Signe Bauman’s ‘My Love Affair with Marriage’ named Best Feature Film, as the celebration of Nordic-Baltic animation wrapped up last weekend; Finnish animator Heikki Prepula received the Lifetime Achievement Award for a storied career that began in children’s TV in the 1960s.
The 2022 Fredrikstad Animation Festival concluded last weekend with an award ceremony to honor winners in a host of categories. FAF awards honored filmmakers for the Best Nordic-Baltic Feature Film, Best Nordic-Baltic Short Film, Best Nordic-Baltic Student Film, Best Nordic-Baltic Commissioned Film, Best Nordic-Baltic Children’s Film, the new Best Nordic-Baltic Young Audience Film, the Audience Award, and the Grand Prix Award.
The winners were selected by juries made up of international industry professionals.
- The short film jury selecting the award winners for Grand Prix, Best Short Film, and Best Student Film included Ida Melum, Gísli Darri Halldórsson, and Aneta Ozorek.
- Best Feature Film jury included Johan Edström, Maria Anestopoulou, and Maria Mac Dalland.
- Best Commissioned Film jury included Tobias Rud, Katz Plunkett, and Jens Jonathan Gulliksen.
In addition to the professional jury, a children’s jury selected the Best Children's Film. The young jurists included Aron Luvi Forsetlund, Johan Gudesen, and Sofie Holme Hardeng.
A selection from the Young Audience Program, The Best Young Audience Award was the selection of a jury of children ages 12 to 15. Jurists included Oscar Riley Williams, Sverre Qvale Friis, and Håvard Solum Larsen.
The Winners:
- Grand Prix Award - Sierra, directed by Sander Joon
- Audience Award - The Harbourmaster, directed by Mia Ludvigsen Henriksen and Konrad Hjemli
- Best Feature Film - My Love Affair with Marriage, directed by Signe Baumane
- Best Short Film - I’ll be your kettle, directed by Tobias Rud
- Best Student Film - Cowboy Kevin, directed by Anna Lund Konnerup
- Best Children´s Film - Tales of Zale - Flickering lights, directed by Sif Savery
- Special mention Children´s Film - Hjemme Hos Sinna, directed by Tommy Vad Funderud and Markus Vad Flaaten
- Best Young Audience Film - Troublemaker Tommy, directed by Rao Heidmets and Pauline Heidmets
- Special mention Young Audience Film - Bear Hug, directed by Margrethe Danielsen
- Best Commissioned Film – Toleransevinduet, directed by Julia Torjak
- Special mention Commissioned Film - Welcome to Hell-Black Midi, directed by Gustaf Holtenäs and Sevi Iko Dømochevsky
Lifetime Achievement Award:
Heikki Prepula – The Finnish animator began his career in the 1960s working in children’s animation. His work consisted of mostly non-commercial low-budget short films, primarily for children. In addition, he illustrated cartoons for books and magazines with the character, kangaroo Kössi considered by many as a classic of Finnish animation.
Prepula’s linear, two-dimensional drawings have been screened at festivals worldwide. Some of his most well-known shorts include The Locomotive (La Locomotive) (1978), Le Navet (1982), The Magic Hat (Le Chapeau magique) (1987), and The Flying Pig (Le Cochont volant) (1994).
Learn more about the winners here.
Source: Fredrikstad Animation Festival
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
