At the edition dedicated by Animest to urban stories, almost 16,000 animation lovers and creators enjoyed the screenings, special events and meetings with the authors of the films included in the program of the 10 days of the festival. A Very Twisted Tale, the French production signed by Catherine Buffat and Jean-Luc Gréco, won the Animest Trophy at the 19th edition of the festival, worth 2500 euros, presented by ICR.
The grand prize, awarded at the ceremony held at Cinema Elvire Popesco on October 12, places the winning short film on the list of films eligible for the Oscars, voted by the members of the American Film Academy. Animest is the only film festival in Romania that proposes films for the Oscars, since 2017.
The jury of renowned animator Jonathan Hodgson (UK) and producers Claudia Cazzato (Italy) and Clara Marquardt (France) were impressed by the short film A Very Twisted Tale in a way that “left us speechless. A unique, rare and curious film that is unlike anything I’ve seen before,” giving it the grand prize. A Special Mention was also awarded to the Belgium-France-Netherlands co-production directed by Nicolas Keppens, Beautiful Men, a sensitive film about vulnerability and masculinity, narrated in a delicate and poetic manner.
The same jurors also analyzed the films selected in the competition dedicated to international short films made by students. The section prize went to the short film Bunnyhood (dir. Mansi Maheshwari), for being “a chaotic and visceral ride full of horror, humor and tenderness through the worst teenage nightmares”. A Special Mention was given to the German film Carrotica (dir. Daniel Sterlin-Altman), which could also be viewed during the special event Erotica – The Night of Erotic Animation.
Percebes, directed by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves, won the Anidoc prize, best animated documentary, with the urban landscape of the Algarve and the life story of the special crustacean that gives the film its name, the duck clam. The special mention of this section was given to the student short film Clarkii (dir. Leticia Van Neerven), a small stop-frame lesson on bureaucracy.
Starting this year, in addition to the grand prize winner of the Short Film Competition, Animest also sends the winner of the Romanian Competition to the list of films eligible for the Oscars. This year the winning Romanian short film of the section, prize worth 1000 euros, offered by ICR, is Fracti, directed by Lavinia Petrache, a story about an imaginary end of the world in a utopian world in the sky. The director Pierre-Luc Granjon (France), the producer Orsolya Sipos (Hungary) and the artist and sound engineer Andrea Martignoni (Italy) are the 3 who judged the Romanian Competition and were impressed by “the very special style and the harmonious rhythm created cyclically, through of loops leading to impressive abstract parts’. Within the Romanian Competition, two special mentions were also awarded to Count to Ten (dir. Andreia Dobrotă), respectively Dirty Paradis (dir. Alina Gheorghe), a film developed within the SYAA and Pitch, please! programs, both efforts of the organizers Animist to develop native animation.
The winner of the feature film section was the Hungarian production Pelikan Blue, directed by László Csáki, a story set in time after the fall of Iron Corinth, when travel outside Hungary becomes possible and the mirage of Western Europe attracts adventurers, but their momentum is stopped of the prohibitive price of train tickets. The jurors’ decision was dictated by the “originality of the subject matter, stunning visuals and fabulous character design”. The award was picked up by Máté Horesnyi, storyboard artist of the film, special guest at Animest.19. In the same section, a Special Mention was also awarded to the feature film Sultana’s Dream (dir. Isabel Herguera), described by the jury as “a compelling film with several narrative layers and different animation techniques that achieve an exceptional artistic visual style” , award raised by the Spanish producer Mariano Barratech. Pelikan Blue also won the hearts of the Teen Jury, made up of Ilinca Popa, Alesia Iancău and Marta Crețu, who decided to give him the Teens Award at Animest.
