animation + vfx
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In a year that has seen 1,184 submissions across categories, our animation selection emerges as a testament to the medium's extraordinary capacity to traverse the boundaries between technical innovation and philosophical inquiry. The selected works demonstrate animation's unique ability to articulate what philosopher Jean Baudrillard termed "the hyperreal," where digital existence and metaphysical contemplation converge in unprecedented ways.
The technical virtuosity of CGI animation takes center stage with João Filipe Santiago's "Project Shadow" and Rony A. Abovitz's "Yellow Dove Aftermath," works that push the boundaries of digital world-building while maintaining profound narrative coherence. These pieces find their emotional counterpoint in the charming character studies of Monica Lagrange's "Starlight Cantina" and Max Giraldo's "Gig Work," where technological sophistication serves the higher purpose of emotional storytelling. The selection achieves particular distinction in its philosophical works, with William Eguienta's "Bubbling Synapses" and Yaoqi Huang's "Star Valley" evoking the tradition of abstract animation pioneered by Oskar Fischinger while speaking to contemporary existential concerns. Johnny Schumann's "Da Humbug" demonstrates the continued vitality of stop-motion technique, while Ling Han's "Chain" and Ewa Sztefka's "We Can Still Be Friends" exemplify animation's unique capacity to render the impossible possible, the invisible visible, and the conceptual tangible. |
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Best Animated Film
1st Place Winner · Yellow Dove Aftermath (USA) · Rony A. Abovitz 2nd Place Nominee · Starlight Cantina (USA) · Monica Lagrange 3rd Place Nominee · Bubbling Synapses (France) · William Eguienta Nominee · Chain (USA) · Ling Han Nominee · Da Humbug (UK) · Johnny Schumann Semi-Finalist · Gig Work (USA) · Max Giraldo Semi-Finalist · Solar Pulse (China) · Zong liang Semi-Finalist · Star Valley (China) · Yaoqi Huang Semi-Finalist · We Can Still Be Friends (Poland) · Ewa Sztefka Best Student Animation 1st Place Winner · Starlight Cantina (USA) · Monica Lagrange 2nd Place Nominee · Chain (USA) · Ling Han 3rd Place Nominee · Star Valley (China) · Yaoqi Huang Nominee · Goos'd (USA) · Heeyun Chung Semi-Finalist · Snow Dog (USA) · Christina Park, Marisol Salazar Montoya Semi-Finalist · Scenes Of The Absurd (UK) · Sophie Dique, Talia Sellers Semi-Finalist · ECM "Electronic Crime Music" (UK) · Charlotte Webb Best Original Animation Style 1st Place Winner · Bubbling Synapses (France) · William Eguienta 2nd Place Nominee · We Can Still Be Friends (Poland) · Ewa Sztefka 3rd Place Nominee · Nostalmagia (USA) · Simon Sciacovelli Nominee · Da Humbug (UK) · Johnny Schumann Nominee · Star Valley (China) · Yaoqi Huang Nominee · Jimmy And Baby (Australia) · Paul Robertson Semi-Finalist · Scenes Of The Absurd (UK) · Sophie Dique, Talia Sellers Semi-Finalist · The Expectation Of The Observed (USA) · Stephanie J Williams |
Best Character Design
1st Place Winner · Project Shadow (Brazil) · João Filipe Santiago 2nd Place Nominee · Yellow Dove Aftermath (USA) · Rony A. Abovitz 3rd Place Nominee · Chain (USA) · Ling Han Nominee · Starlight Cantina (USA) · Monica Lagrange Nominee · Da Humbug (UK) · Johnny Schumann Nominee · Botching (UK) · Denis Kilty Semi-Finalist · Don't Mess With Shiva Part 1 (Canada) · Lorenzo West Best Created Environment 1st Place Winner · Da Humbug (UK) · Johnny Schumann 2nd Place Nominee · Solar Pulse (China) · Zong liang 3rd Place Nominee · Botching (UK) · Denis Kilty Nominee · Yellow Dove Aftermath (USA) · Rony A. Abovitz Semi-Finalist · Scenes Of The Absurd (UK) · Sophie Dique, Talia Sellers Best CGI & Visual Effects 1st Place Winner · The Herald (Germany) · Lei Cui 2nd Place Nominee · Project Shadow (Brazil) · João Filipe Santiago 3rd Place Nominee · Solar Pulse (China) · Zong liang Nominee · We Hunt Giants (Sweden) · Titus Paar Nominee · La Croix (France) · Joris Fleurot Nominee · The Punisher: Nightmare (USA) · Brandon Forgione Nominee · Botching (UK) · Denis Kilty Nominee · Nostalmagia (USA) · Simon Sciacovelli Semi-Finalist · Puedes Tú Solito "You Can Do It Alone" (Spain) · Silvia Pradas Semi-Finalist · O Velho E A Espada "The Old Man And The Demon Sword" (Portugal) · Fábio Powers Semi-Finalist · Reunion 02: Genesis (Japan) · Jun Kitamikado |
Relevant categories from other sections...
