Divers In The Rain Wins Anifest

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgThe tenth edition of the International Festival of Animated Films AniFest 2011 knows its winners. During the week, the two juries have seen 362 films competing in ten categories. Together, both juries awarded the special festival prize for the best film across all categories – the AniFest Grand Prix.

Pavel Horáček, the festival´s program director, comments on the films in this year´s competition: “It was definitely no relaxed film watching for the jury. An important trend of this year was experimental films focused more on the mood and metaphorical expression rather than on the story. However, this does not mean that this is a prevailing tendency in animation in general. It depends a lot on the selection committees. It is no doubt that it was a significant characteristic of our competition films, except for feature films.”

Porcelaine storks – the traditional festival prizes, will be handed over to the authors present at the closing ceremony tonight at 8 pm in Krušnohorské Theatre in Teplice.

Concluding remarks:
Honorary President of AniFest Michaela Pavlátová:
„As the Honorary President of AniFest 2011 I take this festival very personally. That is why I hope that all who have come to the festival, whether as jurors, invited filmmakers or spectators, have found many interesting things in the program. And I feel a bit sad that the festival is coming to its end…“

Honorary President of AniFest Art Council Giannalberto Bendazzi:
AniFest festival was created as a response to the request of intellectuals not only from the Czech Republic but from the whole of Europe. Among numerous other things, it distributes marvelous short films that would otherwise remain unknown. It is a perfect forum for experts to talk about serious topics that universities do not take into account and it also teaches small children how to make animated films. A great and cosy festival where you learn a lot, meet great many friends and make new ones…Thanks to AniFest 2011, see you next year to celebrate Jiri Trnka…

• AniFest Grand Prix for best film - This award includes a monetary prize of 1,000 EUR
• Award for the best short animated film up to 5 minutes in length - This award includes a monetary prize of 1,000 EUR
• Award for the best short animated film from 5 to 15 minutes in length - 1,000 EUR
• Award for the best short animated film from 15 to 60 minutes in length - 1,000 EUR
• Award for the best feature-length animated film - 1,000 EUR
• Award for the best animated television film or series - 250 EUR
• Award for the best animated commercial or jingle - 250 EUR
• Award for the best animated music video - 250 EUR
• Award for the best student film - 1,000 EUR
• Award for the best animated film made by children
• Teplice City Award (on the basis of audience voting)
• Knauf Praha Award (on the basis of special jury)
• Knauf Insulation Award (on the basis of special jury)
• Best Visegrad School Film Award


FILM STATISTICS:
Total of applications: 1500 films from 62 countries
Selected for competition: 362 films
Total of screenings at AniFest: 471 films

International Jury for Short and Feature-Length Films:
Otto Alder (Switzerland, teacher and theorist), Olivier Cotte (France, teacher, theorist, creator), Joanna Quinn (director, artist, animator), Andreas Hykade (Germany, teacher, director, animator) Noro Držiak ( CZ, artist, animator, director)

International Jury for Student films, TV Films and Series, Commercials, Jingels and Music Videos:
Vladimir Leščiov (Latvia, animator, artist, director), Dan Sarto (USA, journalist, theorist), Bára Dlouhá (CZ, artist, animator and director)

Children’s Jury:
Head of Jury: Kristina Dufková (CZ, animator, director, artist)
Pupils of Teplice schools: Mohammad Abbas, Veronika Afanaseva, Jiří Bárdoš, Romana Čandová, Jakub Strouhal

WINNING FILMS

ANIFEST GRAND PRIX
DIVERS IN THE RAIN
Director: Olga and Priit Pärnovi, Estonia
The diver has to go to work every day while his wife, a night-shift dentist, leaves to spend the night with her patients. Their kisses are always goodbye kisses. The woman sleeps during the day, dreaming hurried dreams. A large ship is sinking and no one knows when it's time for the last cigarette
Argument: For the description of the absurdity of existence.

Main price in the category Feature-Length Film
UGLY DUCKLING
Director: Garri Bardin, Russia
In the courtyard, a strange duckling hatches out of a rather unusual egg. The other poultry consider it ugly and so the tiny bird must overcome many difficult tests. But the story has a happy ending - in the end, the duckling turns into a beautiful swan.
The moral of the film might be expressed as follows: A beautiful swan is hidden in every child even if it looks different from other children. One just has to believe and hope for the swan to come to the surface.
In this animation the director works with clay and feathers.
Argument: For its wonderful animation and characterisation which is pleasing to audiences of all ages.
Special mention in the category Feature-Length Film
GOODBYE, MISTER CHRISTIE
Director: Phil Mulloy, Great Britain
První celovečerní film britského režiséra Phila Mulloye navazuje na jeho seriál The Christies. The Christies live in Wellington Green, a picturesque English village with a church, a pond and a cricket pitch. Outwardly Mr Christie is a perfect gentleman. Inwardly he is a selfish arrogant monster. When the whole world sees him on television having sex with a French sailor, his life is changed forever. Šokující provokativní a výtvarně svérázný filmový experiment Phila Mulloye.
Argument: For using simple animation to show complex issues in a challenging way.

Main Prize in the category Short Films under 5 Minutes
SLEEP
Director: Frank Braun, Claudius Gentinetta, Switzerland
Sleep is like a peacefully undulating water surface that embraces us with a lullaby on the lips. But what happens if everyone enters the dream world on board an ocean liner that suddenly starts sinking? Who will be the first one to awaken? And will they wake up at all?
Argument:  For the creative and atmospheric  marriage of sound and image.

