‘La Voix des Sirènes,’ ‘Flow’ Lead OIAF 2024 Winners

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) capped four packed days of screenings by awarding Gianluigi Toccafondo’s La Voix des Sirènes the Grand Prize for Short Animation, and Gintz Zilbalodis’ Flow the Grand Prize for Feature Animation. The awards were announced at last night’s Awards Ceremony at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

This year’s DGC Award for Best Canadian Animation went to In the Shallows, directed by Arash Akhgari, who will receive $1000 CAD courtesy of the Directors Guild of Canada as a part of the award. Decided by Canadian animation duo Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis, the Hélène Tanguay Award for Humor went to Samochód, który wrócił z morza (The Car That Came Back from the Sea), directed by Jadwiga Kowalska.

Daniel Sterlin-Altman’s Carrotica won the Wacom Public Prize, which includes a Movink 13” OLED display drawing tablet courtesy of Wacom as a part of the award. Beautiful Men, directed by Nicolas Keppens, received the award for Best Narrative Short.

Neil Hunter (Canada), Dahee Jeong (South Korea), and Thomas Volda (Croatia) served on the Features Jury, while Jonathan Djob Nkondo (France/United Kingdom), Anastasiya Verlinska (Ukraine), and Ivana Volda (Croatia) served on the Shorts Jury.  

The Kids Jury included children from the Ottawa area between the ages of 8-12, who selected the winners of the Young Audiences 7+ Competition, while the Teen Audiences 13+ competition was decided by the Teen Vote @ OIAF Public Prize.

The Complete Competition Prize Winner List:

Grand Prize for Short Animation

Winner: La Voix des Sirènes (dir. Gianluigi Toccafondo)

Jury Comment: This visually astonishing and timeless piece utilizes a captivating mixed media approach, with an enchanting voice guiding us through a beautifully dark and twisted fairytale. For its originality in both technique and storytelling, this year’s Grand Prize for Short Animation winner is La Voix des Sirènes by Gianluigi Toccafondo.

Grand Prize for Animated Feature

Winner: Flow (dir. Gintz Zilbalodis)

Jury Comment: Featuring impressive cinematography and a surprisingly uplifting narrative, this emotionally compelling story never felt predictable. For its immersive plot that is expressed without the use of words, refreshing animation and world-building, this year’s Grand Prize winner for Best Animated Feature is Flow by Gintz Zilbalodis.

Honorable Mention: Memoir of a Snail (dir. Adam Elliot)

Jury Comment: This beautiful and tragic film presents a range of emotions, captivating audiences with every frame. For its clever use of dark humor and its compelling story, the Honorable Mention for Best Animated Feature is Memoir of a Snail by Adam Elliot.

Wacom Public Prize

Winner: Carrotica (dir. Daniel Sterlin-Altman)

DGC Award for Best Canadian Animation

Winner: In the Shallows (dir. Arash Akhgari)

Comment: For its brilliant combination of animation techniques and its perceptive, poetic evocation of our troubled contemporary times, the 2024 DGC Award for Best Canadian Animation goes to In the Shallows by Arash Akhgari.

Honorable Mention: Corridor 'Jump Cut' (dir. Winston Hacking)

Comment: For its kinetic, engaging collage of animation styles that both complement and enliven the music video for which it was commissioned, we give an Honorable Mention to Corridor 'Jump Cut' by Winston Hacking.

Honorable Mention: Hairy Legs (dir. Andrea Dorfman)

Comment: For its clever, amusing, and incisive coming-of-age exploration of gender identity and the body politic, hirsute, or shaved, we give an Honorable Mention to Hairy Legs by Andrea Dorfman.

Hélène Tanguay Award for Humor

Winner: Samochód, który wrócił z morza (The Car That Came Back from the Sea) (dir. Jadwiga Kowalska)

Comment: Passionate, funny, and deeply personal, this film skillfully transforms a less-than-ideal political and social situation into a playful and optimistic narrative set in 1980s Poland. The winner of the Hélène Tanguay Award for Humor is Samochód, który wrócił z morza (The Car That Came Back from the Sea) by Jadwiga Kowalska.

