05/07/2024 - Other winners include Pernille Kjaer's Spring, Niko Mlynarčík's Wereawolf and Martin Smatana and Veronika Zacharová's Hello Summer

Martin Smatana, co-director of Hello Summer, winner of the special mention in the Slovak competition (© Juraj Starovecký)

The 17th edition of International Animation Film Festival Fest Anča, running from 25 to 30 June in Žilina, Slovakia, wrapped up last Sunday. On Saturday, the festival announced the winners during the ceremony hosted in the historic Žilina Town Theatre.

The main competition jury, comprising Waltraud Grausgruber, Gabriel Gabriel Garble and Daniel Gray, gave Gianluigi Toccafondo’s La voix des sirènes (France/Italy) the Best Animated Short Award. They said: “With a distinct vision of beauty and symbols of strength through matriarchy, the characters exhibit drive and resilience. They possess their universe, able to create in death as well as life.” Danish director Pernille Kjaer’s Spring received a special mention in the category.

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The same jury also gave out the Best Student Animated Short Award to Zhen Li’s fur (USA). A special mention went to the Swiss film Pipes, directed by Kilian Feusi, Jessica Meier and Sujanth Ravichandran.

Wereawolf by Niko Mlynarčík received the prize for Best Slovak Animated Short, even though the film is listed as a Czech production, with the director studying at the Tomaš Bata University in Zlin. The Slovak competition jury, comprising Nikita Diakur, Élodie Dermange and Benoît Berthe Siward, praised its “heartfelt, fresh and unique story that made us forget we’re in a cinema.” A special mention in this category went to Martin Smatana and Veronika Zacharová’s Hello Summer.

The Animated Music Video jury consisting of Helga Fodorean, Dávid Štumpf and Helena Hájková handed the main prize to US director Amanda Bonaiuto’s D’un feu secret, while a special mention went to Mattis Dovier and Yoann Dovier’s Worm (France).

Finally, a children's jury decided on the Best Animated Short for Children award, which went to Seungbae Jeon’s Battery Mommy (South Korea).

The full list of Fest Anča award winners is as follows:

Best Animated Short
La voix des sirènes – Gianluigi Toccafondo (France/Italy)

Best Animated Short – Special Mention
Spring – Pernille Kjaer (Denmark)

Best Student Animated Short
fur – Zhen Li (USA)

Best Student Animated Short – Special Mention
Pipes – Kilian Feusi, Jessica Meier, Sujanth Ravichandran (Switzerland)

Best Slovak Animated Short
Wereawolf – Niko Mlynarčík (Czech Republic)

Best Slovak Animated Short – Special Mention
Hello Summer – Martin Smatana, Veronika Zacharová (Slovakia)

Best Animated Music Video
Cécile Mclorin Salvant: D’un feu secret – Amanda Bonaiuto (USA)

Best Animated Music Video – Special Mention
IC3PEAK: Worm – Mattis Dovier, Yoann Dovier (France)

Best Animated Short for Children
Battery Mommy – Seungbae Jeon (South Korea)