Grand Prize for Features is given to previous OIAF Grand Prize winner Jean-François Laguionie for ‘Louise by the Shore’; Theodore Ushev’s ‘Blind Vaysha’ receives awards for Best Narrative Short Animation and Best Canadian Animation.
‘J’aime les Filles’ (‘I Like Girls’) directed by Diane Obomsawin (Canada).
OTTAWA -- The Ottawa International Animation Festival, North America’s leading animation film festival, has announced the winners of its 2016 Official Competition, which were unveiled today at an awards ceremony held at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts. This year, the OIAF received a total of 2,311 entries from 86 different countries. Of those, 80 short films and seven feature films were chosen for competition.
The Nelvana Grand Prize for Independent Short went to Diane Obomsawin’s J’aime Les Filles (I Like Girls), a colorful series of narratives where women recount the discovery of homosexual desire in short, sweet vignettes. The Grand Prize for Features went to Louise en Hiver, directed by Jean-François Laguionie, who previously won a Grand Prize at the OIAF in 1982 with La traversée de l’Atlantique à la rame.
This year’s Short, Feature and Kids Competition screenings were judged by three official juries. The Competition Short Jury included animator Ann Marie Fleming (Canada), Disney Television Animation director of animation talent development Brooke Keesling (USA), and animator and OIAF 2015 Grand Prize for Short Animation winner Sarina Nihei (Japan). The Competition Feature Jury includes animation historian Giannalberto Bendazzi (Italy), former Grand Prize winner and animator Peter Millard (UK), and animation director and optical effects specialist Elise Simard (Canada). The third jury is comprised of Ottawa-area children between the ages of 8 and 12 who judge the Shorts and Series for Young Audiences Competition.
The full list of OIAF 2016 awards is shown below:
Nelvana Grand Prize for Independent Short Animation
J’AIME LES FILLES (I LIKE GIRLS) (2016)
Diane Obomsawin, Canada
FROM THE JURY: “Fresh, funny, sweet. We were delighted by the charming coming of age tales, told from different perspectives. The vignettes were strong. The design and colours were excellent. Simple, lovely animation.”
Grand Prize for Best Animated Feature
LOUISE EN HIVER (2016)
Jean-François Laguionie, France & Canada
Honorable mention: CAFARD, Jan Bultheel (Belgium/France/The Netherlands)
CATEGORY AWARDS
Cartoon Network Award for Best Narrative Short Animation
L’AVEUGLE, VAYSHA (BLIND VAYSHA) (2016)
Theodore Ushev, Canada
FROM THE JURY: “A beautiful retelling of an old world tale with contemporary relevance. It had an interesting and moving message. The stylized woodblock prints were beautiful.”
Award for Best Experimental or Abstract Animation
SUIJUN-GENTEN (DATUM POINT) (2015)
Ryo Orikasa, Japan
FROM THE JURY: “Loved the texture. The granularity of the sound and medium had a visceral quality. Poetic beauty and integration of text, texture and sound. It was mysterious. I don’t know what it was... but I was moved.”
Award for Best Undergraduate Animation
CIALO OBCE (FOREIGN BODY) (2016)
Marta Magnuska, Poland
FROM THE JURY: “A unique story. A mesmerizing metaphor for self-acceptance. Raw sound design was delightfully disturbing.”
Walt Disney Animation Award for Best Graduation Animation
FRANKFURTER STR. 99 (2016)
Evgenia Gostrer, Germany
FROM THE JURY: “Subtle but very beautiful. Surprising narrative and emotional impact was achieved by minimalist technique ... a touching story about everyday life of a member of society that is often invisible.”
Award for Best Commissioned Animation
HONDA “PAPER (2015)
PES, USA
FROM THE JURY: “A tour de force. The handmade qualities stood out. Appreciated the complex planning and execution of this brilliant piece.”
Award for Best Short Film Made for Young Audiences
THREE LITTLE NINJAS DELIVERY SERVICE (2016)
Karim Rhellam & Kim Claeys, Belgium
Honorable Mentions:
ACCIDENTS, BLUNDERS, CALAMITIES, James Cunningham (New Zealand)
NOVEMBRE, Marjolaine Perreten (France)
Award for Best Animated Series Made for Young Audiences
SHAUN THE SHEEP ‘THE FARMER’S LLAMAS’ (2015))
Jay Grace, UK
Honorable Mentions
SUMMER CAMP ISLAND, Julia Pott (USA)
HEY DUGGEE ‘THE OMLETTE BADGE’, Grant Orchard (2015)
CRAFT AWARDS
Award for Best Script
FIRED ON MARS (2016)
Nick Vokey and Nate Sherman, USA
FROM THE JURY: “Clever and funny... and kind of sad.”
Award for Best Design
THE ABSENCE OF EDDY TABLE (2016)
Rune Spaans, Norway
FROM THE JURY: “Grotesque and beautiful. Amazing to see painting style translated into CG. Appreciated the sophisticated colour palettes and the unique character design.”
Award for Best Animation Technique
VELODROOL (2015)
Sander Joon, Estonia
FROM THE JURY: “Inventive use of perspective. Great sight gags - unique and not your typical go-to. Does what animation does best - transforms. Loved the sparse colors and design.”
Award for Best Sound
SQUAME (2015)
Nicolas Brault, Canada
FROM THE JURY: “Powerful, dramatic, enveloping, moving. Surprising developments for this piece: We found ourselves enveloped in the perfect marriage of sound and picture. Dramatic as the sounds and story moved. Pleasantly surprised that it was the body was made of sugar.”
OTHER AWARDS
DHX Public Prize
FIRED ON MARS (2016)
Nick Vokey and Nate Sherman, USA
Canadian Film Institute Award for Best Canadian Animation
BLIND VAYSHA (2016)
Theodore Ushev Canada
Honorable mentions:
4MIN15 SEC AU REVELATEUR, Moia Jobin-Paré
BEGONE DULL CARE, Paul Johnson
VIA Rail Award for Best Canadian Student Animation
NIHIL (2016)
Khoebe Magsaysay, Sheridan College
Honorable Mentions:
DER TOD IST EIN DANDY, Daniela Vargas (Vancouver Film School)
THE CLITORIS, Lori Malepart-Traversy (Concordia)
DE RACINES ET DE CHAINES, Francis Lacelle & Robert M Lepage (INIS)
BOUNCING BLUNDERS, William Martin (Seneca College)
The full list of films selected to compete at OIAF 2016 can be viewed here. The 41st edition of OIAF will be held September 20-2014, 2017.
Source: Ottawa International Animation Festival
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
