The largest week on the earth of animation wrapped up Saturday because the 2025 version of the Annecy Worldwide Animation Movie Pageant drew to an in depth with what ought to have been a high-spirited awards ceremony through which “Arco” took residence the Cristal for an animated characteristic. Whereas there was a number of applause, hand shaking and celebrating by the night time’s winners, there was additionally quite a lot of reflection from most of the individuals who took the stage on the night time.
Given the escalating violence in Gaza, Israel and Iran, the competition’s closing ceremony had a extra somber really feel to it than it usually would, addressed straight by characteristic jury member and Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi (“The Siren”) on the awards ceremony.
After saying she wished she might have a good time the nice movies she noticed this week, she addressed one thing much more pressing:
”One thing else has taken me away. Generally, being a part of the cinema household, the animation household, isn’t sufficient to make the adjustments, the numerous adjustments that have to be made. Generally we’ve to transcend the movies that we make. We’ve to turn into just like the heroes and heroines of our movies, turn into larger than ourselves, turn into higher individuals, and attempt to make adjustments in another way in the actual world.
There are fairly just a few conflicts ongoing. Certainly one of them is especially monstrous. That’s the ongoing genocide in Gaza. For one yr, I labored for Fatma Hassouna. She was killed two months in the past in an Israeli airstrike focusing on her home with all her household. I had made a promise to her to go to Gaza to fulfill her as soon as the battle was over. I haven’t been capable of maintain that promise, however I’ll attempt to do one thing that will be significant, as a result of we have to break this blockade and to cease this battle.”
After studying the writings of a younger Palestinian woman, she added, “I hope that it’ll make some change. And I hope to see a free Palestine quickly. And a free Iran as properly. Thanks.”
Later within the night, Iranian filmmaker Shiva Sadegh Assadi (“Abzi”), on this yr’s brief movie competitors jury, learn a poem in Persian by an creator who was killed within the strikes in opposition to her nation. She additionally learn an English-language translation, which obtained vital applause from the Bonlieu crowd.
Annecy’s prime winner, Ugo Bienveu’s debut characteristic “Arco” premiered on the Cannes Movie Pageant final month, screening as a part of the Particular Screenings part. Co-written with Félix de Givry, it’s produced by Natalie Portman, who additionally gives the lead English-language voice, alongside Sophie Mas and Félix de Givry for MountainA (Portman’s New York-based outfit) and Paris-based Remembers.
The movie follows a boy from the distant future who crash-lands in 2075 after misusing a time-travel go well with, forming a poignant bond with Iris, a lonely woman raised by a robotic. That includes heat and glossy 2D animation blended with a sci-fi aesthetic, the movie explores friendship, loss and environmental themes by luminous, rainbow-hued visuals.
This yr’s characteristic jury award went to Yasuhiro Aoki’s “ChaO,” a genre-blending debut produced by Studio 4°C, set in a future the place people and mer-people coexist. It follows Stefan, a shy workplace employee, whose life is upended when ChaO, a energetic mermaid princess, instantly proposes to him. “ChaO” options daring, hand-drawn animation and a novel mixture of surreal humor, tender romance and fairy-tale whimsy.
Annecy’s characteristic competitors additionally noticed the Paul Grimault Award go to Momoko Seto’s “Dandelion’s Odyssey,” an experimental Cannes participant.
The Gan Basis Award for Distribution to “Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake,” Catalonia’s first-ever stop-motion characteristic. Director Irene Iborra echoed Farsi’s earlier sentiments, “This award is devoted to all the youngsters in the midst of conflicts, and particularly the Palestinian ones.”
The Viewers Award went to “Little Amélie or the Character of Rain,” which can absolutely add to its already mounting awards season buzz and credentials. It’s value declaring that powerhouse distributor GKIDS has acquired North American rights to each “ChaO” and “Little Amélie,” two of 4 2025 Annecy titles the corporate will distribute within the territory.
Seth and Pete Scriver’s colourful Canadian Sundance standout “Infinite Cookie” took this yr’s Contrechamp Grand Prix, the highest honor for the movie’s part devoted to movies that includes a novel or different imaginative and prescient, usually showcasing daring storytelling, stylistic innovation, or rising voices in animation.
