Another edition of the World Animation Celebration has drawn to a close. Following two days packed with screenings, panels, speakers and much more, WAC 2017 has revealed the winners of its international animated short film and pitch competitions. The event was presented by Animation Libation Studios and Animation Magazine, hosted by Sony Pictures Animation in Culver City, California.
The Art of the Pitch original concept contest was sponsored by Toon Boom, which is providing the first place winner with four licenses of its Storyboard Pro and Harmony software; second and third place winners received Imagination International sets from Copic Markers and digital subscriptions to Animation Magazine. The winners are:
1st Place – Priscilla Bojorge & Sarah Cierlak, Taro’s Quest
2nd Place – Josh Sanoff, Taxi Girl
3rd Place – Daniela Rodriguez, Linny and Mel: Heroes in Training
The World Animation Celebration film fest Judges’ Special Jury Award went to legendary animator Glen Keane for his much buzzed-about Kobe Bryan collaboration Dear Basketball. This year’s festival judges included Stephen Chiodo, Rick Farmiloe, Anthea Kerou, Lee Lanier, Audu Paden, Sherie Pollack, Robb Pratt, and Charles Solomon. The shorts competition screened some 150 films from 40 countries.
WAC 2017 Winners:
STUDENT FILM: 2D DIGITAL
1st – Siesta, Gabriel Arrellaga (Sheridan College, Canada)
2nd – Kupala Night, Joanna K. Stopyra, Sarah Marschman & Vesela Stamenova (Academy of Art University, San Francisco US)
3rd – The Other Side, Ching Cheng (Vancouver Film School, Canada)
PROFESSIONAL FILM: 2D DIGITAL
1st – swiPed, David Chai (US)
2nd – Jamshid: A Lament for a Myth, Moin Samadi (Iran)
3rd – Menage a Tetris for TEDx Sydney, Cam Blackley & Alex Derwin (Australia)
STUDENT FILM: 2D TRADITIONAL
1st – Inn, Junheng Chen (USC School of Cinematic Arts, US)
2nd – Danse Aqua, Cindy Foucault (Cégep du Vieux Montréal, Canada)
3rd – A Priori, Maïté Schmitt (Filmakademie Baden-Wurttemberg Animationinstitut, Germany)
PROFESSIONAL FILM: 2D TRADITIONAL
1st – Dear Basketball, Glen Keane (US)
2nd – Cop Dog, Bill Plympton (US)
3rd – Notes on Monstropedia, Koji Yamamura (Japan)
STUDENT FILM: CG
1st – In a Heartbeat, Beth David & Esteban Bravo (Ringling College of Art and Design, US)
2nd – Tom in Couchland, James Just (Ringling College of Art and Design, US)
3rd – Deuspi, Corentin Yvergniaux , Oscar Malet, Camille Jalabert, Quentin Camus, Leo Brunel (WIZZ Academy, France)
PROFESSIONAL FILM: CG
1st – Cuerdas, Pedro Solís García (Spain)
2nd – The Gift, Kohei Kajisa (Japan)
3rd – Playing House, Cenk Köksal & Özgül Gürbüz (Turkey)
STUDENT FILM: STOP MOTION
1st – Between Sand and Tides, Rui Fan Wang (Royal College of Art, UK)
2nd – Poles Apart, Paloma Baeza (National Film and Television School, UK)
3rd – Laymun, Catherine Prowse & Hannah Quinn (Kingston University, UK)
PROFESSIONAL FILM: STOP MOTION
1st – The Best Customer, Serghei Chiviriga (Romania)
2nd – Bitz – The Whippet Made from Random Stuff, James Pollitt (UK)
3rd – Until That Day, Satoshi Kitagawa & Katsumi Nagai (Japan)
STUDENT FILM: EXPERIMENTAL
1st – Delicatessen, Fenglin Chen (School of the Art Institute of Chicago, US)
2nd – Aeon, Derek O’Dell (Chapman University, US)
3rd – Eon, Nick Zweig (RIT School of Film and Animation, US)
PROFESSIONAL FILM: EXPERIMENTAL
1st – The Wayward Kite, Yuting Hsueh (Taiwan)
2nd – Glorious Victory, Will Kim (US)
3rd – Fistbird and the Handdragon, Ty Tuin (US)
