08/08/2013 - The Hamburg Animation Award is a local event with global appeal that attracted 80 teams of filmmakers from eleven countries

The Hamburg Animation Award takes account of ambitious filmmakers who devote themselves to toons and tales. Due to the international production process of animated movies, the local event already had a global appeal when it started out ten years ago. Meanwhile, 80 entries from eleven countries were handed in for the 10th Hamburg Animation Award. “The submitted films reflect a variety of ideas and creativity of young talented filmmakers”, stated Thomas M. Schünemann from the Chamber of Commerce in Hamburg, which hosted the event.

Ten nominated films from countries such as Germany, Denmark, Island, Ireland and Czech Republic made it into the competition for the Hamburg Animation Award. Although the entries differ in terms of style and story, various animated works are dealing with similar social problems that result from the economic crisis. Poverty, unemployment, the loneliness of old people, but also shattering relationships, are an issue in many animated movies from all over the world.

The main award, which includes a money prize of € 5,000, as well as the new Harald Siepermann-Character Design Prize went to the animated short film Wind by German student Robert Löbel. Andreas Deja who designed characters for Disney movies such as The Little Mermaid and The Black Cauldron acknowledged in his laudation that the filmmaker has a skill for laconic storytelling, a clear visual style and efficient animation. The new award is dedicated to the late character designer and director Harald Siepermann who died during the production of the animated adventure The 7th Dwarf last February.

The second prize was given to a student team from the FAMU film school in Prague for their dramedy M.O. about a lonely old woman who gets herself a robotic companion. In third place was the amusing animated adventure Rolling Safari by students from the Filmakademie Ludwigsburg. “That is 3D animation at it‘s best”, underlined the Fraktus director Lars Jessen in his laudation. The audience award went to the comedy Happily ever after from Israel about a love struck young couple that has to experience the shady sides of marriage.