IV ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival announced the winners

IV ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival was held in Baku on September 3-7, 2021. Over 200 animated films from 40 countries were screened for children and adults during 5 days. This year the festival’s theme was dedicated to people with disabilities.

The festival featured a reach educational program, including Masud Panahi’s masterclass for animation students, Nancy Danny-Phelps and Nick Phelps’ seminar for composers and sound engineers; and Olivier Catherine’s workshop for film producers.

The jury of IV ANIMAFILM Festival included Masud Panahi, Irada Baghirzade (Azerbaijan), Olivier Catherine (France), Nancy Danny-Phelps and Nick Phelps (Belgium), Mariam Kandelaki (Georgia), Piotr Kardas (Poland), Mehdi Khorushy and Maryam Rouhbakhsh (Iran). The head of the Jury was Nancy Danny-Phelps.

Traditionally, the Children’s Jury selected two winners in the categories of Best Short Animated Film for Children and Best Short Animated Film Made by Children after participating in an educational and entertaining program during the festival.

The winners were announced at the closing ceremony of the ANIMAFILM festival on September 7. Director of photography Ramiz Aghayev was awarded the Golden Boat Award for his contribution to the Azerbaijani animation.

Best Feature Animated Film – GRAND PRIX – The Knight and the Princess, directors Bashir Eldik and Ibrahim Musa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt.

Best Short Animated Film – GRAND PRIX – Kitchen by Measure, directors Sólrún Ylfa Ingimarsdóttir and Atli Arnarsson, Iceland.

Best Screenplay for a Short Animated Film – GRAND PRIX – Weird Witches and Fall, author Lana Ra, Ukraine.

Best Short Animated Film Made for Children – Emsahar, director Hassan Al-Jahni, Qatar.

Best Short Animated Film Made by Children – Monster, director Koosha Yusefi, Iran.

Best Short Experimental or Abstract Animated Film – Rites of Spring, director Yiorgos Tsangaris, Cyprus.

Best Short Student Animated Film – Three Jumps to Happiness, director Artur Hanaj. Poland.

Best Animated TV series – Mitch-Match, director Géza M. Tóth, Hungary.

Best Animated Music Video – Agapito, directors Rafael Vidal Altabert and Julián Gómez Caballero, Spain.

Best Azerbaijani Short Animated Film – Skullcap, director Frangiz Gurbanova. Azerbaijan.

Best Azerbaijani Screenplay for a Short Animated Film – Small Red Ball, author Gunel Eminli. Azerbaijan.

Head of the Jury Nancy Denney-Phelps’ award – Swipe, director Arafat Mazhar, Pakistan.

Jury member Nik Phelps’ award – Navozande, the Musician, director Reza Riahi, France.

Jury member Masud Pənachi’s award – Moan, director Ruslan Kerimov, Azerbaijan.

Jury member Olivier Catherin’s award – The Red Pen, director Raffaele Gabrielli, United Kingdom.

Jury member Piotr Kardas’ award – Sisters, director Andrea Szelesová, Czech Republic.

Jury member Maryam Kandelaki’s award – Nothing is Here, director Kaiyun Yang, Taiwan.

Jury member Mehdi Khorushy’s and Maryam Rouhbakhsh’s award – Tio, director Juan Medina, Mexico.

The organiser of the festival, PERI FILM LLC, would like to thank all the partners and friends who supported the IV ANIMAFILM Festival, especially the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan Union of Film-makers, Creative Azerbaijan Portal, Embassy of France in Azerbaijan, French Institute in Azerbaijan, Annecy International Animated Film Festival, Salaam Cinema, Hadigro company, MR Chemical LLC, US-Educated Azerbaijani Alumni Association, Embassy of the Czech Republic to Azerbaijan, YARAT Contemporary Art Space, Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Baku, Ritual Mobil Theater Labaratory platform, Seni company, Promo Plus company and Kekalove Adaptive Fashion company.