Although JAM Media had to forego presenting a full edition of the Animation Dingle festival in Ireland this year due to the coronavirus, deserving student filmmakers who submitted their work were still celebrated virtually this weekend. As most of the preparations were completed by the time the March 20-21 festival was canceled — including the selection of winners for the 2020 YouTube Kids Animation Dingle Student Awards — a livestream awards announcement was presented by JAM Media’s Alan Shanahan and Mark Cumberton on Friday, March 20.
Animation Dingle will be refunding ticket costs to students for 2020, with presenters JAM Media and partners affirming that the fest will return in 2021 for a not-to-be-missed event.
Originally set to take place Friday at the Dingle Skellig Hotel, this year’s Awards received entries from students at colleges near and far, including IADT Dun Laoghaire, Ballyfermot, Coláiste Dhúlaigh, IT Tralee, Limerick School of Art and Design, Letterkenny IT, University of Ulster and the University of Dundee, LIT Clonmel and Athlone IT.
Students awaiting news of the broadcast announcements got to watch a daily upload of the wonderful Animation Dingle Stings on social media during the countdown, submitted by BCFE, IT Tralee and Letterkenny IT. This year’s theme was “In Pursuit!”
“Animation Dingle are delighted to have YouTube Kids as title sponsor to our Student Awards and I want to congratulate every student who entered, was shortlisted and who won an award this year!” said Maurice Galway, Co-Founder and Director of Animation Dingle. “Viewing all of your work was an absolute pleasure and an honour, thank you!”
The 2020 YouTube Kids Animation Dingle Student Award winners are:
BEST IRISH – The Beekeeper, Robyn Conroy, (IADT) Sponsored by RTE
BEST INTERNATIONAL – Shergar, Cora McKenna, (Denmark) Sponsored by CBBC
BEST DIRECTOR – Home, Méabh Gilheany & Rhea Hanlon, (Ulster University) Sponsored by Brown Bag Films
BEST WRITER – How to Rob a Witch, Liam Fahy, (IADT) Sponsored by Darrell Macqueen
BEST DESIGN/ART DIRECTION – Outside the Box, Janet Grainger, (Colaiste Dhulaigh) Sponsored by JAM Media
BEST ANIMATION – Fish for Life, Kerstin Blätterbinder, Lisa Gierlinger, Lukas Mathä, Victoria Wolfersberger, (Austria) Sponsored by Milkshake
BEST 2D – How to Rob a Witch, Liam Fahy, (IADT) Sponsored by Cartoon Saloon
Best 3D/CGI – Don’t Croak, Daun Kim, (Ringling College of Art and Design, U.S.) Sponsored by Boulder Media
BEST STOP MOTION – Daughter, Daria Kashcheeva, (FAMU, Czech Republic) Sponsored by Aardman Animations
BEST MUSIC/SOUND DESIGN – Legend Has It, Ciara Johnson, (BCFE) Sponsored by Enterprise Ireland
*Inaugural* BEST STING – In Pursuit of BigFoot, Eoin O’Keane (LYIT) Sponsored by EGG Post Productions
*Inaugural* BEST IRISH PROFESSIONAL SHORT – An Gadhar Dubh, Director Padraig Fegan (Paper Panther Productions) Sponsored by Lighthouse Studios
As well as the YouTube Kids Animation Dingle Student Awards, the Festival also runs their annual YAOTY (Young Animator of the Year) competition sponsored by Disney Channels. The winner of the YAOTY Award was also announced in the broadcast.
YAOTY Winner – Life in Plastic by Katie Elger (Colaiste Muire, Ennis)
Orion Ross, Vice President, Original Programming Animation, Media Networks Europe & Africa, The Walt Disney Company said, “A complete environmental story with an emotional punch.”
Silver – Save Our Souls by Aaron Gillespie (Summerhill College, Sligo)
Bronze – Starfish by Kellie Flaherty (Scoil Mhuire, Carrick-on-Suir)
All nine finalists will receive a gift bag from the Disney Store via post in the coming weeks.
Assessing this year’s submissions were:
Student Judges Suzanne Kelly (Group Head of Children’s & Young People’s Programming, RTE), Eimear O’Mahony (Executive Producer, Children’s and Young People’s Programming, RTE), Louise Bucknole (VP Programming, Viacom International Media Networks Kids, UK & Ireland) and Cecilia Persson (VP of Programming and Content Strategy Turner EMEA Kids, Acquisitions and Co-production International).
Professional Judges Peter Lord (Co-Founder & Creative Director, Aardman Animations), Darragh O’ Connell (Group Creative Director, Brown Bag Films and 9 Story Media Group) and Nicole Rivera (Vice President of Cartoon Network).
Sting Judge Chris Dicker (Head of Development, JAM Media).
YAOTY shortlisted finalists were selected by Mark Cumberton (COO/Producer JAM Media), Marty Boyland (Lecturer at IT Tralee) and Shauna Cullen (JAM Media). The final winner was selected by Orion Ross, Vice President, Original Programming Animation, Media Networks Europe & Africa, The Walt Disney Company.
