Award Winners
Comments on the competition result by Yuichi Ito, Chairperson of the Jury
Under the influence of COVID-19 where the actual interexchange between people from all over the world has been ceased, and under the arrival of this unimaginable time, we Jury members were impressed and encouraged by all those inspiring animation shorts that gathered to Hiroshima.
Our online deliberation had to take place under an extremely difficult situation due to the time difference between the four countries as well as the telecommunication environment. However, as an independent team consisted of four Jury members, thanks to Otto Alder having much experience, we approached the meeting with positive attitude, and the discussion became more vibrant day by day. On the final day, we almost forgot that we were working online, with heated discussions, and as a result, we could reach a solid consensus at the end.
Each of the 59 In-Competition films, selected from 2,339 entries in total, was very particular about its theme, motif, story, animation expression, sound, etc., and it had been very difficult for us to decide which is better. We discussed the nominated works again and again with a belief and faith as Jury members, and are proud to make a decision that deserves the Hiroshima International Animation Festival.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude, not only to the award-winning directors, but also to Jury members, Selection Committee members, interpreters, festival director Sayoko Kinoshita, her secretary Makiko Nagao, and above all, to all filmmakers who submitted their work for the festival.
Yuichi Ito
Chairperson
○ Director’s official website or social media is hyperlinked on the name of director.
○ By clicking Click here to watch excerpt of the work, an excerpt from each award-winning work are available to watch until the end of September, 2020, with the permission of the copyright holder(s).
(Viewing period is over.)
Grand Prize
Daughter / Dcera
- 2019/ 14'48"
- Country:Czech Republic
- Directed by: Daria Kashcheeva
- Produced by: Zuzana Roháčová (FAMU), Martin Vandas (MAUR film)
- Distributed by: Luce Grosjean (Miyu Distribution)
[ Comments on Awarding ] A sensational animation experience, never seen before, caused by the signs of disquieting and the atmosphere which is sometimes made by intensive wild camerawork, as well as each gesture of puppets which is even quite simple. However, what is drawn is obviously a human drama, which shows the communication between a daughter and a father, those two who are gradually growing apart even though they care each other. All Jury members agreed that "Daughter" is the best film in competition, for its very pureness and deepness at the same time.
Hiroshima Prize
Am I a Wolf? / Gorgam-o-Gale Mibaram
- 2018/ 8'15"
- Country:Iran
- Directed by: Amir Houshang Moein
- Produced by: Mohamad Reza Karimi Saremi (Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children & Young Adults)
- Distributed by: Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children & Young Adults
[ Comments on Awarding ] This animation blurs our borders between reality, theatrical performances and cinema through outstanding beautiful images and harmonious sounds. An adaptation of the fairytale "The Wolf and the Seven Young Goats", full of suspense.
Debut Prize
Beetle in the Anthill / Жук в Муравейнике
- 2019/ 12'56"
- Country:Russia
- Directed by: Vasily Efremov
- Produced/Distributed by: Vadim Pegasov (Aqwarius Filmz Ltd.)
[ Comments on Awarding ] As a first film, the jury appreciated this particularly well written and designed story as a metaphor about freedom. The title is adapted from a famous science fiction novel of the 1980’s, which here turned into a poetical mood when a lonely elephant, released from a zoo, makes friend with homeless people in a city of nowhere.
Renzo Kinoshita Prize
Warm star / Teplaya zvezda
- 2020/ 4'29"
- Country:Russia
- Directed by: Anna Kuzina
- Produced by: Boris Mashkovtsev (Soyuzmultfilm film studio)
- Distributed by: Soyuzmultfilm film studio
[ Comments on Awarding ] What a lovely film! Children's love changes the cold star into a warm star. I'm an adult and I think the world is cold. But on the other side, as a member of a secret religion who believes in love, only love can change the world. This film contains warm faith in children's pure love.
Special International Jury Prize
Per tutta la vita
- 2018/ 5'19"
- Country:Italy / France
- Directed by: Roberto Catani
- Produced by: Davide Ferazza (Withstand), Alessandro Giorgio (Withstand), Pierre Baussaron (Miyu Productions), Emmanuel-Alain Raynal (Miyu Productions)
- Distributed by: Luce Grosjean (Miyu Distribution)
[ Comments on Awarding ] With richly textured drawings, unpredictable metamorphoses and unique sounds spectator is taken on an enigmatic journey down the rabbit hole.
School of Development / Школа развития
- 2019/ 5'00"
- Country:Russia
- Directed by: Anastasiya Sokolova
- Produced/Distributed by: Irina Snezhinskaya (Filmcompany SNEGA)
- © Filmcompany SNEGA
[ Comments on Awarding ] A special nomination to this colorful and dynamical animated film, as an ironical day in a modern life of a six years old girl and her friends, scheduled by a clock.
The Rain / Deszcz
- 2019/ 5'00"
- Country:Poland
- Directed by: Piotr Milczarek
- Produced by: Piotr Furmankiewicz (Fumi Studio), Mateusz Michalak (Fumi Studio)
[ Comments on Awarding ] This metaphorical animation is simple and humorous. Each superhero would hate this situation. It is impressive that a cold artwork and scene is directing in a static and dynamic drive.
