AWARDS
Grand Prize for Short Film
- Jury Statement
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Špela ČADEŽ :
A film distinguished by exceptional dramaturgical precision in a bold, refreshingly original stylistic vision.
Caibei CAI :
What makes the scariest ghost stories is the overt obsession with the nature of existence.
NISHINO Shinjiro :
It starts with a tranquil conversation aboard a train, but then you find yourself unexpectedly transported to another world. This “pleasant betrayal” is what captivated me about this work. The lighthearted opening sequence lowers your guard, but you can feel a subtle, strange sense of unease slipping in. 15 minutes is a very short time, but this piece manages to give us a plot twist no one could have seen coming without it feeling forced. This was a compact, but incredibly compelling work.
Japan Grand Prize
- Jury Statement
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The film finds a special balance between mechanical repetition and flowing consciousness. It keenly perceives the silent weariness of an ordinary woman in her daily life. In an uncertain world, the film uses a delicate mode of expression to show that 'touch' is the true anchor of reality. This is more than just waking up the senses; it is a strong declaration of the female body.
New Talent Award
- Jury Statement
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This film impresses with a minimalist approach, demonstrating how much can be achieved by animating on a single sheet of paper. Its outstanding sound design takes on the role of the main storyteller, powerfully driving the narrative and sharpening the reflection on how human expansion is pushing animals out of their natural space.
Special Jury Award for Short Film
(Špela ČADEŽ)
- Jury Statement
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The film beautifully explores the space between language and animation, revealing how quickly meaning can disappear. It hints that words only touch the surface of things, yet when they change, the whole world seems to change with them.
Special Jury Award for Short Film
(Caibei CAI)
- Jury Statement
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The film creates a captivating visual tension between orderly black-and-white photos and flowing brushstrokes. Whenever we try to focus on the undefined shapes, sound intervenes to reshape their movement. As the space collapses, the wild strokes moving from chaos into nothingness.
Special Jury Award for Short Film
(NISHINO Shinjiro)
- Jury Statement
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This work captures an organic transformation of shapes by photographing thinly shaved cross-sections of wax one by one and animating them with a stop-motion technique. I was amazed at the way this experimental and challenging technique was put together to such a high level. The coincidences and the way the matter moves make this a very compelling piece of work, and the fleeting moments of “fluctuation” that happen mid-transformations were also fascinating to observe. Rather than presenting a fixed form, it showcases continuous generation in itself, and the way the artist's curiosity and playfulness naturally convert into the viewer's perception and interest was also a memorable part of this work.
Grand Prize for Feature Film
- Jury Statement
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The film’s inventive visual style balances playful absurdity with emotional depth, weaving together Indigenous experiences, historical trauma, and everyday joy. It demonstrates animation’s capacity to be both lighthearted and serious, intimate and universal, all at once. A labor of love that honors both family and the creative act itself.
Special Jury Award for Feature Film
- Jury Statement
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The protagonist’s empty heart and vacant eyes mirror the many ironies of life. It’s tragic, yet its twists carry a faint, bitter humor. Drawing on the restrained techniques and calm, striking layouts often seen in traditional Japanese media, the film achieves the fullest story a feature can tell with minimal means.
Best Student Film
- Jury Statement
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With a quiet and intimate tone, the story moves between dreams and reality to reveal the fragile truths of aging, helplessness, and neglect, leaving a deep emotional impact.
Best Music Animation
Special Mention
Best 30 Seconds
- Jury Statement
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All the entries in the 30-second category were crafted with their short duration in mind, refining a single idea to its simplest form to suit the medium. I found them all fascinating to watch. Among them, this particular work takes the simple idea of replacing the fish in an aquarium with a human and skillfully uses solid animation techniques along with a rough, sketchy style to create something poignant, yet humorous. In other words, we felt this work’s concept and expression were perfectly aligned, and that it was extremely well put together. After discussion among the three judges, we decided to award it the Grand Prize. Congratulations.
Through this film festival, I was reminded of the medium of animation’s inherent diversity, and I found myself wanting to see even more of all the participants’ work. I really hope animation can continue to be endlessly produced all over the earth. Thank you.
