SPARK CG Society, organizers of the SPARK Animation festival, conference and job fair taking place in Vancouver this week, announced this year’s award winners during the opening night Spark Animation Celebration on Oct. 21.
The Best Animated Short Award went to Konstantin Bronzit for We Can’t Live Without Cosmos, produced by Russia’s Melnitsa Animation. Vancouver Film School scholar Nata Metlukh took the Best Student Film Award for Fears. Special Mentions were given to Marilyn Haddad for Like There Is No Tomorrow and Nick Salmon for Orbit.
The inaugural SPARK CG Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed on Marv Newland, who founded animated film production company International Rocketship in Vancouver in 1975 and is a current instructor at Vancouver Film School. Newland, perhaps best known for his iconic 1969 short Bambi Meets Godzilla, was honored for his creative contributions throughout his career as well as his valuable mentorship to the next generation of talent.
Outside the shorts competition: Best Cinematic went to The Witcher 3 “Wild Hunt” directed by Istvan Zorkoczy; Sylvain Chomet’s “Carmen” for Stromae won Best Animated Music Video; and “Team Generous 2015 Bornefonden” directed by Tobias Gundorff Boesen won Best Animated PSA/Commercial.