The Japanese director and co-founder of the animated production company STUDIO4°C Koji Morimoto, the Romanian singer and composer MidoriStars (Izabella Alda) and Omu Gnom (Daniel Secătureanu), MC activist and radio personality (Radio Guerrilla representative) made up the jury for this edition Animusic. “A very detailed story, a great representation of the vibe of the song. Strong, hard, heartbreaking.” was their conclusion after watching Late Nights (dir. Charles Bigeast), which they awarded with the Award for Best Animated Music Video. Two Special Mentions were given to the productions Rabbits Have Red Eyes (dir. Lee Yonsun, Choi Jiwon) from Korea and Ye kou si kuo (dir. Lola Lefèvre) from France.
In the section dedicated to VR productions, the jury made up of specialists Dilmana Yordanova, Marius Hodea and Alex Cioacă chose to award The Imaginary Friend (dir. Steye Hallema) for the fact that it manages to be “an interactive experience with a strong emotional impact. The project takes a unique approach, blending fantasy and reality to create a compelling and challenging narrative.” Special mention for a VR film went to France-Germany co-production Emperor (dir. Marion Burger, Ilan J. Cohen).
As the audience has already become accustomed to, the Award for the best short film for children was presented by the youngest and most critical of the audience. Iulia Maria Drăgan, Rareș Rustin and Andrada-Gabriela Gheorghe nominated the film Noodles au naturel, directed by Matteo Salanave Piazza, winner of the Minimest section, offered this year by Banda ASAP.
In the Pitch, please! program, which helps filmmakers at the beginning of their adventure in the world of animation to develop their productions in the early stages, five prizes were offered this year: Animation Festivals Network Prize – The Refuge (r. Ioana Nicoara); Rise & Shine Award – I was born under this tree (dir. Mihaela Mîndru), Sound Post-production Award offered by Raza Studio – Garden and a Void (dir. Ana Iuteș), BlackSea Workshop Award – As I Look Out The Window ( directed by Agata Tabacu) and On the Balcony of a House (directed by Anna Florea). The three specialists before whom the participants presented their pitches at this edition were Ornela Čop (Croatia), Sebastian Zsemlye (Romania) and Clara Marquardt (France).
The first edition of the animation series script contest, Toon Scripts, organized by Animest in collaboration with PRO TV, was judged by Ivana Sujová (Slovakia, screenwriter and director of the International Animation Festival Fest Anča), Claudia Cazzato (Italy, programmer of the festival at VOID Animation Film Festival) and Gabriela Iacob (Romania, Head of Scripted Content Development at PRO TV, member of the selection committee at Cinema Pendent L’Alternativa Barcelona). They appreciated that all the finalist projects “presented diverse stories, told with a lot of heart and honesty, which we consider very brave”.
The grand winner, who will benefit from a contract to develop a pilot episode and a series bible under the guidance of experienced TV producers and animation creators, is the project proposed by Filip Columbeanu, SAMCA. It “promises a vibrant world with colorful characters, speaks of local culture, but also has an undeniable universal charm”, according to the 3 jurors.
The Animest.19 trophy model was created especially for the festival by the artist Cristina Milea, made of coffee leather, a completely ecological material. “This trophy embodies the harmony between nature and urban lifestyle. Created especially for the urban-themed animation festival Animest, the trophy reflects the dynamic energy of the city and the modern spirit of animated cinema. With designs inspired by urban landscapes and contemporary aesthetics, the trophy celebrates the fusion of technology, sustainability and the vibrant atmosphere of the festival.” Cristina Milea said.
Animest.19 – Urban Frames brought to the 6 festival locations almost 16,000 spectators and had all special events (Trippy Animation Night, Erotica, Animusic Night, Creepy Animation Night) sold-out. It brought to the cinema halls over 350 short and feature films from around the world, grouped in 90 screenings, as well as more than 150 guests from the animation film industry who participated in the meeting with the Bucharest public, or in the sessions of Q&A organized at the end of the screenings. Among the masterclasses that attracted the largest number of participants were those held by Japanese director Koji Morimoto, French director Pierre-Luc Granjon and Adult Swim representative Mark Taynton.
The 20th edition will take place between October 3 and 12, 2025.