This year’s edition of the BLON Animation and Games Festival (11-14 September) concluded on 13 September with an awards ceremony showcasing the breadth of creativity across Lithuania, the Baltic Sea region, Ukraine, and international animation more widely. The Klaipėda-based festival also handed out accolades to video games, continuing its mission to explore the intersections of storytelling, interactivity, and visual innovation.

In the Lithuanian Animation Competition programme, Matas Pakutinskas’ Little October took home the top prize, with the jury praising its “perfect balance between wild storytelling and an engaging topic and look.” Rooted in dark humour and satire, the short also earned the support of the audience, despite not being up for an audience award. Pakutinskas received a €1,000 prize from industry partner AVAKA and a software licence from TV Paint. A special mention went to Between Flashes by Ugnė “Ugvirblytė” Virblytė, which was hailed as a “playful illustration of an all too recognisable state, making clever use of game imagery to portray everyday fatigue”. The jury included Karla Nor Holmbäck, Agneta Tumė and Karin Drake.

The International Competition prize went to Wish You Were Ear by Mirjana Balogh, described as “a shining example of how animation can convey complex emotions with elegance and originality”. Composed of Doug Frankel, Akvilė Bliujūtė-Janušė and Nathan Jurevicius, the jury highlighted the film as a meditation on love, identity, and self-understanding. A special mention, for its part, was awarded to The Undying Pain of Existence by Oscar Jacobson, noted for its absurd humour and wordless, striking exploration of psychological tension.

The Baltic Sea–Nordic Competition jury, consisting of Lucia Dubravay Trautenberger, Benjamin Massoubre and Gabrielė Cegialytė, crowned Ovary-Acting by Ida Melum as its champion, recognised for its inventive and absurd approach to motherhood, its clever sound design, and strong voice performances. A special mention went to Siri Wonder by Andreas Sven Granér, which blends hand-drawn animation and retro video-game aesthetics to tell the story of a karaoke-loving bicycle, seeking freedom from a toxic relationship.

In the Ukrainian Animation Competition, the top prize was awarded to Off–Time by Nata Metlukh, with the jury describing it as “a playful, fun, yet beautifully crafted meditation on time and perception”. A special mention was bestowed upon I Died in Irpin by Anastasiia Falileieva, a moving work combining intimate perspective with a minimalistic style to portray war, displacement, and resilience. Jurors included Eglė Davidavičė, Viliam Vala and Cineuropa’s own Davide Abbatescianni.

Blon also introduced the International Young Audience Competition for the very first time, with fourth graders from Klaipėda’s Liudvikas Stulpinas Progymnasium serving as jurors. The children selected Snow Bear by Aaron Blaise, calling it “funny and a little sad, but also beautiful in how it showed the bear finding a friend and the challenges of a changing world”.

On the gaming side, the AWARE Game Awards went to Atuel by Argentina’s Matajuegos, which the jury called “an interactive experience, a documentary, a meditative state of mind”. A special mention was given to PRŠÍ by Czech studio Herdek, praised for its inventive dialogue systems and atmospheric storytelling. The jury was composed of María Luján Oulton, Vladimir Slav, Pawel Miechowski, Natasha Sebben and Xanos.

Finally, the WINGS Award went to Vale’s Echo by local outfit Hollow Beak Games, which combines horror, puzzles, and exploration in an engaging and eerie narrative, and which also earned its creators a €2,000 prize.

The full list of this year’s award winners is as follows:

Lithuanian Animation Competition Programme

Best Short
Little October – Matas Pakutinskas (Lithuania)

Special Mention
Between Flashes – Ugnė “Ugvirblytė” Virblytė (Lithuania)

International Competition Programme

Best Short
Wish You Were Ear – Mirjana Balogh (Hungary)

Special Mention
The Undying Pain of Existence – Oscar Jacobson (Germany)

Baltic Sea–Nordic Competition Programme

Best Short
Ovary-Acting – Ida Melum (Norway/Sweden/UK)

Special Mention
Siri Wonder – Andreas Sven Granér (Sweden)

Ukrainian Animation Competition Programme

Best Short
Off–Time – Nata Metlukh (Japan/Ukraine/USA)

Special Mention
I Died in Irpin – Anastasiia Falileieva (Ukraine/Czech Republic)

International Young Audience Competition – Best Short
Snow Bear – Aaron Blaise (USA)

AWARE Game Awards

Best Game
Atuel – Matajuegos (Argentina)

Special Mention
PRŠÍ – Herdek (Czech Republic)

WINGS Award – Best Game
Vale’s Echo – Hollow Beak Games (Lithuania)