Manchester Animation Festival unveiled the winners of its international Film Competition and Industry Excellence Awards last night (Thursday 13 November) at a ceremony held at HOME in Manchester.
Hosted by comedian and writer Alasdair Beckett-King, the evening celebrated creativity across the animation spectrum, with awards presented in categories including Short Film, Feature Film, British Film, Student Film, Commissioned Film, Immersive, Short Film for Children, and the coveted Audience Award.
Winners of the festival’s Short Film Award are eligible for consideration in the Academy Awards Short Films competition without the need for a standard theatrical run, provided they meet all other Academy requirements.
Following MAF’s collaboration with BAFTA in 2024 to recognise international animation festivals as qualifying events, all British films screened at the festival will now be automatically longlisted for BAFTA’s prestigious British Short Animation award.
The ceremony opened with the Industry Excellence Awards, recognising outstanding individuals behind the scenes in scriptwriting, storyboarding, character design and character animation – shining a spotlight on the craft and talent that power the industry.
Festival director Steve Henderson said: “There have been so many enriching conversations this week about the future of animation. At a tricky time for the animation industry, seeing such a range of wonderful, handcrafted and intricate masterpieces celebrated – and awarded – here at the festival is genuinely heartwarming and brilliant, obliterating any doom and gloom!”
The film awards winners are below.
Feature Film
Winner: Little Amélie or the Character of Rain by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han (France)
Short Film
Winner: Sulaimani by Vinnie Ann Bose (France)
Special Mention: Dog Ear by Péter Vácz (Hungary)
British Short Film
Winner: Two Black Boys in Paradise by Baz Sells (United Kingdom)
Special Mention: Brain Space by Laura Tofarides (United Kingdom)
Student Film
Winner: The Twelve Inch Pianist by Lucas Ansel (United States)
Special Mention: Urban Duo by Hongyu Yue (China)
Immersive Film
Winner: Out of Nowhere by Kris Hoffman (Austria)
Special Mention: Less Than 5gr of Saffron by Négar Motevalymeidanshah (France)
Commissioned Film
Winner: Desi Oon by Suresh Eriyat (India)
Special Mention: Naive New Beaters & Star Feminine Band by Ye Kou Si Kuo (France)
Audience Award
Winner: Ovary-Acting by Ida Melum (United Kingdom)
Short Films for Children
Winner: Forevergreen by Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears (United States)
The Industry Excellence Awards are below.
Script Writing
Davey Moore for Maddie and Triggs (CBeebies/RTÉjr)
Storyboarding
Sasha Fusini for Supertato (BBC)
Character Animation
Dave McKenna for Maddie and Triggs (CBeebies/RTÉjr)
Character Design
Saeed Rezvani for Mojo Swoptops (CBeebies)
