaryan:
THE IN-THE-HEAD FILM (Germany 2026, 11:24), Director: Konstantin von Sichart
Justification: A compelling self-portrait that reveals the artist’s creative process, the impossibility of escaping one’s own thoughts, and a sense of helplessness in the face of the stimuli flooding in from a constantly changing world.

PERSONAL MENTION FROM THE JUROR – Urszula Morga:
MEALITANCY (Belgium 2024, 12:07), Directors: Marie Royer, Zinia Scorier
Justification: For an uncompromising story of resistance to consumerism and for portraying the world from a non-human perspective.

 
STUDENT JURY: Magda Brzezińska, Julia Rutkowska i Jagoda Woźniak

“Lusitania Student Award” for the Best AnimaDoc w kategorii Best Professional AnimaDoc:
H.R. 4405 (Lithuania 2026, 03:17), Director: Tylus Kinas
Student Jury justification: The Student Jury would like to award this film for its synthetic form, which aptly engages with the difficult topic of sexual violence, adopting and presenting the audience with the perspective of the victim, which also presents a metaphor for the fragmentation and fragmentation of consciousness resulting from trauma. For its overwhelming narrative, which leaves the viewer with a feeling of unease and incomplete understanding of the situation until the very last second.

Special Mention from the Student Jury for the Best Professional AnimaDoc:
MEALITANCY (Belgium 2024, 12:07), Directors: Marie Royer, Zinia Scorier
Student Jury justification: The Student Jury commended the film for its exploration of a universal issue within a local context, as well as its potential to inspire viewers to launch similar social initiatives. Furthermore, the film stands out for its cohesive, charming color palette—built upon primary colors—as well as its excellent compositions and an apt comparison of the activists' efforts to the tireless, never-ending labor of ants.

“Students4student Award” for the Best Student AnimaDoc:
ERROR: CONNECTION LOST (Netherlands 2025, 05:02), Director: Uliana Gromyko, HKU - University of the Arts Utrecht
Student Jury justification: The Student Jury wishes to award the film for its compelling approach to the poignant subject of the war in Ukraine. The animation fluidly guides the viewer through the protagonists' story, highlighting the close bond between a brother and sister—a connection that flourishes as they share the use of a computer. The theme of technology—serving not merely as a tool, but as a space for building relationships—is reflected in the film’s visual style. This approach underscores the profound significance of the computer for the younger sister, establishing it as a vital element of the narrative.

H.R. 4405, Tylus Kinas
 
AUDIENCE AWARD in the PROFESSIONAL AnimaDoc Category:
NONNA LUCIA (Switzerland 2026, 06:59), Director: Marcel Barelli

AUDIENCE AWARD in the Student Category:
THOUSANDS OF HOURS (Czechia 2026, 06:20), Director: Barbora Vanická, FAMU - Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague

AUDIENCE AWARD in the MOCK<anima>DOC AKA MAKE-BELIEVE AWARD:
SHOULD VIRTUAL PETZ DIE? (Italy 2024, 12:00), Director: Carlo Galbiati

Our Coverage of Rising of Lusitania -Animadoc Festival

The 8th Rising of Lusitania - Animadoc Festival took place in Gdańsk (12 -15 October 2026).