The Annecy International Animation Film Festival has just rewarded the 14 Special Prizes for 2019. This is usually an occasion to award films for children, which tend somehow to get lost in the big ceremony. This year, Martin Smatana's The Kite was one of the favorites. It is also important that the Junior Jury selected Daria Kashcheeva's Daughter as their best graduation film, a film which is a sober (and well-made) animation drama.

Another interesting-looking fantasy drama, Mémorable by Bruno Collet (director of Son Indochine) took home the Junior Jury Award for a Short Film.  Perhaps one should trust kids more.

The Canadian Girl In the Hallway by Valerie Barnhart was given the Festivals Connexion – Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes award, a 2D/stop-motion film on the disappearance of  Indigenous women.

Special prizes also award film music, so the new Regina Pessoa film Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days, and its famous composer, Normand Roger, took home the award for best music in a short film. The corresponding award for Best Feature film went to  Arturo Cardelús for his Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles.

The whole list:
 
Festivals Connexion – Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Award / In partnership with Lumières Numériques & Mèche Courte
Girl in the Hallway > Fille dans le couloir, Valerie BARNHART, Canada

Why does 'Little Red Riding hood' give Jamie nightmares? It's been 15 years, and the girl in the hallway haunts him still. This is a testament to locked doors. A lullaby sung by wolves with duct tape and polaroids. Not all girls make it out of the forest. Some stories children shouldn't hear.

Junior Jury Award for a Short Film:
Mémorable, Bruno COLLET, France / VIVEMENT LUNDI !

Recently, Louis, a painter, and his wife Michelle are experiencing strange events. The world around them seems to be mutating. Slowly, the furniture, objects and people are losing their realism.   

Junior Jury Award for a Graduation Film:
Dcera > Daughter, Daria KASHCHEEVA, Czech Republic / FAMU, MAUR FILM COMPANY LTD.

Read Our Film Review

 Young Audience Award:
Sarkan > Le Cerf-Volant, Martin SMATANA, Czech Republic / BFILM, LTD.

Read the director's interview at Zippy Frames

CANAL+ Young Audience Award:
Grand Loup & Petit Loup > Big Wolf & Little Wolf, Rémi DURIN,  Belgium, France / LES FILMS DU NORD
    
FIPRESCI Award:
Têtard, Jean-Claude ROZEC , France / A PERTE DE VUE
      
Best Original Music Award for a Feature Film, sponsored by the SACEM:
Buñuel en el laberinto de las tortugas, Arturo CARDELÚS, Spain, Netherlands / SYGNATIA FILMS, SUBMARINE
    
Best Original Music Award for a Short Film, sponsored by the SACEM:
Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days, Normand ROGER, Canada, France, Portugal / ONF, LES ARMATEURS, CICLOPE FILMES
    
Gan Foundation Award for Distribution:
Josep, AUREL, France, Belgium, Spain / LES FILMS D'ICI MÉDITERRANÉE, LES FILMS DU POISSON ROUGE, LUNANIME BVBA, EJT-LABO LABORATOIRE D'ÉCRITURE ET D'IMAGES, B-WATER ANIMATION STUDIOS
    
Vimeo Staff Pick Award:
A Year Along the Geostationary Orbit, Felix Dierich, Germany
    
André-Martin Award for a French Feature Film:
Le Procès contre Mandela et les autres, Nicolas CHAMPEAUX, Gilles PORTE
Animation : Oerd Van Cuijlenborg, France / ROUGE INTERNATIONAL
    
André-Martin Award for a French Short Film:
Mon juke-box > My Juke-Box, Florentine GRELIER, France / NOVANIMA, GIRELLE PRODUCTION

André-Martin Distinction for a French Short Film:
Flow, Adriaan LOKMAN, Netherlands, France / VALK PRODUCTIONS, DARK PRINCE
    
City of Annecy Award:
Son of the Sea, Abbas JALALI YEKTA / Iran

  The Special Prizes  were presented Friday 14th June at 6:30 pm at Bonlieu, Annecy. Annecy International Animation Film Festival runs 10-15 June 2019.