The awards of 19th Animateka are known!

03.12.2022

Awards of 19th Animateka

Jury Grand Prix
Awarded for films in the Main Competition. A monetary award in the amount of €1,000.
Sierra (2022)
Sander Joon, BOP! Animation/AAA Creative

Justification: The jury was charmed by this burlesque pure pleasure presenting a family dynamics with unexpected tenderness: A perfectly timed, joyful and colourful play with audiences expectations was impeccably supported by soundscape and mise en scene: We were unanimously moved by the characters cleverly brought into an uncharted territory.

Young talent: A School of Arts (University of Nova Gorica) and Academy of Fine Arts and Design (University of Ljubljana) Award
Awarded for films in the European Young Talents Competition Programme. 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).
Pentola (2022)
Leo Černic, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia Torino

Justification: This has been a busy, inspiring week for the student jury. In the European Young Talents programme, we saw 56 student animation shorts. As jurors, we had a really challenging task of selecting just one winner from among all these exquisite projects.
Before we announce the winner, we would like to highlight three other projects: Zoon by Jonathan Schwenk for its technical perfection, In His Mercy by Christoph Büttner for its striking suspense, and The Immoral by Ekin Koca for its minimalist narration.
We chose our winner for its excellent direction, harmonious visual language, sound design, and its original approach to the topic, which deftly makes the audience relate to the protagonist. The film delivers its message lightly, humorously triggering bursts of laughter. Our winning superhero is Pentola by Leo Černic.

The Elephant: Children Jury Award
Awarded for films in the Elephant in Competition programme. A monetary award in the amount of €1,000.
Loop (2021)
Pablo Polledri, Uniko/Maniac Planet

Justification: This week, we saw three The Elephant in Competition programmes. It was difficult to select the winner from among a big number of great films. Ultimately, we decided to award a visually stunning film with a good soundtrack and a message that raises a lot of questions.

;DSAF Audience Award
Awarded for films in the Main Competition. A monetary award in the amount of €1,000 is presented by the Slovene Animated Film Association.
Sierra (2022)
Sander Joon, BOP! Animation/AAA Creative

Special mentions of the members of the main jury:

Clémence Bragard:
Garrano (2022)
David Doutel in Vasco Sá, BAP Animation Studio/Art Shot

Justification: My special mention goes to a film with an outstanding visual style dealing with the heavy topics of exploitation and poverty through a symbolic animal’s life of misfortune. The remarkable animation is supported by a sound design that underlines the dramatic tension. The protagonist literally drags us with him in his fall, trapped in a destiny he has no control over and leaves us free to learn our own lesson through an open ending.

Jean-François Le Corre:
Miracasas (2021)
Raphaëlle Stolz, Nadasdy Film/ Komadoli Studio/Folimage/RTS

Justification: My special mention goes to a film that transforms a funeral ceremony into a lush visual feast. A film in which I particularly appreciated the character design, the cutting, and the management of the rhythm which, I believe, reveal a director whose next productions I can’t wait to discover.

Boris Labbé:
XX (2022)
Vasja Lebarič, Julij Zornik, Temporama/001/Teleking

Justification: My special mention goes to a radical audiovisual purpose, with its sophisticated sound design combined with pulsating abstract animated sequences. The mixed materials used as found footage and paintings make a great tribute to the avant-garde experimental cinema, this conceptual approach deserves to be highlighted.

Jelena Popović:
11 (2022)
Vuk Jevremović, independent

Justification: My special mention goes to a film which, unlike corrupt institutions who monetize the love of the game, renders its pure beauty and even purer pressure into a relentless waltz of lines… An homage to the head at one’s feet in the game of Life, where our memories and our angst fuse in a majestic shimmer of frames too short to grasp and too long to forget…

Matija Šturm:
Once There Was A Sea … (2021)
Joanna Kożuch, BFilm/Anima-Pol/Radio and Television Slovakia/TVP

The strong visual image in the collaboration of various animation techniques, including sand animation, fits perfectly with the theme of the film, which takes us through the salt deserts at the bottom of the Aral Sea. It is a journey to the places of forgotten people and poisoned earth. The author’s comprehensive approach to narrative and presentation supports the decision to highlight the first Slovak animated documentary, Once There Was A Sea… by Joanna Kożuch.