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Best Original Score
1st Place Winner · Blue Love (France) · Sylvain Bes 2nd Place Nominee · Enescu, Skinned Alive (Romania) · Toma Enache 3rd Place Nominee · La Mélodie Des Cendres "The Melody Of Ashes" (Switzerland) · Jonathan Moratal Nominee · The Nephew (UK) · Wilhelm Kuhn Nominee · Bubbling Synapses (France) · William Eguienta Nominee · Osmose (France) · Eva Motreff Semi-Finalist · The Gale II (USA) · Timothy Wenzel Semi-Finalist · Cascading Matter: Being In Between (Switzerland) · Raphael Sommer Semi-Finalist · Star Valley (China) · Yaoqi Huang Semi-Finalist · Chain (USA) · Ling Han Semi-Finalist · Botching (UK) · Denis Kilty Best Episodic Series or Pilot 1st Place Winner · Gig Work (USA) · Max Giraldo 2nd Place Nominee · Pickleball Is Life: Dill With It! (USA) · Carol Ann DeMarco, Ethan de Aguiar 3rd Place Nominee · The Ange And Addi Show (USA) · Dustin James Leighton Nominee · The Banshee Gang: Recipe For Magic (Bulgaria) · Angel Georgiev Nominee · Don't Mess With Shiva Part 1 (Canada) · Lorenzo West Semi-Finalist · A Guys Guy (USA) · Josh Levine Semi-Finalist · Murder In BB Minor (USA) · Philip William Lewis Semi-Finalist · Arlington Heights (USA) · Eric Ayala Semi-Finalist · Abnormal Fixation (USA) · John Kenneth Muir Semi-Finalist · Happy Even After (USA) · Ailise Beales, Zara DuCrôs |
Best Experimental Avant-Garde Film
1st Place Winner · Kruz' (USA) · Loic Zimmermann 2nd Place Nominee · O Velho E A Espada "The Old Man And The Demon Sword" (Portugal) · Fábio Powers 3rd Place Nominee · Reunion 02: Genesis (Japan) · Jun Kitamikado Nominee · Bergamota (Brazil) · Hsu Chien Nominee · Don't Mess With Shiva Part 1 (Canada) · Lorenzo West Nominee · The Scalpel (USA) · Richard H Lyford Semi-Finalist · The Grim Reaper Is Out, Or The Day He Gives Up His Job (Germany) · Nina Romming, Thomas Küper Semi-Finalist · Pink City Film (Germany) · Mirijam Jeremic Semi-Finalist · A Picnic With Strawberries (USA) · Jeremy Iván Goei Videla Semi-Finalist · Monique & Bus Stop Billy (USA) · Aaron W. Brown Semi-Finalist · The Days Of Knight (USA) · John P Martinez Semi-Finalist · Seagulls Sometimes Howl Like Dogs (France) · Guhl Geneviève Semi-Finalist · The Expectation Of The Observed (USA) · Stephanie J Williams Best Fan Film 1st Place Winner · The Punisher: Nightmare (USA) · Brandon Forgione 2nd Place Nominee · Project Shadow (Brazil) · João Filipe Santiago 3rd Place Nominee · Bonds Of Courage (Czech Republic) · Helena Bernardová |
