The New York chapter of ASIFA, the International Animated Film Society gave out its 37th annual awards in a ceremony held in the downtown Manhattan auditorium of the New School/Parsons School of Design on mM
The winners were selected from submitted films voted on by chapter members at a series of screenings. Twenty-seven awards were given out in four categories: Student Films, Commercials, Sponsored Films Over 2:00 and Independent Films. In addition to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners, craft awards were given out for achievements in design, animation, humor and education.
The Best of Show prize went to David Chais FUMI AND THE BAD LUCK FOOT, the story of how a girl turned her left foot, a life-long disaster magnet into a force for good. Other highlights included Ben Levins NYU student film, SHE SHE SHES A BOMBSHELL, a realistically animated, exceptionally funny and dialog-driven cartoon in which a backseat passenger babbles incessantly about a girl he met at a concert to the teeth-gritting irritation of his car mates.
A series of first-rate commercial winners included Ottawa Signal Films film festival opener, ANIMATION COWBOYS, a United Airlines spot from Acme Filmworks/Tilby & Forbis featuring a businesswoman facing down a meeting of skeptical, animal-headed clients, and LIMON, a stop-motion spot from PES starring a Bacardi bottle turned submarine.
First prize for Sponsored Films Over 2:00 went to Michael Sporn Animation for THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS, an adaptation of Mordicai Gersteins childrens book about Philippe Petits 1974 tightrope walk between the World Trade Center towers.
Bill Plympton, NYCs best-known independent animator won 1st place in that category for his dark-humored short, GUIDE DOG. In the same category, the craft award for Excellence in Design went to a truly nightmarish piece of stop-motion work, Dancing Diablos SINIESTRO.
The complete list of winners follows. It can also be viewed at www.asifaeast.org, along with stills from the winning films.Student Film:
1st Place ONNAZURI OR: MEN, WOMEN, AND CAPITALISM - Yusuke Murakami
2nd JUXTAPOSER - Joanna Davidovich
3rd SHE SHE SHES A BOMBSHELL Ben Levin
Honorable Mention COQUI Nelson Diaz
Commercials:
Craft Awards - Excellence in:
Design: DESIGN TIPS Dancing Diablo/Oxygen Design
Animation: PASS THE PINHA Elanna Allen/Nick Jr
Humor: SAVE THE REPUBLIC Flickerlab
1st Place ANIMATION COWBOYS Ottawa Signal Film
2nd Bacardi: LIMON PES
3rd United Airlines THE MEETING - Acme Filmworks/Tilby & Forbis
Sponsored Films over 2:00:
Craft Awards Excellence in
Design: CHEESYBREADVILLE - Dancing Diablo for PBS
Animation: SNEETCHES DMA (Brian Cox, lead animator)
Education: PINKY DINKY DOO: "Legend of Twigfoot" Jim Jinkins Cartoon Pizza for Sesame Workshop
1st Place THE MAN WHO WALKED BETWEEN THE TOWERS Michael Sporn Animation for Weston Woods
2nd ART FACES Magik
3rd BABY STEPS Magik
Independent Films:
Craft Excellence in
Writing & Humor: TONY CARTOONS Sean McBride
Design: SINIESTRO Dancing Diablo
Soundtrack: ROBOT DANCE PARTY Fran & Wil Krause
Animation: CROSSING THE STREAM Skip Battaglia
Experimental Techniques: URBAN ANIMALS Karl Staven
1st Place GUIDE DOG Bill Plympton
2nd MILCH Acme Filmworks/Igor Kovalyov (Klasky Csupo)
3rd STOOPID MOVIE!!! David Chai
Best in Show:
FUMI AND THE BAD LUCK FOOT Thunderbird Animation/David Chai.
reported by Joe Strike
