The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International, the premiere destination for animated arts in Toronto, announced award winners for the TAAFI 2019 Film Festival at the Hot Doc Ted Rogers Cinema on Tuesday. This year’s festival received 1,664 submissions this year, presenting four feature length films and 83 shorts in and out of competition.
Over a weekend of artistry and excitement from February 15-17, TAAFI celebrated and showcased animated talent across the globe from shorts to feature films.
The festival hosted an early screening of the third highest grossing film in 2019, DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, augmented by a Q&A with director Dean DeBlois — who was named Animated Person of the Year — and voice actor Jay Baruchel. Additionally, TAAFI hosted screenings for Sony Pictures Classics’ Ruben Brandt, Collector; Shout! Factory’s Tito and the Birds; and GKIDS’ MFKZ.
The year’s activities aren’t over for TAAFI, which will be hosting an animation and vfx job fair on April 27 at Toronto’s George Brown College Waterfront Campus, and an industry conference November 1-3. The TAAFI Film Festival will return in 2020, scheduled for Feb. 14-16.
2019 TAAFI Film Festival Winners:
Best International Film – AMERICA
Nadav Arbel | Israel
Best Canadian Short – SPACE BETWEEN STARS
Samuel W. Bradley | Guru Studio
Best Kids Short – HILDA “THE BIRD PARADE”
Andy Coyle | Mercury/Netflix
Best Student Short – GIANT CHILD
Camila De Guzman | Seneca College
Best of Fest Grand Prix – HILDA “THE BIRD PARADE”
Andy Coyle | Mercury/Netflix
Audience Choice – SPACE BETWEEN STARS
Samuel W. Bradley | Guru Studio
Animated Person of the Year – DEAN DEBLOIS
Jurors: Mike Valiquette, head of the jury (director, producer, founder of Cartoon
North), Eric Steinhart (Content Executive, Industrial Brothers), Sylvie Rochon (15-year TV animation, gaming and VFX veteran), Aron Dunn (Principal & Chief Creative, Treason Media), Emily Paige (Co-founder, e→d films; board member, L’Alliance Québec Animation; advisory board, Montréal in Motion), Elize Morgan
(writer of TV, games and digital series; Mysticons, Ollie: The Boy Who Became What He Ate!, Bagel & Becky), Sam Chou (series creator, director, and founder of Style5.tv).
