FESTIVAL WINNERS 2024

International Competition of Feature Films

Jury: Hugh Welchman (UK), Milorad Krstić (Slovinia), Alena Vandasová (Czech Republic)

Best Feature Film for Children

Chicken for Linda!

(Linda veut du poulet!)

• Directors: Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach

• France, Italy, 2023, 76 min

• Technique: 2D computer

• Produced by: Dolce vita films, Miyu Productions

Jury statement:
While there were several very good films, there was one which was exceptional, and for this reason we are giving out one prize for Best Feature- it is in the category of Best Children’s film, but it was also the stand out film for an adult audience as well. The film managed to surprise and amaze as well as entertain all members of the jury. It’s script was exceptional, with brilliant twists, sharply drawn characters and laugh out loud humour. The design was original and effective. The performances of the cast were first class, with infectious energy and humour. To draw it all together there was a very relevant and modern premise for our urbanised consumerist world at its heart: our alienation from the food we eat. The problems faced by the characters in working out how to kill a chicken meant the film managed to be thought-provoking and philosopical as well as being wildly entertaining and impressive from a film-making perspective. We congratulate the filmmakers on their achievement and thank them for this film.

Synopsis:
Paulette realises she has unfairly punished her daughter Linda. To make up for it, she promises to cook her chicken with peppers, even though she cannot cook at all. But that’s not the biggest problem. Paulette has to solve where to find a chicken on a strike day, when all the shops are closed. And what if the chicken is somewhat wild and causes a series of crazy situations? This zany comedy for a wide range of audiences will entertain children and, thanks to some scenes and details, adults as well. During this and last year’s festival season, it has managed to earn acclaim as it won the Best Feature Film Award at Annecy and earned nominations for the César Award and for the Best Animated Feature Film at the European Film Awards. This film by the Italian-French duo Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach is pleasantly playful, smoothly animated and, with its colour differentiation of characters and artistic shortcuts, also somewhat atypical. Despite that, it’s audience-friendly and humorously depicts the difficulties in parent-child relationships.

International Competition of Short Films

Jury: Mariam Kandelaki (Georgia), André Eckardt (Germany), Emma De Swaef (Belgium)

Best Short Film

Winter

(Zima)

• Director: Tomek Popakul, Kasumi Ozeki 

• Poland, 2023, 26 min 

• Technique: drawing on paper

• Produced by: Yellow Tapir Films 

Jury Statement:
The clash between the ice-cold archaic village life with its manly rituals and the warm personal mystery of the strong young woman Anka has lingered on with us very long after the film. It is an artistically exceptional and wild contemplation about places that you would like to leave but which already have left traces on your soul.

Synopsis:
It grows as slowly as an icicle, but one day it drops and crashes. Anka loves cats. And Jesus. In a winter silence the lagoon freezes and the unspoken resurfaces like a crack on ice. Mosaic portrait of a small fisherman’s village where human to human, human to animal, animal to animal interdepend on a delicate balance of warm tender care and cold emotional cruelty. An eerie story of loneliness.

Special mention

Wander to Wonder

• director: Nina Gantz

• Netherlands, Belgium, France, 2023, 13min 50s

• Technique: stop-motion

• Produced by: Circe Films, Kaap Holland Film, Beast Animation

Jury statement: 
This warm ode to the fondly remembered children`s series of the seventies and eighties touched us with its delicate movements and expressions of the characters, contrasting wonderfully with the cheeky sense of humour and beautifully sinister atmosphere. 

Synopsis: 
Mary, Billybud and Fumbleton are three miniature human actors who perform in an eighties kids TV series called Wander to Wonder. After the creator of the series dies, they are left alone in the studio. With their slowly decaying costumes and growing hunger, they continue to make increasingly strange episodes for their fans. 

International Competition of Student Films

Jury: Mariam Kandelaki (Georgia), André Eckardt (Germany), Emma De Swaef (Belgium)

Best Student film

The Eastern Rain

• Director: Milly Yenken

• Estonia, 2023, 9 min

• Technique: painting on glass, drawing on paper

• Produced: Estonian Academy of Arts

Jury statement: 
This visually stunning, breathtaking animation has enormous emotional depth. It has been drawing us in from the beginning and holding our attention throughout with every brush stroke and every chime of the bells. 

Synopsis: 
This poetic film combines the lyrical effect of traditional animation techniques such as drawing on paper and painting on glass with the mysterious and disturbing atmosphere of the portrayed places and scenes. A carefully chosen colour palette enhances the unique visual experience from a strangely familiar yet geographically unspecified setting. 

Special mention

Children of the Bird

(A madár gyermekei)

• director: Júlia Tudisco

• Hungary, 2023, 11 min 30s

• Technique: 2D computer

• Produced by: MOME

Jury statement: 
The jury was very impressed by the colorful explosions and mesmerizing sound design of this film, which playfully explores the symbiotic balance between chaos and nourishment in the act of creation. 

Synopsis: 
A picturesquely colourful fictional mythological film full of visual ideals about the birth and death of our planet. The story is seen through the eyes of two naive god figures – a wild girl who has the power of creation and a shy boy who has the power of destruction. This is not a fight between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ but a game between two equal parts to find harmony. 

International Competition of abstracts and non-narrative animations

Jury: Steven Woloshen (Canada), Wiola Sowa (Poland), Jan Brukner (Czech Republic)

Best abstract and non-narrytive animation

Crypto(zoïque)

• director: Côme Lorans

• France, 2023, 9 min 36 s

• Technique: stop-motion, puppets, others, live action

• Produced by: ENSAD

Jury statement: 
Under the cover of abstract animation, we explore the dynamics of planetary evolution with a variety of artistic techniques. 

