CHRISTOPHER HINTON HAS SCORED FOR CANADA

 

Oct. 7, 2002 – Ottawa, Ontario – Celebrated National Film Board of

Canada animator Christopher Hinton was awarded two of the top prizes at

this year’s Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF). During a

ceremony in the Theatre of the National Arts Centre Sunday evening,

Hinton was presented with the award for Best Narrative Short Film

(Flux), in addition to coming out on top in a new category, Best

Animation for the Internet (Twang). The jury noted the “exuberant

energy” of Hinton’s images and “excellent use” of the Internet format.

 

Canadian animators took home two additional OIAF awards, a strong

endorsement of Canada’s innovative animation industry by the

international jury. Mr. Roboto, described by jury member Amanda Forbis

as “a funny and fresh illustration of a basic concept,” was named the

Best Educational, Scientific or Industrial Film; while, a YTV

promotional campaign directed by Frank Falcone won the Best

Station/Programme Identification award.

 

A poignant British television commercial from the National Society for

the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) was awarded the Grand

Prize for Best Commissioned Film. The 60-second ‘Cartoon’ combines live

action and animation in an eye-opening message against the abuse of

children. Another British director, Robert Bradbrook, will go home with

the Grand Prize for Best Independent Short, for his narrative, Home Road

Movies, described by jury member Andreas Hykade as “a small story with

universal resonance.”

 

Mexican animator René Rivera Castillo’s Hasta los huesos (Down to the

Bone) was named Best First Film, a category sponsored by local animation

company Noitaminanimation. The Best Film Made for Children category was

won by Tornehekken (The Hedge of Thorns), a film from Norway’s Anita

Killi; while popular kids’ show Samurai Jack was named Best Television

Series for its “originality within the standard television format.”

 

Over 100 films (including a record 25 entries from Canada) vied for

prizes in 16 categories at this year’s OIAF, the largest animation

festival in North America. Attendance records were broken during the

five days of the biennial festival, as in excess of 1,000 delegates took

in a variety of competitive screenings, in addition to workshops,

discussions, retrospectives, art exhibitions and a sizable trade show.

Participants included such internationally-renowned artists and

directors as jury members Piotr Dumala, Amanda Forbis, Janie Geiser,

Andreas Hykade and Piet Kroon, in addition to Ottawa’s own John

Kricfalusi, creator of Ren & Stimpy.

 

This year’s event included such new categories as Best Music Video (won

by Coldplay’s “Don’t Panic”) and Best Animated Feature Film. The winning

feature, chosen by a separate jury of distinguished delegates and

selection-committee members, was Richard Linklater and Bob Sabiston’s

Waking Life, which jury members commended for its “use of both new and

established technology.” Bill Plympton’s controversial Mutant Aliens was

granted a second-place award in recognition of the veteran animator’s

continuing status as “a beacon for what an independent artist can

achieve.”

 

Filmgoers, meanwhile, selected Slakt & Vänner (Family Life), a quirky

slice of domestic life, as their favourite film, through ballots

distributed at each of the competitive screenings. And the jury gave

special mention to Australian director Andrew Horne’s satirical How

Democracy Really Works, a film also recognized by the Gordon Bruce Award

for Humour. American animator Tim Szetela was presented with the

National Film Board of Canada Award for Best Non-narrative Film (for

a.z).

 

The success of this year’s festival points to a need for larger venues

the next time around, according to Artistic Director Chris Robinson.

“The workshops, especially, were filled to overflowing,” Robinson

observes. “This is really the year where we got closer to achieving that

balance between independent works and the ‘industry.’ I think a lot of

people came into it this year feeling down on the industry and came out

feeling really invigorated.”

 

A complete list of this year’s winners is attached.

 

For further information, please contact:

 

Chris Robinson, Artistic Director

Email: robinson@magma.ca

Tel: (613) 232-8769

Fax: (613) 232-6315

 

Kelly Neall, Managing Director

Email: neall@magma.ca

Tel: (613) 232-8769

Fax: (613) 232-6315

 

Allan Wigney, Media Relations

Email: info@animationfestival.ca

Tel: (613) 232-8769

Fax: (613) 232-6315

 

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OFFICIAL 2002 COMPETITION AWARD WINNERS

 

 

INDEPENDENT SHORT FILMS COMPETITION

 

GRAND PRIZE FOR BEST INDEPENDENT SHORT FILM/VIDEO

Home Road Movies (UK: Robert Bradbrook)

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM UNDER 40 MINUTES

Flux (Canada: Christopher Hinton)

NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA AWARD FOR BEST NON-NARRATIVE FILM

a.z (USA: Tim Szetela)

NOITAMINANIMATION AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FILM

Hasta los huesos (Down to the Bone) (Mexico: René Rivera Castillo)

BEST FILM MADE FOR CHILDREN

Tornehekken (The Hedge of Thorns) (Norway: Anita Killi)

 

 

 

 

COMMISSIONED FILMS COMPETITION

 

GRAND PRIZE FOR BEST COMMISSIONED FILM/VIDEO

NSPCC: ‘Cartoon’ (UK: Frank Budgen, Russell Brooke)

BEST EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC OR INDUSTRIAL FILM/VIDEO

Mr. Roboto (Canada: Steve Angel)

BEST ADVERTISING FILM

Sony PlayStation 2: ‘The Wolfman’ (UK: Tim Hope)

BEST STATION/PROGRAMME IDENTIFICATION

YTV Campaign (Canada: Frank Falcone)

BEST MUSIC VIDEO

Coldplay: ‘Don’t Panic’ (UK: Tim Hope)

BEST TELEVISION SERIES

Samurai Jack: ‘Jack and the Blind Archers’ (USA: Genndy Tartakovsky)

BEST ANIMATION FOR THE INTERNET

Twang (Canada: Christopher Hinton)

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

Waking Life (USA: Richard Linklater)

2nd Prize: Mutant Aliens (USA: Bill Plympton)

PUBLIC PRIZE

Slakt & Vänner (Family & Friends) (Sweden: Jonas Odell)

GORDON BRUCE AWARD FOR HUMOUR

Leunig: ‘How Democracy Really Works’ (Australia: Andrew Horne)

MIKE GRIBBLE AWARD (MOST HILARIOUS FILM)

Leunig: ‘How Democracy Really Works’ (Australia: Andrew Horne)

SPECIAL MENTION (JURY)

Leunig: ‘How Democracy Really Works’ (Australia: Andrew Horne)