Animated Short Competition - Category Prizes

Best Non-Narrative Animation

Winner: you've got a friend in me (dir. Peter Millard)

Jury Comment: In a world filled with “important messages”, there is sometimes no place for being yourself. For bringing the guilty pleasures of acting weird and expressing true emotions, the award for Best Non-Narrative Animation goes to you've got a friend in me by Peter Millard.

Best Narrative

Winner: Beautiful Men (dir. Nicolas Keppens)

Jury Comment: Through its well-structured dramaturgy and compelling character arcs, this film redefines masculinity by depicting men in their vulnerable, authentic states. The award for Best Narrative goes to Beautiful Men by Nicolas Keppens.

Best Commissioned Animation

Winner: Corridor 'Jump Cut' (dir. Winston Hacking)

Jury Comment: For its playful morphing that perfectly captures the rhythm of the music, this cutting-edge composition showcases a brilliant blend of creativity and technical skill in a witty and playful way. The Award for Best Commissioned Animation goes to Corridor 'Jump Cut' by Winston Hacking.

Bento Box Award for Best Student Animation

Winner: Martyr’s Guidebook (dir. Maks Rzontkowski)

Jury Comment: For reminding us that the more good you do, the more shit you get in return. The Bento Box Award for Best Student Animation goes to Martyr’s Guidebook by Maks Rzontkowski.

Best Canadian Student Animation

Winner: 91 Thousand Unrelenting Stitches (dir. Samuel Wasserman, Ontario College of Art and Design)

Comment: For its innovative fusion of traditional embroidery techniques with a mesmerizing soundtrack, the award for Best Canadian Student Animation is proudly presented to 91 Thousand Unrelenting Stitches by Samuel Wasserman of the Ontario College of Art and Design.

Honorable Mention: Hope in the Tundra (dir. Jesu Medina, Concordia University)

Honorable Mention: Rudy Goes Sightseeing (dir. Sadie Berger, Concordia University)

Animation for Teen Audiences 13+ Competition

Winner: Girls In Real Life Situations (dir. Ofre Sparrow Vaknin)

Animation for Young Audiences 7+ Competition

Winner: Freak of Nature (dir. Alexandra Lermer)

Honorable Mention: O krávě (About a Cow) (dir. Pavla Baštanová)

Animated Series Competition

Winner: Scavengers Reign ‘The Signal’ (dirs. Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner)

Comment: ​​For its masterful construction of a captivating world, seamlessly weaving narrative threads with a deliberate pace that allows the story to breathe and the minimalist yet surreal and richly detailed visuals to shine, the award for Best Animated Series goes to Scavengers Reign ‘The Signal’, directed by Joe Bennett and Charles Huettner.

Honorable Mention: Bad Bad Belgium (dirs. Jasper Declercq, Wouter Medaer and Jonas Wellens, Belgium)

Animated Short Competition - Craft Awards

Best Script

Winner:  I Died in Irpin (dir. Anastasiia Falileieva)

Jury Comment: The film reflects on the traumatic events that the author had to go through again and again, to tell her story of sacrifice, persistence, and resistance. For the bravery to share this intimate recount in her own voice, the award for the Best Script goes to I Died in Irpin by Anastasiia Falileieva.

Best Design

Winner: Percebes (dirs. Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves)

Jury Comment: The choice of colors and seamless character transitions in this film not only enhances the storytelling but also evokes an emotional response, making the viewer feel connected to the traditions and stories being told. The award for Best Design goes to Percebes by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves.

XPPen Craft Award Prize for Best Animation Technique

Winner: Glass House (dir. Boris Labbé)

Jury Comment: This experiment leaves the viewer curious and intrigued by the vibrating patterns and complex layers, all while creating a hypnotic geometric dance. XPPen Craft Award Prize for Best Animation Technique goes to Glass House by Boris Labbé.

Best Sound Design

Winner: Once Upon A Time On Earth (dir. Phil Mulloy)

Jury Comment: This story resonates within the viewer through the sound that pushes the boundaries of the visuals and brings the feeling of disturbance and numbness simultaneously. For making the silence loud, the award for Best Sound Design goes to Once Upon A Time On Earth by Phil Mulloy.

Source: OIAF 2024

Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.