Synopsis: Crypto(zoïque) shows the crossing of a celestial object. It’s an immersive journey in the heart of matter, from a macroscopic to a microscopic scale. This probe is formally stylised as a disturbing sci-fi film and the selected soundtrack underscores it. With its approach to the object’s surface, the film transforms into a fantastic nature documentary.

Special mention

Right in the Eyes of the Mirror

(Les yeux fixes du miroir)

• director: Mélusine Peduzzi

• France, 2023, 8 min 40 s

• Technique: 2D computer, drawing on paper

• Produced by: Cellofan’

Jury statement: 
We loved this technically well-crafted dream state. 

Synopsis: 
Beneath the skeleton, the flesh that rustles, turns and returns to our heads before rotting in silence. This is the story of this flesh. This surrealist narrative draws us into a darkened world of the unconscious. No matter how bizarre the spectacles we watch are, thanks to superb animation they flow smoothly and surely. 

International Competition of Music Videos

Jury: Steven Woloshen (Canada), Wiola Sowa (Poland), Jan Brukner (Czech Republic)

Best Music Video

Hilgeum: Illusion

• director: Jin Woo

• Republic of Korea, 2023, 5 min 33 s

• Technique: 2D computer

• Produced by: Sewingbug

Jury statement: 
For its use of a metaphysical and surrealist fusion of graphic arts. 

Synopsis: 
This suggestive and strongly graphic music video for Illusion was made by a young animator commuting between Korea and Poland. Jin Woo works with a limited colour pallet and mostly dark tones and creates an obscure world where it is unclear whether strange things are happening inside or outside the observer’s head. 

Special Mention

Vonfelt: Je pars

• director: Michelle Brand

• Germany, France, 2023, 3 min

• Technique: 2D computer, 3D computer, others, ultrafans

• Produced by: STINK Films

Jury statement: 
A colorful exploration of a beautiful night in the city. 

Synopsis: 
As the night comes, the journey begins. Running, rushing, racing. Unbound from time and swept away by the night’s surreal cascade of lights, we leave the day life behind. The director skilfully managed to depict the magical atmosphere of a city at night. 

International Competition of VR films

Jury: Steven Woloshen (Canada), Wiola Sowa (Poland), Jan Brukner (Czech Republic)

Best VR film

Emperor

• director: Marion Burger, Ilan Cohen

• France, Germany, 40 min, 2023

Jury statement: 
For its careful balance of teaching by interaction and compelling storyline that improves our understanding and empathy of mental health issues we award the VR prize to Emperor. 

Synopsis: 
In this interactive and virtual imaginative story, we delve into the mind of a man suffering from aphasia, a disorder impairing a person’s ability to communicate. His daughter tries to communicate with the man and looks for a way to unlock his mind again. When she tries to piece together fragments of his speech, she finds out that individual words are linked to specific memories. Memories of his whole life. 

International Competition of Computer Games

Jury: Eva Marková (Czech Republic), Onat Hekimoğlu (Germany), Vojtěch Buchta (Czech Republic)

Best visual art

Dordogne

• UN JE NE SAIS QUOI, UMANIMATION

• 2023

Jury statement: 
Choosing from the many beautiful and imaginative games was challenging, but Dordogne stands out with its watercolour visuals that give it a warm, human touch. Its soft, dreamy brushstrokes and warm colors perfectly complement the game's poignant story about memories of a childhood summer trip. The artistically rich setting feels almost life-like. We would like to point out that thanks to the interesting combination of real watercolour painting applied to 3D models, the game offers enough interactivity and space that is very pleasant to explore... The result of this approach is an artistically beautiful experience that resonates deeply and captures the essence of a forgotten childhood through every sensitively conceived detail. 

Synopsis: 
Explore the Dordogne landscapes of a thousand summer colours within sumptuous hand-painted watercolour environments. During your adventure, recall the moments, the panoramas, the scents, the sounds and the sensations. Recount these vivid memories in your journal as a recollection of Mimi’s family past that’s unique to your experience and a nostalgic, touching reflection of your journey. 

Best game for children

Storyteller

• Daniel Benmergui

• 2023

Jury statement: 
When we were choosing a game to show the kids and play with them, this game was always at the top of our list. We chose it because it offers a mechanism that appeals to all ages and encourages logical thinking through story construction. Players enjoy experimenting with different combinations and discovering how each twist affects the outcome of the storyline, making it ideal for intergenerational play. The game design is clean and straightforward, with archetypal characters providing clear and enjoyable gameplay. Its humour and animations add to its charm and show how games can be both entertaining and educational. 

Synopsis: 
Storyteller lets you build stories using a visual language. The goal on each level is to make a story that fits the given title by placing settings and characters that react to each other, creating a narrative through their relationships. Storyteller’s comic-panel design and charming animations allow for experimentation within the framing of its many stories: just drag and drop characters to see how the story plays out!solve the extra mystery challenges along the way! 

Audience Award - Liberec Region Award

I Will Die in This House

• director: Adriana Bendžalová

• Czech Republic, 2023, 7 min 30 s

• Technique: 2D computer

• Produced by: UTB Zlín

Synopsis: 
The film follows Irma and her weird neighbours during the final days before the world is supposed to end. This farcical story full of black humour is highly topical and shows us that it is possible to find friendship and understanding among all sorts of people.