Momo Cao’s ‘Not Alone’ Wins First-Ever Cartoon Brew Award At ASIFA-East Festival

ASIFA-East handed out awards for its 56th annual animation festival on Sunday night in New York City, closing out another edition of one of the longest-running showcases for independent, student, and experimental animation in the United States.

The festival, organized by ASIFA-East, has long served as a key platform for East Coast animators, with categories spanning student work, commissioned projects, experimental filmmaking, and independent shorts.

This year’s Best in Show prize went to K8 Howl and Jak Ritger’s Shapes. The mixed-media short, which world premiered at ASIFA-East, is described by its filmmakers as follows:

Combining under-the-camera animation, rigged puppets, strata-cut, and projection, clay shapes, lyrics, and landscapes come to life in sync with a song by the band Bong Wish.

This year’s festival was particularly exciting for us, as it saw the introduction of the Cartoon Brew Award for Excellence in Filmmaking, a new honor created through our partnership with the event. The inaugural CB Award went to Not Alone by Momo Cao.

Presenting the ward on behalf of Cartoon Brew is legendary New York-based filmmaker Signe Baumane (Rocks in My Pockets, My Love Affair with Marriage), who kindly read our thoughts on the film to the assembled audience:

Aesthetically, the film has a strong sense of identity and intention. Its characters are expressive and endearing in both their design and movement, while the visual metaphors feel cohesive, accessible without being simplistic, and layered enough to invite interpretation.

Narratively, the film touches on complex and occasionally heavy themes, but it does so with restraint. It’s never overbearing or didactic and feels rooted in an emotional core that resonates naturally without the need for dialogue.

We’ll have more to say about the film and an exclusive interview with Cao coming very soon, with some exciting news about the short, so stay tuned.

Founded in 1969, ASIFA-East Festival was established as a celebration of the art and craft of animation, with a particular emphasis on supporting the New York animation community. Over the decades, the festival has become known for spotlighting emerging voices alongside veteran independent filmmakers, with many past participants going on to prominent careers in feature films, television, games, and commercial animation.

Other winners this year featured a diverse range of films, from student firsts to established festival-circuit regulars to Disney legends.

Below is the full list of this year’s winners. (Numbered entries are in order of placement)

Student Films

1. A Grieving Heart, Wendy Cong Zhao
2. Our Pockets Are Full, Anjali Pulim
3. Waltz of the Smorbs, Erim Cetinel; CHAI, Aryan Anand

Music Video

1. Lethe, Mike Enright
2. Coworker Crush, Ash Suh
3. Freehand – Fangbanger, Hong Ming Chua

Experimental Films

1. Impromptu, Steven Subotnick
2. Crain Plaisy, Karl Staven
3. So Many Different Things, Sakshi Jain

Commercial Films

1. Stories in Motion, John Schnall & Holly Carter
2. Good College, Aaron Augenblick
3. DS&Durga “I Don’t Know What” Murder Mystery, Sean P. Lattrell

Craft Prizes

• Snow Bear, Aaron Blaise (Animation)
• The Hare, Yulia Ruditskaya (Design)
• Just One Peek, Mulan Fu (Sound)
• AI Hype, Nate Ziller (Writing)
• The Clever Trick Used By Sports Betting Apps, Biljana Labovic (Education)

Independent Films

1.  Epic of Enkidu, Mike A. Smith
2. Two Ships, McKinley Benson
3. I Beg Your Pardon, John W. Lustig

Special Awards

• Not Alone, Momo Cao (Cartoon Brew Award for Excellence in Filmmaking)
• Worcestershire Sauce, Dylan Baddeley (WIA NYC Award)

Best in Show

• Shapes, K8 Howl & Jak Ritger