L’Alliance New York has announced the Animation First 2025 winners of the New Francophone Shorts and Student Film Competitions.
Back for the eighth year, Animation First is the biggest animation festival in the U.S. and the only festival dedicated to Francophone animation. This year’s winners were announced before the closing night film on the sixth and final day of the festival, Sunday, January 26.
Belgium-France-Netherlands co-production Beautiful Men was awarded the top prize. Directed by Nicolas Keppens, the stop-motion short follows three bald brothers who travel to Turkey for hair transplants. The film won two prizes at Annecy as well as Best Animation at Aspen ShortFest, Best Narrative Short at Ottawa International Animation Festival and Best of the Festival at London International Animation Festival, and is nominated for the animated short Oscar this year.
Prizes for New Francophone Shorts and Student Film Competitions were provided by TVPaint and Toon Boom Animation.
New Francophone Shorts
- Best Francophone Short: Beautiful Men by Nicolas Keppens
- Special Mentions: VOLECEST by Éric Briche and Hurikán by Jan Saska
The jury for the New Francophone Shorts included Bill Plympton, Karlotta Frier and Noelle Melody.
Best American Student Short
- Grand Prize: La Mort de Robespierre by Janelle Feng (CalArts)
- Coup de coeur Jury: Le Charade by Erika Totoro (SCAD)
- Special mentions: iJustine King (CalArts), Wild Animal by Tianyun Lyu (University of South California)
The American Jury included Lauren Spitzer, Diya Joseph (CalArts), Addison Fujimoto, Ellie Hui (SVA), Andrew Erbskorn, Amina Umirzhanova (SCAD), Xindi Zhang, Jee Suk Kim (USC).
Best French Student Short
- Grand Prize: Jour de Vent by Martin Chailloux, Ai Kim Crespin, Elise Golfouse, Chloé Lab, Hugo Taillez, Camille Truding (École des Nouvelles images)
- Coup de coeur Jury: Shyness of Trees by Sofiia Chuikovska, Loïck Du Plessis D’argentré, Lina Han, Simin He, Jiaxin Huang, Maud Le Bras, Bingqing Shu
- Special mentions: Behind the Door by Jiyoung Yoon (L’École Émile-Cohl); Acrobats by Eloïse Alluyn, Hugo Danet, Anna Despinoy, Antonin Guerci, Alexandre Marzin, Shali Reddy
The French jury included Martha Riviere, Alexandra Pewinski (RUBIKA), Simon Herrera, Samuels Rowella (Gobelins, l’École de l’Image), Gabrielle Diaz, Gaétan Duchesne (L’École Émile-Cohl) and was presided over by animator Kristof Serrand (The Prince of Egypt, Kung Fu Panda).
