Director Phil Mulloy’s The Christies from Spectre Films in the U.K. took the Mercury Filmworks Prize for best animated feature at the Ottawa Int’l Animation Festival over the weekend. Another big winner was Mr. Schwartz, Mr. Hazen & Mr. Horlocker by Stefan Mueller from FH Wiesbaden University of Applied Sciences in Germany, which took the grand prize for best student animation and also took the graduate prize in the student animation competition. The winners were announced during the closing ceremonies at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The presentation was followed by a ‘Best of the Festival” screening showcasing the award-winning films. A list of the rest of the winners follows. For more information on the festival, go to For further information regarding the Festival, please visit our website at www.animationfestival.ca.
Nelvana Grand Prize For Best Independent Short Animation
Dreams & Desires: Family Ties by Joanna Quinn
Beryl Productions International Ltd / Wales, U.K.
Grand Prize For Best-Commissioned Animation
FedEx: ‘Stick’
David Hulin / Framestore N.Y.
Animation School Showreel
Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemburg (Germany)
Independent Short Animation Competition:
Narrative Short Animation under 35 minutes
Here and There (Ici par ici)
Obom / National Film Board of Canada
Honourable Mention:
The Carnival of The Animals (Karneval Zvirat)
Michaela Pavlatova / Negativ Film Prods. / Czech Republic
Experimental / Abstract Animation under 35 minutes
Jeu
Georges Schwizgebel / Studio GDS, National Film Board of Canada & T’l’vision Suisse Romandes/ Switzerland
Honourable Mentions:
Lightning Doodle Project [pikapika]
Takeshi Nagata and Kazue Monno / Japan
Backyard Shadow
Karl Staven / U.S.
Student Animation Competition
Adobe Prize for Best High School Animation
Check
Samuel MacKinnon / Bighead Prods. / Canada
Honourable Mention:
Black Box
Hye Jin Park, Hyun Joo Song, Ji Na Yoon and Min Hee Jang
Korea Animation High School / South Korea
Undergraduate Animation
The Building
Marco Nguyen, Pierre Perifel, Xavier Ramonede, Olivier Staphylas and R’mi Zaarour
GOBELINS, L’Ecole de l’image / France
Honourable Mention:
The Possum
Chris Choy
California Institute of the Arts / U.S.
Commissioned Animation Competition
Promotional Animation
FedEx: ‘Stick’
David Hulin
Framstore N.Y.
Honourable Mention:
United Airlines: ‘Dragon’
Jamie Caliri
Duck Studios / U.S.
Music Video
Jason Forrest: ‘War Photographer’
Joel Trussell / U.S.
Television Animation for Adults
Journey to the Disney Vault
Robert Marianetti, David Wachtenheim and Glenn Steinmacher / U.S.
New Media Competition
Animation Short Made for the Internet
It’s JerryTime!: The Brute
Orrin Zucker
Ozone Inc. / U.S.
Animation Made For Children
Kutoka Prize for Best Short Animation Made for Children
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
Michael Sporn
Michael Sporn Animation, Inc. / U.S.
Collideascope Award for Television Animation for Children
Codename Kids Next Door: Operation L.I.C.O.R.I.C.E.
Mr. Warburton
Curious Pictures / U.S.
Special Prizes
National Film Board Of Canada Public Prize
Jaime Lo – Small and Shy
Lillian Chan
National Film Board of Canada
Canadian Film Institute Award For Best Canadian Animation
The Man Who Waited (L’homme qui attendait)
Theodore Ushev
National Film Board of Canada
Honourable Mention:
Changing Evan
Steven Woloshen / Canada
Teletoon Canadian Student Animation Scholarship (prizes of $5,000.00 for first place, $3,000.00 for second place and $2,000.00 for third place)
Entrance Competition
1. Check / Samuel MacKinnon / Bighead Prods. / Canada
2. Bruno / Aven Fisher / Canada
3. The Little Girl Who Stares / Cleo Halfpenny / Canada
Continuing Education Competition
1. 2 / Kim Anderson / Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema & Quickdraw Animation Society / Canada
2. Umbrella Boy (2005) / Andrew Ross / Sheridan College & House of Cool / Canada
3. Pinch (2006) / Jody Kramer / Emily Carr Institute / Canada
Most Promising Student Competition
1. L’Or Rouge / Kent Hugo / Sheridan College / Canada
2. Late Night Comedy / Chay Edry / Sheridan College
3. Animation Test Pilot / Brad Kinley / Sheridan College / Canada
