Jun 17, 2023

- "Chicken for Linda! and "Robot's Dream" and "-27", awarded the top prize at the Annecy Film Festival in 2023.

After a week of screenings, panels, pitches, studio presentations, and high-profile master classes, the Annecy Film Festival held its closing ceremony tonight to honor the best short, feature, television, student film, and VR films screened during the week.

The Annecy Crystal Award for Best Animated Feature, the festival's top prize, went to Chiara Malta and Sebastian Rodenbach's "Chicken for Linda," which also won the Gunn Foundation Award for Distribution. The husband and wife team of Rodenbach and Malta, both Annecy regulars, have worked together regularly over the years on both live action and animation projects; Chicken for Linda. had a work-in-progress presentation at last year's festival and sold out.

This year's Contre-Champs top prize went to Pablo Berger's Robot Dreams. The film premiered at Cannes last month and was a favorite among festival critics and audiences. Berger's animation debut, the film is a children's feature with a bittersweet tone that appeals to adults as well.

Flora Anna Buda's "27" won the Palme d'Or for Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival last month, beating out live action competition. It also won the Annecy Special Prize for Best Music for an Animated Short Film, which was awarded on Friday. The film is a clever story about a 27-year-old woman who feels trapped living with her parents and brother and frequently escapes into daydreams. After a party, she is involved in a serious accident and must reevaluate her choices.

This year's Cristal for Best Television Film went to Marjolène Perreten's "Pebble Hill." This 30-minute film tells the story of a small family of shrews who live by a creek. One day, a heavy rain washes away the village. Luckily the family is spared the worst, but their house is destroyed. The picture-book animation is very charming, and the earthy color palette makes for a relaxing viewing experience for any fan of autumn.

Tamerlan Bekmurzaev won the commissioned Cristal for his breathtaking "come into my arms" music video for November Ultra. The video uses soft lighting and warm pastel colors to create a spring dreamscape featuring a playful young girl on a fantastic train journey.

"La notte" by Martina Generali, Simone Pratola, and Francesca Rosso won the Crystal Award in the Graduate Production category. Based on Vivaldi's "La notte," this festively colored 2D short unfolds during the Venetian Carnival. A man in costume tries to sneak into a VIP party, but fails miserably.

The closing night gala also revealed that the festival will highlight Portuguese animation in 2024. Regina Pessoa (winner of the 2006 Annecy Crystal Short Film Award, Tragic Story with Happy Ending) and José Miguel Ribeiro (2022 Annecy Competition feature film, Nayola), cultural attaché at the Portuguese Embassy in France He appeared with Isabel Corte-Real in a video announcement to share the news.

#Portugal . Regina Pessoa, winner of the Cristal du court métrage in 2006 for "Histoire tragique avec fin heureuse" (Tragic End), will be honored at the #Annecy Film Festival, July 9-15, 2024, with the Portuguese Animation The announcement that the award will be conferred on the film. https://t.co/P9wmbL1652 pic.twitter.com/2BhOul6App

- Annecy Festival (@annecyfestival) June 17, 2023

The 2023 Annecy Festival will be the largest in the festival's history. In total, 15,820 accredited guests attended the event, up 19% from last year's record attendance of 13,248.

Mikael Marin, CEO of Annecy Festival organizer CITIA, said of this year's event:

More than ever, Annecy deserves its status as the World Capital of Animated Film. This new record for attendance is symbolic of the recognition and trust of professionals in the industry. It shows the determination of a community that, just days after the events that shook Annecy, would never have considered missing this gathering. It also highlights the dynamism of the industry and the creativity of the artists, and CITIA is very proud to be a major pillar of such a fine sector. Thank you very much.

Crystal for Feature Film

Chicken for Linda. , Chiara Marta, Sebastian Rodenbach (Dolce Vita Films, Miu Productions, Dorje Film/France, Italy)

Jury Prize

Four Souls of a Coyote, Aron Godel (Cinemon Entertainment/Hungary)

Paul Grimaud Prize

Tunnel to Summer, Farewell Exit, Tomohisa Taguchi (Clap / Japan)

Gunn Distribution Foundation Award

Chicken For Linda. , Chiara Marta, Sebastian Rodenbach (Dolce Vita Films, Miu Productions, Dorje Film / France, Italy)

Grand Prix Contrôle Champion

Robot's Dream, Pablo Berger ( Les Films du Wolso, Arcadia Motion Pictures, Noodles Productions / Spain, France)

Contrechamp Jury Prize

Tony, Shelley and the Magic Light, Filip Posiva. (Filmfabrik, Natzprodukce/Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia)

Audience Award

"Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Wind," Benoit Chu (Sacre Bleu Productions/Belgium, France)

Crystal Short Film Competition

27, Flora Anna Bouddah (Boddah, Miyu Productions/France)

Jury Prize

Drijf, Levi Stoops (Lunanime BVBA/Belgium)

Alexeïff - Parker Award

Eeva, Morten Chinakov, Lucija Murjak (Adriatic Animation, Esti Unisfilm / Croatia, Estonia)

Jean-Luc Xibera Award (first film)

Our Uniform, Yegane Moghaddam (Iran)

Off Limits Award

Is Heaven Blue- #2 - Menno De Nooijer, Paul De Nooijer (Trollfilm AS / Norway, Netherlands)

Audience Award

Nun or Never. - Heta Jarinoya (Vale Studios / Finland)

Crystal Award (Best Television Film)

Pebble Hill - Marjolaine Pelletten (Les Films du Nord, Nadasdy Film Salle / Belgium, France, Switzerland)

First Jury Prize for Television Series

Shape Island "The Great Prank of the Square" - Drew Hodges (Apple TV+/U.S.A.)

Second Jury Prize for Television Series

Scavenger's Rain "The Wall" - Vincent Tsui (Titmouse Inc.)

Lotte Reiniger Award

Mano - Toke Madsen (The Animation Workshop, VIA University College / Denmark)

Cristal for a VR Work

Red Tail - Fish Wang (Zero One Film Co, Funique VR, PTS Public Television Service / Taiwan)

Annecy City Prize

Island - Michael Faust (Studio Potemkin / Israel)

Festival Connection VR Prize

From the Main Square - Pedro Hales (Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolff / Germany)

Festival Connection Award

Maurice's Bar - Tom Pressman, Tzor Edery (Sacrebleu Productions / France, Israel)

Andre André Martin Award (French Short Film)

The Purple Season - Clémence Bouchereau (Bandini Films / France)

Best Original Music Award (Feature Film)

The Siren - Erik Truffaz (Les Films) Truffaz (Les Films d'Ici, Katuh Studio, BAC Cinema, Lunanime, Trickstudio Lutterbeck / Germany, Belgium, France, Luxembourg)

Best Original Music Short Film

27 - Committee, Mari Markó & Rosi Markó (Boddah, Miyu Productions/ France, Hungary)

Young Audience Award

To Be Sisters - Clément Céart & Anne-Sophie Gousset (Folimage, Les Armateurs/France)

Canal+ Junior Jury Award

Pete - Bret Parker (Artfarm Productions/U. 120]

French TV Award for Best Short Film

Nun or Never. - Heta Jarinoya (Bele Studio/Finland)