A “private household scrapbook of a movie,” based on Carlos Aguilar’s Selection assessment at Sundance, “Infinite Cookie” sees the Scriver brothers dive into absurdist territory with a surreal, offbeat story that performs like a stoner parable for late-stage capitalism. Their crudely charming animation fashion belies sharp social commentary, as a gaggle of misfits chase after a unending dessert.
This yr’s Contrachamp jury award went to Bo-Sol Kim’s Korean characteristic “The Sq.,” additionally enjoying at Tribeca this week. A hand-drawn characteristic a few Swiss diplomat engaged in a clandestine relationship in Pyongyang, it’s produced by the Korean Academy of Movie Arts.
“The Night time Boots,” produced by Am Stram Gram, received this yr’s Cristal for a brief movie. The most recent from celebrated stop-motion specialist Pierre-Luc Granjon (“4 Seasons within the Lifetime of Léon”) – who co-directed the 2023 Annecy-playing characteristic “The Inventor” – tells the story of a younger boy who sneaks out in the midst of the night time and is escorted by a wierd creature into the depths of the woods to fulfill their nocturnal inhabitants.
The jury award for a brief went to Michael Granberry’s American black and white stop-motion movie “Les Bêtes.” After accepting the prize, Granberry emphasised the function that animation can play throughout darkish days: “This artwork kind attracts individuals who carry a really distinctive, lovely fireplace in them that shines a light-weight that the world desperately, desperately wants proper now. Don’t be afraid of the darkish, the illness of hate, as a result of we’re the remedy.”
Alexeïeff–Parker Award to Rosana Urbes’ Brazilian multi-technique brief “Sappho”; the Off-Limits Award to Ryo Orikasa’s Japanese brief “The Graffiti”; the Jean-Luc Xiberras first movie award to Janneke Swinkels and Tim Frijsinger’s “Zwermen”; and the Viewers Award to Granjon’s “The Night time Boots.”
From the competition’s TV lineup, Shaddy Safadi’s “Christo The Civilized Barbarian: Searching Get together,” produced by One Pixel Brush within the U.S, walked off with the highest Cristal award for a TV manufacturing. The jury picked Elena Walf’s “Volles Nest” from the German present “Lena’s Farm” for the collection award and David Lowery’s “An Nearly Christmas Story” for finest TV particular. The Viewers prize went to Théo Grosjean and Mothy Richard’s “Main Choice” episode of “Freaked Out,” produced by Autour de Minuit, FKLG and Panique!
Lola Lefèvre’s music video for Naive New Beaters and Star Female Band’s “Ye Kou Si Kuo” received the Cristal for a commissioned movie, with the jury award going to Suresh Eriyat’s fluffy musical brief “Desi Oon,” an ecological story about connection between Deccani wool, the land and its individuals.
This yr’s Commencement Movie Cristal went to ENSAD pupil Léna Martinez’s “Zootrope”; the jury award to La Poudrière alum Martin Bonnin’s “Between the Gaps”; and the Lotte Reiniger Award to Tama Artwork College’s Masataka Kihara for “Q.”
Ondřej Moravec and Victoria Lopukhina received the competition’s Cristal for a VR work for his or her piece “Fragile Residence.”
Particular Prizes
On Friday night, a number of particular prizes have been distributed. Pooya Afzali’s “At Night time” received the France TV award for a brief movie. “Dollhouse Elephant” composer Sebastian Hilli scooped the Sacem Award for soundtrack in a brief movie, whereas Arnaud Toulon scored the characteristic model of the prize for his work on “Arco.” The Pablo Pico Distinction for a characteristic soundtrack went to Jean L’Appeau’s rating in “Dying Does Not Exist.” The Canal+ Junior Jury Award prized Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears’ “Ceaselessly Inexperienced.” Francis Desharnais’ “The Nice Annual Get together of the Creatures of the Moon” took the younger viewers award, whereas “The Night time Boots” earned a 3rd honorific within the type of the André Martin award for a French brief.
Along with successful the Cristal, “Fragile Residence” additionally received the Festivals Connexion award for a VR work. Communication College of China college students Jiali Tan and Haoyuan Zhu merited the Xppen Award for a commencement movie with “Gained’t Be Right here.” Granberry scooped the Vimeo Employees Decide Award for a brief within the Off-Limits part for “Les Bêtes,” considered one of two prizes for the movie. Justice Rutikara’s Canadia characteristic “Ibuka, Justice” received the Metropolis of Annecy Award and Niko Radas’s Croatian brief was given a Metropolis of Annecy jury particular distinction.
