Five awards and four special mentions, two projects travelling to France and more than 5.000 unique users on the digital live platform!

Thank you for the support! See you all in 2021!

The 13th Animasyros International Animation Festival was successfully completed on Sunday, September 27 at the island of Syros but also through its digital live platform, gathering more than 5.000 unique visitors from: UK, France, Spain, Italy, and of course Greece.

Due to the special circumstances, radio producer Mary Retsina undertook the presentation of the closing ceremony of the Festival and welcomed the public! Through an imaginative video, she presented the Festival awards, the educational programs and the winners of the Agora pitch, which this year is co-organized with the market of Annecy International Animation Film Festival, MIFA. Watch the closing ceremony on Animasyros vimeo.

The Awards

The Grand Prize of the International Competition section was awarded to “Flesh” (BR/ES) by Camila Kater. According to the jury, it is “A powerful animation documentary giving voice to the inner female journey; the diversity of styles and variety of techniques complement the subject matter in a compelling way”.

The Honorable Mention of the International Competition section was awarded to “Memorable” (FR) by Bruno Collet, “a beautiful theme and execution. A sensitive and personal approach to the fragility of the human aging process.”

The Best TV & Commissioned Award was given to “Your Data Is Showing” (DK) by Anna Bonnen. According to the jury, it is “A very well accomplished piece of animation that fully communicates its message through a witty and engaging approach”.

In the same category, the Honorable Mention was granted to “Lionverse” (HK) by Hayden Chun Hei Mok, “for the flow of its animation that is beautifully rounded with a very effective soundtrack”.

At the Student Competition section the award was granted to “The Storm” (FR) by Astrid Guinet. “How can a young woman succeed in escaping the grip of an abusive mother? If there is an answer, don’t expect to hear it from the victim. Silenced by an omnipresent monologue from her father, her only option is to free herself from her toxic relationships. If the subject of Astrid Guinet’s animation “The Storm” may seem dark, it is transcended by its mastery of graphics. Her drawings, which evoke colored chalk swirling on a school blackboard, are the perfect metaphor for the life of this young woman. This quest for freedom and happiness won over the jury of the Animasyros festival, which awarded “The Storm” the first prize in the “student competition”.”

The Honorable Mention was given to “Tamou” (IL) by Tom Prezman & Tzor Edery. “Drawn in crisp and minimalistic visual style, its story is told from a super-intimate perspective, soaked with sensory details of local culture. Refers to topic of situation of queer individuals in their families and society, in the middle east and worldwide , making this movie local and global at the same time. Presents very mature storytelling with psychological realism. With its quiet and introspective narration, leaves a lot of air , where things are elusive and and not easy to wrap in simple, binary, gender or good/evil categories. “Tamou” is not merely voice about societal issues but artistically sophisticated visual poem on its own”.

Apart from Animasyros 13 Competition section awards, the festival Juries granted two more awards: The “Best Greek-Speaking Film Award” and the “European Values Award: #ThisIsEU”.

The award for “The Best Greek-Speaking Film”, instituted by the Greek Film Center and accompanied by a cash prize, was given to the film “The Little Elephant” (GR) by Effie Pappa “for the beautiful execution and character design that complemented the children’s song creating a memorable universe”.

The Honorable Mention goes to “The Parrot Lady” (CY) by Michalis Kalopaidis, “for the delicate, touching and full of poetry approach on a sensitive subject matter”.

The European Values Award: #ThisIsEU was awarded by the Representation of the European Commission in Greece to the film “Bear With Me” (NL) by Daphna Awadish. According to the jury it is a “Big story without big story, animated documentary executed in very minimal and efficient but stylish and artistically sophisticated way. Movie that grasps intimate feeling of loneliness that every each of us hold inside and must bear till the end of our life. Film about craving for companion and the importance of basic everyday human warmth that is life-saving. Movie that makes you feel better after watching it and appreciate people around even more, spreading thankfulness for simple “being here.”

The Juries

The International Jury of Animasyros 13, responsible for the Awards of the International Competition Section and the category TV Series & Commissioned films, consisting of Calliope Charalambous, Director of the Athens International Children’s Film Festival, the Portuguese Pedro Serrazina, award-winning director, lecturer and researcher, and Anca Damian, award-winning director and animator from Romania.

The Student Competition Jury consists of Martin Vandas, from the Czech Republic, producer of the film “Daughter” which will also be screened at the Festival, Tomek Popakul, director, screenwriter and animator, and Bruno Collet director, screenwriter and animator, nominated for an Oscar and for a Cesar Award. Agora Pitching Forum Awards

The Animasyros Agora in its 6th edition, launched a collaboration with MIFA – Animation du Monde, the world’s largest commercial event, held as part of the Annecy Festival of Annecy in France. As a part of a four-day pitching forum, two projects were selected in order to travel to the Annecy Festival in 2021, as a part of MIFA pitches, in front of an audience of more than 200 professionals of animation, while previously they will have attended a special training workshop. The two films that will travel in Annecy are the following:

“Mesut” (CY) by Alexia Roider, produced by Michael Kalopaidis, because “This story in an important context of the Cypriote devision, is an auspicious and inspiratinal undertaken”.

And “Oscar” (GR) by Polixeni Katsari & Matina Fikari, because “This project is aimed at a target audience that is underserved with quality content”.

The special mention goes to “Travel Bugs” by Fokion Xenos, produced by Neda Films, because it is “The special mention goes to a series that is well on its way to success but will benefit from the ability to have access to MIFA”.

The Pitching Forum’s Jury is formed by Géraldine Baché, responsible of MIFA’s Educational Programs, Antoine Liétout, French producer and Laidak Films co-founder, Marineta MAK Kritikou, Agora coordinator and our favorites Nancy Denney- Phelps journalist from Belgium and Tunde Vollenbroek producer and curator at the KLIK/Kaboom Animation Festival in Netherlands.

Educational Workshops The audience enjoyed three short animated films created during the three educational workshops (animation workshops for children, adolescents and adults). You can watch all the workshop animated shorts on vimeo.

ASIFA HELLAS During Animasyros13, a meeting of the general assembly of ASIFA HELLAS – Hellenic Animation Association was organized as a teleconference with the participation of all the members of the Animation community in Greece (Open Plenary). The meeting discussed all the key issues in the field of animation, such as the celebrations plans for the upcoming 75th anniversary of the creation of animation in our country, the implementation of the COVID-19 program, organized by the Ministry of Culture / Greek Film Center and the implementation of animation festivals during the pandemic.

Animasyros13 is co-organized with the Municipality of Syros – Ermoupolis, the European Commission Representation in Greece and with the support of the he Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO). Festival’s Prime Supporter is The National Centre of Audiovisual Media and Communication – EKOME S.A.

Animasyros is organized under the auspices and financial support of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports.

See you all in 2021!