The 2024 CEE Animation Forum, Central and Eastern Europe's premier pitching and networking event dedicated to animated projects, wrapped on 13 November with the announcement of its award winners. This year, the Pitching competition featured a total of 31 projects divided into 4 categories: 9 feature films, 7 TV series, 9 short films and 6 student shorts. "I am amazed by the overall quality of the pitches and the energy invested in these incredible animated film projects. The majority of them left the audience breathless. The bravery and enthusiasm with which the presenters—both young students and experienced filmmakers with highly ambitious projects—performed on stage is truly inspiring. We are proud to see the projects that participated in our other activities, like the CEE Animation Workshop or Rise and the Shine pitching lab, come well-prepared and start their successful development," said Marta Jallageas, Managing Director of the CEE Animation Forum.

The top award in the Feature Films category went to Croatian project Saima - Scenes from a Midlife Crisis directed by Chintis Lundgren. The project is a darkly humorous exploration of betrayal following a newly appointed judge as she spirals into chaos after her partner’s confession of infidelity. Blending magical realism, raw emotion, and psychedelic escapades, the story examines the messy complexities of love, self-discovery, and the fragile balance of relationships. “We liked in particular the intimate exploration of this midlife crisis with a very lively, humorous and at times psychedelic approach, as well as the interesting blend of realism and magical realism,” noted the jury.

Bert Lesaffer took the top accolade in the TV Series category for Toink!, a whimsical animated series that reimagines the natural world, where the unusual becomes the norm and difference sparks curiosity. Each episode follows a "normal" animal discovering its uniqueness, weaving humorous and heartfelt tales that celebrate diversity. The jury commented the appeal for younger audiences saying “the project stood out for its heartfelt approach to helping young audiences navigate the ups and downs of growing up, and embracing challenges in all their forms”, while the project received also the Audience Award. 

The Short Films category saw Germany's Ant, a coming-of-age tale that follows 10-year-old Lyonel as he navigates loneliness, vulnerability, and the search for belonging during a rainy scouting trip, by Jonatan Schwenk, take the award. The jury highlighted its personal yet universally relatable narrative and compelling presentation. Additionally, Swenk also won the Ciclic Residency Award, the Travelling – Distribution award, and the Animarkt Stop Motion Forum Award. Slovak filmmaker Viktória Zimmermannová won in the Rising Stars – Student Films category with her project My Granny Amphibian, a heartfelt tale of loss and healing, featuring 7-year-old Adam as he imagines his late grandmother reincarnated as a frog. The jury appreciated “the well-developed project” that stands out visually and “speaks about loss and memory from a child’s perspective”.

The CEE Animation Forum is financially supported by the International Visegrad Fund, the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Czech Film Fund, the Audiovisual Producers' Association, the Pilsen Region, the Polish Film Institute, the Slovak Audiovisual Fund, the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest and LITA.

Here is the full list of award winners at the 2024 CEE Animation Forum:

Feature Films

Winner
Saima - Scenes from a Midlife Crisis – Chintis Lundgren (Croatia)
Producer: Draško Ivezić (Adriatic Animation/Chintis Lundgreni Animatsioonistuudio)

TV Series

Winner
Toink! – Bert Lesaffer (Belgium)
Producer: Kristof Lantin (Animal Tank)

Special Mention
The End – Paul Muresan (Romania)
Producer: Mihai Mitrica (Safe Frame)

Short Films

Winner
Ant – Jonatan Schwenk (Germany)

Special Mention
Killin’ It – Balázs Turai (Hungary)
Producer: Péter Benjámin Lukács (Boddah)

Rising Stars – Student Films

Winner
My Granny Amphibian – Viktória Zimmermannová (Slovakia)
Producer: Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava - VŠMU

Special Mention
Cashier – Alina Sivets (Czech Republic)
Producer: University of West Bohemia, Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art

Audience Award
Toink! – Bert Lesaffer (Belgium)
Producer: Kristof Lantin (Animal Tank)

CEE Animation Workshop Scholarship
English Lessons – Ivan Tymchenko (Ukraine)
Producer: Svitlana Soloviova (Digital Platform/Svitlofor Film)

Ciclic Residency
Ant – Jonatan Schwenk (Germany)

Travelling – Distribution Awards

Winner
Ant – Jonatan Schwenk (Germany)

Special Mention
A Walk in Nature – Matej Mihalyi (Czech Republic)
Producer: Academy of Arts Architecture & Design in Prague UMPRUM

Cartoon MOVIE – Direct Access
In My Head - Veronika Zúbek Kocourková (Slovakia)
Producer: Monika Lošťáková (Super Film)

The Axolotls - Filip Posivac (Czech Republic)
Producer: Barbora Chaberova (Bionaut)

TVPaint – Animation License
Total Eclipse - Marija Stojnić (Serbia/Bulgaria)
Producer: Marija Stojnić, Boris Despodov (Set Sail Films)

Young Horizons Industry – Direct Access
Finding Home - Anja Manou Hellem (Norway)
Producer: Lillian Løvseth (Trollfilm)

Animarkt Stop Motion Forum - Direct Access
Ant – Jonatan Schwenk (Germany)

BRATRONICE Residency
A Walk in Nature – Matej Mihalyi (Czech Republic)
Producer: Academy of Arts Architecture & Design in Prague UMPRUM