BETWEEN US

In July 2021, the 14th edition of the ANIMATOR International Animated Film Festival took place in Poznań. Within 7 days, viewers - for the second time in the hybrid formula - saw 120 competition productions in 4 competition categories: International Short Films Competition, International Feature Films Competition, Polish Animated Films Competition ANIMATOR.PL and for the first time the International Animated Series Competition.

The program includes as many as 16 sections, including nearly 140 events, over 300 film screenings, and over 100 special events: workshops for children and adults, meetings with artists, and shows with live music. As every year, the capital of Wielkopolska became the capital of world animation for a week. Online and offline - we were visited by artists from around the world, including Mariusz Wilczyński, Mike Johnson, Peter Chung, Joanna Quinn and Alex Pelletier. According to official data, about 5,000 direct participants took advantage of online festival events. About 2.5 thousand participants took part in the online part and in the streamed special events.

Awarded Films

GRAND PRIX / GOLDEN PEGASUS: “Souvenir Souvenir” Bastien Dubois, France 2020

• Jury’s Statement: A heartbreaking story, beautifully captured in contrasting forms that show how the weight of memory connects and divides a family through generations.

II AWARD / SILVER PEGASUS: “Folie douce, folie dure” / „Mild madness, lasting lunacy” Marine Laclotte, France 2020

• Jury’s Statement: A documentary that, using flowing lines, draws an intimate portrait of the most vulnerable and unnoticed among us.

III AWARD / BRONZE PEGASUS: “Książę w cukierni” / „Prince in a pastry shop” Katarzyna Agopsowicz, Poland 2020

• Jury’s Statement: A delicious piece, sweetly illustrating the steep price of Happiness.

SPECIAL AWARD FOR THE BEST MUSIC FILM / MUSIC: “Family Name in The Pocket” Stepan Koval, Ukraine 2019

• Jury’s Statement: This film evokes the music of Mykola Lysenko to remind us of the tragic Soviet era.

SPECIAL AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT FILM: “Amayi” Subarna Das, Indie 2020

• Jury’s Statement: A bold student project inspired by traditional Indian art, draws attention to the brutal customs against women.

SPECIAL AWARD FOR ARTISTIC MERIT – IM MEMORIAM OF WOJCIECH JUSZCZAK: “Push This Button, if You Begin to Panic” Gabriel Böhmer, UK 2020

• Artistic Director’s Statement: For the original form and innovative use of cut-outs in the service of original content.

AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATED SERIES: “The Other Way Wolf” Ira Elshansky, Russian Federation 2020

• Jury’s Statement: A timeless, touching and honest film. Funny for both children and children-at-heart, with believable characters, captivating animation, intelligent story with a warm message.

HONOURABLE MENTION: “Storie zitte” Simone Angelini, Italy 2020

• Jury’s Statement: Minimalist, brilliant, structured in a cutting and efficient way, with an absurdly graphic sense of humour.

AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE FILM: “Zabij to i wyjedź z tego miasta” / “Kill It And Leave This Town” Mariusz Wilczyński, Polska 2020

• Jury’s Statement: Extremely uncompromising, personal and emotionally rich – a bitter and melancholic film. It reflects the human desire for closeness and reminds us that animation is primarily a graphic medium of art.

AUDIENCE AWARD FOR THE BEST SHORT FILM: “Mind My Mind” Floor Adams, Netherlads 2019

AUDIENCE AWARD FOR THE BEST FEATURE FILM: “My Favorite War” Ilze Burkovska Jacobsen, Norway/Latvia 2020

ANIMATOR.PL

GRAND PRIX / GOLDEN ANIMUSZ (POLISH FILMMAKERS ASSOCIATION AWARD): “Pięć Minut Starsza / Five Minutes Older” Sara Szymańska, Poland 2020

• Jury’s Statement: An honest study of the love-hate relationship of two sisters, which combines a lively, punk style with intimate, full of in-depth observation animation.

II AWARD / SILVER ANIMUSZ (POLISH FILMMAKERS ASSOCIATION AWARD): “Miłość w czasach gospodarki opartej na węglu / Love in times of coal-based economy” Tomasz Siwiński, Poland 2021

• Jury’s Statement: For an epic, operatic story that mixes surrealism with socialist realist inspirations.

III AWARD / BRONZE ANIMUSZ: “Dog’s Field” Michalina Musialik, Poland 2020

• Jury’s Statement: For a visually sophisticated, moving story with a strong narrative structure. Not only for dog people.

HONOURABLE MENTION: “Książę w cukierni / Prince in a pastry shop” Katarzyna Agopsowicz, Poland 2020

• Jury’s Statement: Beautiful, elegant, classic animation with a great sense of humour and rich philosophical reflection.

HONOURABLE MENTION: “Pusty pokój / Empty room” Jakub Baniak, Poland 2020

• Jury’s Statement: For the unique use of CGI, which draws us into an intense and claustrophobic cycle of activity.

AUDIENCE AWARD FOR THE BEST POLISH FILM: “Dog’s Field” Michalina Musialik, Poland 2020

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