Fantoche, one of Europe’s most well-established animation festivals, has unveiled the winners of its 2021 edition, which took place in Baden, Switzerland on September 7–12.
The Fourth Wall, by young Iranian filmmaker Mahboobeh Kalaee, was awarded the top prize in the international competition. Its synopsis reads: “Home and family, relationships, desires, wishes and everything are summarized in a kitchen. The stuttering boy is alone there, playing with his imagination.” The short also won an award for best professional first film at Animafest Zagreb this year.
A few established festival favorites added to their haul at Fantoche. Annecy Cristal winner Peel, a documentary portrait of a retirement home, won best film and the audience award in the Swiss competition. Zagreb grand prize winner Just a Guy, a documentary about various women’s relationships with serial killer Richard Ramirez, took the international “high risk” award. Clermont-Ferrand winner Affairs of the Art, the latest in Joanna Quinn’s comic Beryl saga, won the audience award for an international film.
