‘Le Retour des Vagues’ and ‘Les larmes de la Seine’ each awarded Best Student Project in first-ever tie; ‘Only a Child,’ a visual poem created by over 20 animation directors, wins Jury Special award.
The SIGGRAPH Asia 2021 Computer Animation Festival (CAF), Asia's premier computer-generated animation and visual effects event, has announced four winning films, selected by judges from a total of 501 animation works. This was the first year the festival saw a tie in the “Best Student Project” category, meaning four award winners, rather than the usual three, will be screened as part of the Electronic Theater program, one of the annual conference’s signature events.
An international jury of industry leaders selected the top 16 works for the Electronic Theater screening, plus another 19 for the Animation Theater screening. Each year, SIGGRAPH Asia showcases a worldwide collection of the year's best works; from student films to professional projects, the festival celebrates some of the industry’s newest, most compelling technology-based visual artistry.
“This year saw another fantastic selection of works from artists across Asia and around the world,” commented Computer Animation Festival Chair, Dan Sarto. “Our winning CAF films, as well as each selection for the Electronic Theater and Animation Theater screenings, showcase the latest innovative works from an incredibly diverse and talented group of artists. Our jury helped assemble an extraordinary collection of animated projects, including 35 animated shorts, commercials, and other works, that conference attendees can watch both in Tokyo and online. Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who took time to share their work with us.”
Take two minutes to enjoy this year’s Computer Animation Festival trailer:
The SIGGRAPH Asia 2021 Computer Animation Festival Award Winning Projects:
BEST IN SHOW:
Twenty Something
Directed by Aphton Corbin
Produced by Erik Langley
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Country: USA
Adulting can be hard. Some days you’re nailing it, while other days, you’re just a stack of kids hiding in a trench coat hoping no one notices. Gia finds herself in this exact scenario the night of her 21st birthday. This is a story about the insecurities of adulting and how we’re all just faking it ’till we make it. Produced as part of Pixar Animation Studios' SparkShorts Program.
Watch the Trailer for the Twenty Something:
BEST STUDENT PROJECT:
Le Retour des Vagues
Directed by Manon Cansell, Alejandra Guevara Cervera, Edward Kurchevsky, Francisco Moutinho de Magalhães, and Hortense Mariano
Produced by Moïra Marguin
School: Gobelins, L'École de L'Image
Country: France
Distributor: Miyu Distribution
Coming back to his hometown in hopes of reconnecting with his past, a young man encounters the place completely stopped in time. Moving through the familiar streets, memories disorient him as he faces what he once left behind.
Watch the Trailer for the Le Retour des Vagues:
BEST STUDENT PROJECT:
Les larmes de la Seine
Directed by Yanis Belaid, Eliott Benard, Nicolas Mayeur, Etienne Moulin, Hadrien Pinot, Lisa Vicente, Philippine Singer, and Alice Letailleur
Produced by Carlos De Carvalho
School: Pôle 3D
Country: France
October 17, 1961, "Algerian workers" take to the streets to protest against the mandatory curfew imposed by the Police prefecture.
Watch the Trailer for the Les larmes de la Seine:
JURY SPECIAL:
Only a Child
Directed by Simone Giampaolo
Produced by Gabriella de Gara
Production Company: Amka Films, RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, SRG SSR
Country: United Kingdom, Switzerland
A visual poem created by over 20 animation directors under the artistic supervision of Simone Giampaolo, the film gives shape and color to the original words spoken by Severn Cullis-Suzuki at the UN Summit in Rio in 1992, a child’s desperate call to action for the future of our planet. An omnibus film celebrating the environmental youth movement 30 years in the making.
Watch the Trailer for the Only a Child:
SIGGRAPH Asia 2021 will take place at the Tokyo International Forum, Japan and online this December 14 – 17. Additional information on the program line-up for this hybrid edition is available here.
Registration is available here.
Source: The SIGGRAPH Asia 2021 Computer Animation Festival
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