The Physics of Sorrow / Physique de la tristesse
- 2019/ 27'09"
- Country:Canada
- Directed by: Theodore Ushev
- Produced by: Marc Bertrand (National Film Board of Canada)
- Distributed by: Élise Labbé (National Film Board of Canada)
- © National Film Board of Canada
[ Comments on Awarding ] This film based on the novel of the same title by Bulgarian writer, Georgi Gospodinov, is a masterpiece depicting the protagonist's agony who lived before the World War II and through the Cold War. This work is in high esteem as the visual effect where the pieces of personalized memory drawn by reminiscence format intersect in multi-layers and the picturesque expression which is the characteristic of the director have become a powerful effect, as well as the fusion with the director's thought.
Orgiastic Hyper-Plastic
- 2020/ 6'50"
- Country:Denmark / U.K.
- Directed by: Paul Bush
- Produced by: Lana Tankosa Nikolic (Late Love Production), Paul Bush (Ancient Mariner Productions Ltd)
- Distributed by: Lana Tankosa Nikolic (Late Love Production)
- © Ancient Mariner Productions and Late Love production 2020
[ Comments on Awarding ] A film provides light and adorable impression as in a commercial work. However, as we go through the dance of beautifully designed waste materials, the film makes us feel that the very relationship between human beings and plastic is like a kind of flirtatious love affair. We feel a warning to us human beings who ignore the contemporary situation of our mother earth, caused by the ‘subject’ that was abandoned by ourselves. The social viewpoint of this film was highly evaluated.
Crab / Kharchang
- 2020/ 10'46"
- Country:Iran
- Directed by: Shiva Sadegh Asadi
- Produced/Distributed by: Institute for the intellectual development of children and young adults (Kanoon)
[ Comments on Awarding ] "Crab" is a heartbreaking cruel story. It reveals bestiality of human beings. With her impressive rotoscoped drawings and dramatic sounds director holds a mirror up to us.
Traces
- 2019/ 13'10"
- Country:France / Belgium
- Directed by: Sophie Tavert Macian, Hugo Frassetto
- Produced by: Arnaud Demuynck (Les Films du Nord / La Boîte,... Productions)
- Distributed by: Natacha Cadart (Les Films du Nord)
- © Les Films du Nord
[ Comments on Awarding ] The jury gave a special nomination to this fairy tale on prehistory, to congratulate this beautiful and original work, created under camera on glass and with sand.
Special Prize
Kapaemahu
[ Comments on Awarding ] This film is about a myth of four legendary Mahu who brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii few centuries ago. Among them, the leader's name is Kapaemahu. It is an amazing film that describes mysterious light and secret healing power.
How much does the cloud weigh? / Сколько весит облако?
- 2018/ 5'30"
- Country:Russia
- Directed by: Nina Bisyarina
- Produced/Distributed by: Irina Snezhinskaya (Filmcompany SNEGA)
- © Filmcompany SNEGA
[ Comments on Awarding ] The jury nominated this unusual story about a scientist who is so much concerned with observing the clouds that he finally escaped step by step from his rational world.
NEST
- 2019/ 4'10"
- Country:Germany
- Directed/Produced by: Sonja Rohleder
- Distributed by: Cord Dueppe (interfilm)
- © Sonja Rohleder
[ Comments on Awarding ] The jury nominated this excellent work as a combination of music and design, showing the aesthetic dynamics of these Paradise’s birds.
Mother didn't know / Mor visste Ingenting
- 2020/ 11'16"
- Country:Norway
- Directed by: Anita Killi
- Produced by: Anita Killi (Trollfilm AS), Marita Mayer (Trollfilm AS)
- Distributed by: Anita Killi (Trollfilm AS)
- © Trollfilm 2020
[ Comments on Awarding ] A grand barrel symbolizing the mind of a girl, the protagonist. The continuation of extremely sensitive happenings inside the darkness of her mind kept our eyes closely to this film. The attractiveness of this work is the various expressions of stop-motion, used in a crossover manner, made this film not just a mere puppet film, and reminded us of the marvelous power of animation.
Divinity
- 2020/ 11'16"
- Country:Iran / Oman
- Directed by: Farnoosh Abedi
- Produced by: Farnoosh Abedi, Ali Gholami
- Distributed by: Farnoosh Abedi, Negah Khezrefardyardad
- © Negative Art Studio
[ Comments on Awarding ] A challenging film, with remarkably high respect to puppet animation, and an enthusiasm toward the reconstruction through using computer were felt strongly from the entire image. The style of direction like a classic horror movie, the texture of puppet which seems to be common at a glance, underlining the good quality of its artistic settings.
No body
- 2019/ 4'33"
- Country:U.K.
- Directed/Produced/Distributed by: Haemin Ko
[ Comments on Awarding ] With wonderful, under camera painted charcoal drawings director confronts us through personal immigration experiences. By opposing images of bodies with city landscapes, she depicts disconnection and loneliness. With support of coherent sounds, excitement and frustration grow into hope.
Better
- 2019/ 5'06"
- Country:U.K.
- Directed/Produced/Distributed by: Emily Downe
[ Comments on Awarding ] Is the jungle where main character explores a real forest or is it her inner world? This film is about the connection between the outer world and the inner side of the character, by presenting a mixture of various expressions. Moreover, the use of short live-action films becomes effective.
