Jury Grand Prix
A monetary award in the amount of €1,000 is presented by The Association for Reanimation of Storytelling 2 Reels. The award goes to:
Blažena naključna smrt / Splendida Moarte Accident / The Blissful Accidental Death
Sergiu Negulici (ABIS STUDIO, RENIFORM)
ROMANIA, 2016, HD, 15'11''
In an antique shop, a young man finds an intriguing drawing with a secret love letter hidden on the back, written 70 years ago. After finding out that the author of the drawing is still alive, 105 years old, and eager to find out if the story is real, the man embarks on an unusual journey to meet her, the painter who befriended many important Romanian artists at the beginning of the 20th century.
Explanation: Visually powerful, the film is a statement about life as an arbitrary trip with unexpected moments. Using a risky and impeccable technique, it takes us on a journey through the Dada poetry. It also reminds us that life is a blissful accident.
:D'SAF!Audience Award
A monetary award in the amount of €1,000 is presented by the Slovenian Animated Film Association. The award goes to:
Dušan Kastelic (BUGBRAIN, RTVSLO)
SLOVENIA, 2016, HD, 12’13’’
Life in the Box is boring and miserable. Until one day when a new baby boy starts to grow in the middle of the Box! This baby is very different from other flat-headed inhabitants of the Box. He's happy, lively and curious. As the baby grows bigger and bigger, the flat-headed neighbours are becoming more and more annoyed with him. Until one day he literally grows over their heads.
Young talent: A School of Arts (University of Nova Gorica) and Academy of Fine Arts and Design (University of Ljubljana) Award
A monetary award in the amount of €1,000 is presented jointly by the School of Arts (University of Nova Gorica) and Academy of Fine Arts and Design (University of Ljubljana). The award goes to:
Kilian Vilim (LUCERNE UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND ARTS)
SWITZERLAND, 2017, HD, 5’29’’
In his everyday life, an elevator boy is confronted with the loneliness and the "up and down" of his service. When he tries to attract the attention of his guests, he makes a very different, gloomy encounter with himself.
Explanation: Selecting the winner from among two finalists was anything but easy. In the end, we chose to award the film that intrigued us all. With authentic storytelling, the author took us on a journey through his emotional world, excelling in an effective use of shots and framing, and well-executed synchronisation of sound and image, to prompt in us a strong sense of empathy and leave us with a profound experience of the author’s message and his feelings of anxiety. We also applaud the superb choice of technique, resulting in fluent and playful animation.
The Elephant: Children Jury Award
A monetary award in the amount of €1,000 is presented by The Elephant - Association for Film Education. The award goes to:
Ježeva hiša / Ježeva Kuća / Hedgehog's Home
Eva Cvijanović (BONOBOSTUDIO, NFB)
CANADA, CROATIA, 2017, HD, 10’08’’
In a lush and lively forest lives a hedgehog. He is respected and envied by other animals. However, his unwavering devotion to his home annoys a quartet of insatiable beasts. Together, they march off towards Hedgehog’s home and spark a tense and prickly standoff.
Explanation: The film won us over with its story, which was adapted from a well-known croatian tale. We were fascinated by the animation and the puppets made of felt. The music we hear is finely tuned to the action, and makes the film even better than it already is. We can admire the work from various angles, and, finally, learn something from its message.
Jury's Special Mentions
Caroline Sury:
Pomiritev / Lahtilaskmise Lugu / Letting Go
Ülo Pikkov (SILMVIBURLANE)
ESTONIA, 2017, HD, 10'44''
The Japanese believe that by releasing a paper doll at the sea they are letting go of an evil spirit. “Letting Go” is an animated documentary about a young girl who wants to let go of the shadows that haunt her past.
Explanation: This movie’s got the poetry of a buto dance, slow and irritating. Then the same element, slow and irritating, catches you and makes you feel so good. Shaman power!
Jair Salvador Alvarez:
Xoxo – objemi in poljubi / Xoxo Pocałunki I Uściski / Xoxo Hugs And Kisses
Wiola Sowa (SOWA – FILM)
POLAND, 2016, HD, 14'00''
A film about loneliness, not in the literal sense of being alone, but loneliness despite appearances of proximity. We watch a game in which we cross the boundaries and transcend our sensuality beyond the accepted norm. A kind of performance in which the characters are playing together, enjoying the pleasure, and at the same time struggling with their inability to create a deeper bond.
Explanation: It is a little gem that tells us how difficult emotional relationships can be. The film’s narrative uses the visual and body language of the characters, rich in details, to reflect on loneliness as a result of our inability to empathize.
Rao Heidmets:
Fabio Friedli (YK ANIMATION STUDIO)
SWITZERLAND, 2017, HD, 5'47''
From a seed to war, from meat to love, from indifference to apocalypse. An attempt to capture the world in a nutshell.
Explanation: It's pleasant to see how it's possible to talk about important topics using simple tools.
Igor Kovalyov:
Katarzyna Kijek (MUNK STUDIO, POLISH FILMMAKERS ASSOCIATION)
POLAND, 2016, HD, 7’12’’
The protagonist unexpectedly finds himself in the middle of the screenplay that he is struggling to write.
Explanation: A contemporary vision of modern life.
Robert Löbel:
Chintis Lundgren (NFB, CHINTIS LUNDGRENI ANIMATSIOONISTUUDIO, ADRIATIC ANIMATION)
ESTONIA, CROATIA, CANADA, 2017, HD, 12:56
Manivald, a fox, is turning 33. Overeducated, unemployed and generally uninspired, he lives with his overbearing, retired mother. It is an easy life, but not a good one. This unhealthy co-dependence changes when the washing machine breaks down and Toomas, a sexy wolf repairman, arrives to fix it, and them.
Explanation:
Sometimes we have to surrender our appetites to be happy.
Even if disappointment hits, we’ll learn to enjoy life to the fullest.
Every eye blink, every sexy tail wag brings us closer to the streets.
Special mention of the student's jury:
Jonatan Schwenk (HFG OFFENBACH)
GERMANY, 2017, HD, 10’14’’
After a flood, some fish get stuck in old trees. In danger of drying-out they scream piercingly. Woken up by the noise, the inhabitants of a nearby cave don't feel very happy about the unintended gathering.
Explanation: Due to the quality of combining different techniques – 3D, stop-motion and video – into a fascinatingly consistent whole, and a universal, topical narrative, our Special Mention goes to SOG by Jonatan Schwenk.