A full checklist of this yr’s winners may be discovered under.
FEATURE FILMS
Cristal for a Characteristic Movie
“Arco,” (Ugo Bienvenu, France)
Jury Award
“ChaO,” (Yasuhiro Aoki, Japan)
Paul Grimault Award
“Dandelion’s Odyssey,” (Momoko Seto, France, Belgium)
Gan Basis Award for Distribution
“Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake,” (Irene Iborra Rizo, Spain, France, Belgium, Chile, Switzerland)
Viewers Award
“Little Amélie or the Character of Rain,” (Maïlys Vallade, Liane-Cho Han, France)
CONTRECHAMP FEATURES
Grand Prix
“Infinite Cookie,” (Seth Scriver, Pete Scriver, Canada)
Jury Award
“The Sq.,” (Bo-Sol Kim, South Korea)
SHORT FILMS
Cristal for a Brief Movie
“The Night time Boots,” (Pierre-Luc Granjon, France)
Jury Award
“Les Bêtes,” (Michael Granberry, U.S.)
Alexeïeff – Parker Award
“Sappho,” (Rosana Urbes, Brazil)
Off-Limits Award
“The Graffiti,” (Ryo Orikasa, Japan)
Jean-Luc Xiberras Award for a First Movie
“Zwermen,” (Janneke Swinkels, Tim Frijsinger, Netherlands, Belgium)
Viewers Award
“The Night time Boots,” (Pierre-Luc Granjon, France)
TV AWARDS
Cristal for a TV Manufacturing
“Christo The Civilized Barbarian “Searching Get together”,” (Shaddy Safadi, U.S.)
Jury Award for a TV Sequence
“Christo The Civilized Barbarian “Searching Get together”,” (Shaddy Safadi, U.S.)
Jury Award for a TV Particular
“An Nearly Christmas Story,” (David Lowery, U.S.)
Viewers Award
“Freaked Out “Main Choice”,” (Théo Grosjean, Mothy Richard, Belgium, France)
COMMISSIONED FILMS
Cristal for a Commissioned Movie
“Naive New Beaters, Star Female Band “Ye Kou Si Kuo”,” (Lola Lefèvre, France)
Jury Award for a Commissioned Movie
“Desi Oon,” (Suresh Eriyat, India)
GRADUATION FILMS
Cristal for a Commencement Movie
“Zootrope,” (Léna Martinez, France)
Jury Award
“Between the Gaps,” (Martin Bonnin, France)
Lotte Reiniger Award
“Q,” (Masataka Kihara, Japan)
VR WORKS
Cristal for the Finest VR Work
“Fragile Residence,” (Ondřej Moravec, Victoria Lopukhina, Czech Republic)
SPECIAL PRIZES
France TV Award for a Brief Movie
“At Night time,” (Pooya Afzali, Iran)
SACEM Award for Finest Authentic Soundtrack in a Brief Movie
“Dollhouse Elephant,” (Sebastian Hilli, Finland)
SACEM Award for Finest Authentic Soundtrack in a Characteristic Movie
“Arco,” (Arnaud Toulon, France)
Pablo Pico Distinction, SACEM Award for Finest Authentic Soundtrack in a Characteristic Movie
“Dying Does Not Exist,” (Jean L’Appeau, Canada, France)
Canal+ Junior Jury Award
“Forevergreen,” (Nathan Engelhardt, Jeremy Spears, U.S.)
Younger Viewers Award
“The Nice Annual Get together of the Creatures of the Moon,” (Francis Desharnais, Canada)
André Martin Award for a French Brief Movie
“The Night time Boots,” (Pierre-Luc Granjon, France)
Festivals Connexion Award for a VR Work
“Fragile Residence,” (Ondřej Moravec, Victoria Lopukhina, Czech Republic)
XPPen Award for a Commencement Movie
“Gained’t Be Right here,” (Jiali Tan, Haoyuan Zhu, China)
Vimeo Employees Decide Award for a Brief Movie within the Official and Off-Limits Classes
“Les Bêtes,” (Michael Granberry, U.S.)
Metropolis of Annecy Award
“Ibuka, Justice,” (Justice Rutikara, Canada)
Metropolis of Annecy Jury Particular Distinction Award
“Psychonauts,” (Niko Radas, Croatia)