In the competition of animated feature films for children, the best film prize went to The Tale of Princess Kaguya by Japanese director Isao Takahata and the Irish director Tomm Moore won an honorable mention for Song of the Sea. In other competitions, prizes went to films representing Estonia, Poland, and the Czech Republic.
The festival, now in its sixth edition after being re-branded as Anifilm, had a decidedly national flavor with a 50th anniversary to the Czech TV children’s animation programme Bedtime Stories (Vecernicek), a rich breeding-ground for generations of Czech filmmakers. Anifilm hosted a Tribute to “the first lady of Czech animation” Vlasta Pospisilova, who also received the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. A selection of Czech works-in-progress offered a taste of upcoming productions.
List of winners:
Grand Prize, International Competition of Films for Grown-ups
Possessed (Spain)
Directed by Sam Conflictivos
Special mention
Rocks in My Pockets (Latvia/US)
Directed by Signe Baumane
Produced by Locomotive Productions
Grand Prize, International Competition of Films for Children
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Japan)
Directed by Isao Takahata
Honorable Mention
Song of the Sea (Ireland/Belgium/Denmark/France/Luxembourg)
Directed by Tomm Moore
Best Short Film
World of Tomorrow (US)
Directed by Don Hertzfeld
Special Mention
Mr. Spider’s Anatomy (Czech Republic)
Directed by Vojtech Kiss
Produced by nutprodukce
Best Student Film
The Bigger Picture (UK)
Directed by Daisy Jacobs
Honorable Mention
Food (China)
Directed by Siqi Song
Best Film for Non-narrative, Experimental of Boundary Forms of Animation
Fugue for Cello, Trumpet and Landscape (Poland)
Directed by Jerzy Kucia
Produced by Jerzy Kucia – Produkcja Filmow
Honorable Mention
Fok Nabo Distorio (Estonia)
Directed by Francesco Rosso
Produced by Estonian Academy of Arts
Best Music Video
Zhu: Paradise Awaits (Poland)
Directed by Tomek Ducki
Produced by Kurban Kassam