The Ottawa International Animation Festival announced its 2016 winners last night at an award ceremony held at the Saint Brigid’s Center for the Arts.
The grand prize for short film was a shocker to many attendees: Diane Obomsawin’s new NFB short J’aime Les Filles (I Like Girls). The simplistic film, a short series of vignettes about women recounting their first memories of homosexual desire, wasn’t particularly notable artistically or narratively, yet managed to come out on top.
“We were delighted by the charming coming of age tales, told from different perspectives,” said the short jury members–Ann Marie Fleming (Canada), Brooke Keesling (USA), and Sarina Nihei (Japan). “Fresh, funny, sweet. The vignettes were strong. The design and colors were excellent. Simple, lovely animation.”
The top feature prize was awarded to Jean-François Laguionie’s Louise en hiver. The feature jury was comprised of Giannalberto Bendazzi (Italy), Peter Millard (UK), and Elise Simard (Canada).
A complete list of Ottawa’s 2016 winners is below:
OTTAWA 2016 AWARDS
Nelvana Grand Prize for Independent Short Animation
J’aime Les Filles (I Like Girls) Diane Obomsawin (Canada, 2016)
Grand Prize for Best Animated Feature
Louise en hiver Jean-François Laguionie (France/Canada, 2016)
CATEGORY AWARDS
Cartoon Network Award for Best Narrative Short Animation
Blind Vaysha Theodore Ushev (Canada, 2016)
Award for Best Experimental or Abstract Animation
Datum Point Ryo Orikasa (Japan, 2015)
Award for Best Undergraduate Animation
Foreign Body Marta Magnuska (Poland, 2016)
Walt Disney Animation Award for Best Graduation Animation
Frankfurter Str. 99 Evgenia Gostrer (Germany, 2016)
Award for Best Commissioned Animation
Honda “Paper” Pes (USA, 2015)
Award for Best Short Film Made for Young Audiences
Three Little Ninjas Delivery Service Karim Rhellam, Kim Claeys (Belgium, 2016)
Award for Best Short Film Made for Young Audiences (Honorable Mentions)
Accidents, Blunder and Calamities James Cunningham (New Zealand)
Novembre Marjolaine Perreten (France)
Award for Best Animated Series Made for Young Audiences
Shaun the Sheep “The Farmer’s Llamas” Jay Grace (UK, 2015)
Award for Best Animated Series Made for Young Audiences (Honorable Mentions)
Summer Camp Island Julia Pott (USA)
Hey Duggee “The Omelette Badge” Grant Orchard (UK)
CRAFT AWARDS
Award for Best Script
Fired on Mars Nick Vokey, Nate Sherman (USA, 2016)
Award for Best Design
The Absence of Eddy Table Rune Spaans (Norway, 2016)
Award for Best Animation Technique
Velodrool Sander Joon (Estonia, 2015)
Award for Best Sound
Squame Nicolas Brault (Canada, 2015)
OTHER AWARDS
DHX Public Prize
Fired on Mars Nick Vokey, Nate Sherman (USA, 2016)
Canadian Film Institute Award for Best Canadian Animation
Blind Vaysha Theodore Ushev (Canada, 2016)
Canadian Film Institute Award for Best Canadian Animation (Honorable Mentions)
4min15 au révélateur Moia Jobin-Paré
Begone Dull Care Paul Johnson
VIA Rail Award for Best Canadian Student Animation
Nihil Khoebe Magsaysay (Sheridan College, 2016)
VIA Rail Award for Best Canadian Student Animation (Honorable Mentions)
Der Tod ist ein Dandy Daniela Vargas (Vancouver Film School)
The Clitoris Lori Malepart-Traversy (Concordia)
De Racines et de Chaines Francis Lacelle, Robert M Lepage (INIS)