Special Mention in the category Short Films under 5 Minutes
PIXELY / PIXELS
Director: Patrick Jean, France
You would not believe the mayhem a single old discarded TV can cause. The broken screen suddenly floods all of New York with monsters that everyone is familiar with! Or rather, everyone in their thirties who spent their childhood playing eight-bit games.
Argument: For the smart and funny use of 4-bit stars.
Main Prize in the category Short Films from 5 to 15 Minutes
MRDRCHAIN
Director: Ondřej Švadlena, Czech Republic/France
Composed of nothing but sheets of meat that are connected by arteries, a sad deformed figure roams a dark and obscure world. The reality is driven by mutual associations and a generous dose of physicality. You are in for a consuming dystopian experience!
Argument: For drawing us into a unique and disturbing universe.
Special Mention in the category Short Film from 5 to 15 Minutes (announced by Joanna Quinn)
Journey to Cape Verde
This is a story about a sixty-day trip to Cape Verde without a mobile phone, a watch or any plans. A pilgrim passes through local forests and villages, meets goats and turtles, enjoys local music and, above all, gets to know himself. This beautiful "journal" film combines various techniques.
Director: José Miguel Ribeiro, Portugal
Argument: For its human sensibility and graphic quality.
Main Prize in the category Short Films from 15 to 60 Minutes
MASK
Director: Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay, Poland
Beautiful Duenna was created for a certain purpose. But she will have to choose between fulfilling her life's goal and love. This is an adaptation of Stanislaw Lem's short story of the same name that takes place in a technologically advanced, yet still feudal world.
Argument: For a stunning and somnolic cinematic experience.

Special Mention in the category Short Films from 15 to 60 Minutes
STONES
Director: Katarína Kerekesová, Slovakia
There are ten hardened men working in a stone quarry. Every day they mechanically move tons of gravel. When their foreman's wife comes into their midst, the cold place lights up with emotion and humanity. This puppet musical works perfectly with the musical and sound rhythm of a tragic love story.
Argument: For bringing the musical genre into the bleak landscape.

Main Prize in the category Advertisement and Introductory Spots
Audi Q5 – Unboxed
Director: Russell Brooke & Aaron Duffy, United Kingdom
Argument: For its inventive design and use of simple materials to depot sophisticated images.
Special mention in the category Commercials and jingles
Kuubo
Director: Adrian Flückiger, Switzerland
Argument: For its beautiful stop-motion sequence of the birth of a magnificent paper tree.

Main prize in the category Music video
Massive Attack: Splitting the Atom
Režie: Édouard Salier, Francie
Argument: For its stunning massive attack on your senses.
Special mention in the category Music video
Eatlitz: Lose this child
Režie: Yuval and Merav Nathan, Izrael
Argument: For its Unique and beautiful use of large scale stop motion animation.

Main prize in the category TV film and series
Stripey the Slumber Elf - Looking for Father
Director: Galina Miklínová, Česká Republika
This is a continuation of a successful series of stories featuring a slumber elf from the Dreamspun Castle and his little buddy - a boy called Jonas.
Argument: For original poetics and art in production for children.
Special mention in the category TV Film and series
It´s Chinese
Director: Isabelle Lenoble, Francie
Presenting Chinese culture and especially Chinese ideograms, this series tells simple stories of little Lucy who keeps losing things. A Chinese dragon that lives in her nest happily returns each lost item, but only after she learns the word in the Chinese ideogram.
Argument: A Precise and sophisticated educational film.

Main prize in the category Student film
Tongueling
Director: Elli Vuorinen, Finnland
This is a scene from a strange world where all people are obsessed with their tongues - they use them to touch a variety of objects. A lonesome man's wooden knocks are echoing through a frozen landscape as he is searching for the right spot that would suit his own tongue.
Argument: For its unique design and odd, funny narrative.
Special mention in the category Student film
KUCHAO / A Gum Boy
Director: Masaki Okuda, Japan
Kuchao is a first grader, but he is not part of anything that goes on at school. He even stands aside while others go and have fun releasing balloons. But when he starts chewing gum, he enters the world of his own imagination and his balloon changes into anything he can think of.   
Argument: For its inventive and funny depiction of annoying boy.

PRIZES UNDER THE AUSPICE OF CZECH TELEVISION
Main prize in the category Films made by children under 12 years
My favorite Hero
Director: Roma Donskoy, Russia
My Favorite Hero is an animated film about what matters the most in life - love. While some children see Batman as their hero, for others it may be their own father.
Special mention in the category Films made by children under 12 years
Day Flower / Eintagsblume
Director: Yoshe Malkus, Germany
Day-Flower is a beautiful but sad story about a little mouse, its longing and a missed moment.

Main prize in the category Films made by children between 12 – 15 years
Out of the Tide/ A margem da maré
Director: Children from Albufeira, Portugal
This is about a journey into the sea that intends to focus to the preservation of ocean species...
Special mention in the category Films made by children between 12 – 15 years
AUSTRALIA
Director: Filip Tatýrek, Czech Republic
This film highlights Australia's greatest phenomena through a frantically fleeing kangaroo that inadvertently becomes the representative of its race in their battle against humankind.

International Competition of Short animated Films up to 60 Minutes ecologically themed sponsored by Knauf Insulation
THE GREY CITY
Director: Matěj Forejt, Czech Republic
Argument:
International Competition of Short animated Films made by children ecologically themed sponsored by Knauf Praha.
FARMERS
Director: Petr Mischinger, Czech Republic