Japan’s ‘Track’ by Tochka, Kazue Monno and Takeshi Nagata, wins the Grand Prix award in the non-narrative short category; ‘Cafard,’ directed by Jan Bultheel, is awarded the Grand Prix for feature animation; Nina Gantz wins the Grand Prix award in the student film category for ‘Edmond.’
On Sunday March 20 the awards for several competitions were presented at the Holland Animation Film Festival in Louis Hartlooper Complex in Utrecht.
Russian filmmaker Igor Kovalyov won the Grand Prix award in the narrative shorts category for Before Love. Japan’s Track, by Tochka, Kazue Monno and Takeshi Nagata, was given the Grand Prix award in the non-narrative short category. Belgium/Netherlands/France co-production Cafard, directed by Jan Bultheel, was awarded the Grand Prix for feature animation. The U.K.’s Nina Gantz won the Grand Prix award in the student film category for Edmond. Witch Doctor, the music video for De Staat from Floris Kaayk and Studio Smack, received the Grand Prix award for Dutch animation.
The full list of winners at the 2016 Holland Animation Film Festival is shown below:
BEST SHORT FILMS
Grand Prix narrative short
Igor Kovalyov wins the Grand Prix shorts in the category narrative with Before Love.
From the jury report:
The jury were unanimous in their decision. This film is a masterwork -- a lush feast of undulating light and textures that tells a mouthwatering ambiguous story. It offers as many questions as it does answers.
Grand Prix non-narrative short
Tochka, Kazue Monno, Takeshi Nagata won the Grand Prix shorts in the category non-narrative for his film Track.
From the jury report: The director uses a unique technique to make many works and is making progress in their own style. They have recorded their live action frame by frame and day by day. The accumulation of so many shootings through so many long nights, makes a really fantastic and powerful expression of lights.
BEST FEATURE FILM
Grand Prix feature film
Jan Bultheel won the Grand Prix for his feature film Cafard.
From the jury report: The best feature animation film to our unanimous opinion was Cafard, which is French for cockroach, written, designed and directed by Jan Bultheel. Jan Bultheel created a wonderful movie in a surreal style, with a consistent flow of characters and big shots.
BEST STUDENT FILM
Grand Prix student film
Nina Gantz won the Grand Prix student film for her film Edmond.
From the jury report: Edmond has an original and strong story, which deals with deep human issues. It has unexpected twists, a strong change of scenery and technical excellency. A project that could only have been done in animation.
BEST DUTCH ANIMATION
Grand Prix for Dutch animation
Floris Kaayk and Studio Smack won the Grand Prix Dutch animation for their music video De Staat: Witch Doctor.
From the jury report: If good art is about evoking feelings, that’s exactly what Witch Doctor does. Therefore we would like to give the Grand Prix to Floris Kaayk and Studio Smack.
OTHER AWARDS
HAFF Audience Award Dutch animation
Paniek! (Panic!), Joost Lieuwma, Daan Velsink (The Netherlands, 2015)
MovieZone HAFF Award (in cooperation with EYE)
Track, Tochka, Kazue Monno, Takeshi Nagata (Japan, 2015)
HAFF Junior Audience Award (in cooperation with EYE)
(Otto), Job, Joris & Marieke, (The Netherlands, 2015)
Winner web competition HAFFTube
Melting POP, Alexandre Dubosc (France, 2015)
Source: Holland Animation Film 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.
