The awards ceremony for the most important animation festival of the year was… quiet. Instead celebrating in the iconic lakeside and mountains, this year's awards were announced via live recording and an emailed newsletter. Annecy International Animated Film Festival went completely online this year.
After a few years with geographical focuses in Asian countries (years 2016-19 covering S. Korea, China, and Japan respectively), this year's festival still has had a relatively kind focus towards East Asian films. Notable Asia-based directors this year include the return of neo media artist Max Hattler (“Divisional Articulations”) with minimalist stop motion “Serial Parallels,” and Yifan Bao's Satoshi Kon-esque, first film “The Town.” All in all, roughly 25 percent of the 21 awards in total went to Asia-based directors.
For the full list, consult the results below. Keep tabs on our reviews page of some of our festival favorites; Annecy is available to stream (for 17 euros!) until 30 June 2020.
Official Feature Films Competition
Annecy Cristal – “Calamity, a Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary” (Rémi Chayé, France and Denmark)
Jury Award – “The Nose or the Conspiracy of Mavericks” (Andrey Khrzhanovsky, Russia)
Jury Distinction – “Kill It and LEave This Town” (Mariusz Wilczynski, Poland)
Contrechamp Competition
Contrechamp Award – “My Favorite War” (Ilze Burkovska Jacobsen, Latvia and Norway)
Contrechamp Jury Distinction – “The Shaman Sorceress” (Jae-huun Ahn, S. Korea)
Short Films
Cristal for a Short Film – “The Physics of Sorrow” (Theodore Ushev, Canada)
Jury Award – “Homeless Home” (Alberto Vázquez, France and Spain)
Jean-Luc Xiberras Award for a First Film – “The Town” (Yifan Bao, China)
Jury Distinction (Ex ӔQUO) – “Freeze Frame” (Soetkin Verstegen, Belgium)
Jury Distinction (Ex ӔQUO) – “Genius Loci” (Adrien Merigeau, France)
Off-Limits Award – “Serial Parallels” (Max Hattler, Germany and Hong Kong)
TV and Commissioned Films
Cristal for a TV Production – “Shooom's Odyssey” (Julien Bisaro, Belgium and France)
Jury Award for a TV Series – “Undone ‘The Hospital'” (Hisko Hulsing, USA)
Jury Award for a TV Special – “The Tiger Who Came to Tea” (Robin Shaw, United Kingdom)
Commissioned Films
Cristal for a Commissioned Film – “Lucky Chops ‘Traveler'” (Daniel Almagor, Raman Djafari, Germany)
Jury Award – “Greenpeace ‘Turtle Journey'” (Gavin Strange, United Kingdom)
Graduation Films
Cristal for a Graduation Film – “Naked” (Kirill Khachaturov, Russia)
Jury Award – “Pile” (Toby Auberg, United Kingdom)
Jury Distinction – “Sura” (Hae-ji Jeong, S. Korea)
VR films
Cristal for the Best VR Work – “Minimum Mass” (Raqi Syed and Areito Echevarria, France and New Zealand)
Jury Special Distinction – “Battlescar – Punk was Invented by Girls” (Martin Allais and Nicolas Casavecchia, USA and France)
