CICFF Hands Out Honors

The 18th Annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival (CICFF) handed out its awards for this years festival at a gala celebration held at the Chicago Cultural Center on Sunday, November 4, 2001. The 10-day festival is the largest competitive festival of films for children in North America. Awards were handed out by two juries, the Adult Jury, whose members include media professionals from the film and video, animation, television, radio and print industries, and the 70 member Childrens Jury, comprised of children ages 7-13. Top honors were bestowed upon French animator Michel Ocelot for his film PRINCES AND PRINCESSES. The film was selected by both juries as Best Animated Feature. BULLY DANCE by Canadian director Janet Perlman won First Prize honors in the Animated Short Film or Video category (Adult Jury). The Childrens Jury awarded First Prize in the same category to LOW DOWN UNDERGROUND by Elanna Nicole Allen. The Kenneth F. and Harle G. Montgomery Prize ($2500) for Best Film or Video by a Child Director was won by ALIENS?, which also won first prize in the High School Film category at the recent Ottawa International Student Animation Festival (SAFO 2001). A full list of the CICFF Animation Category winners follows:

CHILDREN'S JURY PRIZES

Feature Film or Video - Animation

1st Prize: PRINCES AND PRINCESSES, Michael Ocelot (France)

2nd Prize: PROP & BERTA, Per Fly (Denmark)

Short Film or Video - Animation

1st Prize: LOW DOWN UNDERGROUND, Elanna Nicole Allen (USA)

2nd Prize: FOR THE BIRDS, Ralph Eggleston (USA)

Certificate of Merit, Short Film or Video - Animation

JULIUS AND FRIENDS: HOLE IN ONE, Obie Scott Wade & Michael Adamo (USA)

ADULT JURY PRIZES

Feature Film or Video - Animation

1st Prize: PRINCES AND PRINCESSES, Michael Ocelot (France)