Annecy [France], June 28 (ANI): The Annecy Animation Film Festival crowned the winners on Saturday with ‘The Violinist’ directed by Ervin Han and Raul Garc biggest festival prize in animation: Annecy’s feature film Cristal, reported Variety.
According to Variety, a tale of two young violinist virtuosos in and after WWII Singapore, ‘The Violinist’ certainly had its fans at Annecy as it was against the strong contenders ‘Iron Boy’ or ‘Tangles.’
According to Variety, in a third competition prize, ‘Decorado,’ from Alberto Vasquez, won the Paul Grimault Award for an existential fable on freedom.
A 14-minute high-speed study of someone’s life, seen only through pieces of paper, ‘Paper Trail’ was developed to create the film’s unique look and pace by blending 2D computer animation and animated objects.
The prize felt unearned, Hertzfeldt said on stage at Annecy. “I started animating when I was a kid, 30 years ago. It was just fun, it was to make my friends laugh. I’ve always thought of myself as a director who draws. I had never been to Annecy before. Maybe I can finally call myself an animator.”
The Alexeiff-Parker Award went to ‘My Bellyaching Skin,’ the third part of young Étienne Bonnet’s autobiography, described by Annecy artistic director Marcel Jean as one of the funniest voices in French animation.
Elsewhere, in key plaudits, Contrechamp, Annecy major sidebar for edgier or newer talent plays, was won by France’s “Blaise,” from Dimitri Planchon and Jean-Paul Guige and a “perfect introduction to French absurd humour, questioning the political engagement of youth and the existential crisis of adults,” Jean told Variety.
The Jury Award went to Japan’s ‘A New Dawn,’ a co-production between Japan’s Asmik Ace and France’s Miyu Productions, which made a splash at the Berlin Festival and heralds almost certainly more Japan-France collaborations in the future.
In Annecy’s Special Prize category, the Annecy Presents Audience Award, a new prize, went to ‘Brave Cat,’ the feature film debut of Gabriel Osorio, director of “Bear Story,” an Academy Award-winning animated short which marked Chile’s first Oscar win.
A list of some of this year’s winners can be found below.
Feature Film
Cristal for a Feature Film
The Violinist — Ervin Han, Raul Garcia
Jury Award
Iron Boy — Louis Clichy
Paul Grimault Award
Decorado — Alberto Vazquez
Gan Foundation Award for Distribution
Iron Boy
Audience Award
Iron Boy
Contrechamp Features
Grand Prix
Blaise — Dimitri Planchon, Jean-Paul Guige
Jury Award
A New Dawn
Short Films
Cristal for a Short Film
Paper Trail — Don Hertzfeldt
Jury Award
God Is Shy — Jocelyn Charles
Alexeieff-Parker Award
My Bellyaching Skin — Etienne Bonnet
Off-Limits Award
Core Dump — Alona Rodeh
Jean-Luc Xiberras Award for a First Film
Please — Anna Mantzaris
Audience Award
God Is Shy — Jocelyn Charles
TV Awards
Cristal for a TV Production
The Great Dreamscape — Remi Durin
Jury Award for a TV Series
Takopi’s Original Sin — Shinya Iino
Jury Award for a TV Special
Song of the Storms — Caroline Attia
Audience Award for a TV Production
The Broos — David Mirailles
Commissioned Films
Cristal for a Commissioned Film
Unloved — Victor Caire, Lucas Navarro, Theophile Dufresne
Jury Award for a Commissioned Film
Eco Beat — Eva Bienert, Max Mortl
Graduation Films
Jury Award
Dying Embers — Lea Pulini
Lotte Reiniger Award
Gently — Jamaica Kindlova
VR Works
Cristal for the Best VR Work
A Long Goodbye — Kate Voet, Victor Maes
Special Prize Winners
SACEM Award for Best Original Soundtrack (Short Film)
God Is Shy — Jocelyn Charles
SACEM Award for Best Original Soundtrack (Feature Film)
The Violinist — Ervin Han, Raul Garcia
Annecy Presents Audience Award
Brave Cat — Gabriel Osorio
Canal+ Junior Jury Award
Piccolo Piccolo — Marta Gennari
Young Audience Award
Into the Forest — Antonin Niclass
Andre Martin Award for a French Short Film
Hold It Together — Fan Sissoko
ARTE Award, European Short Film
Uka-uka — Henri Veermae
Festivals Connexion Award for an Immersive Work
Voooooo–Peeeeee– — Hyeunjoo Woo, Jiyun Park
Vimeo Staff Pick Award for a Short Film
Creation — Bela Klingl
Warner Bros. Animation Award for a Graduation Film
The 12 Inch Pianist — Lucas Ansel
Midnight Shorts Award
Eclosion — Luis Morillo
City of Annecy Award
Because Today Is Saturday — Alice Eca Guimarães
Titmouse WTF Award
You Are Not Part of the Cake — Ting-Jui Chen
Titmouse WTF Jury Distinction
I Have a — Rory Waudby-Tolley
At Saturday’s prize ceremony, the Festival also confirmed dates of June 13-19 for its 2027 edition, which see it moving back to its traditional mid-month slot, and that Colombia will be the Annecy Animation Festival’s 2027 Country of Honour. (ANI)
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