Our 2019 WINNERS!
Now that our FREE 2019 "DRAWTASTIC" Online Animation Festival show is over you might want to remember our winners in 2019. They're listed in order of their screening appearance below. A huge "congratulations" go out to each one of them - in addition to everyone else who entered their work for our 2019 event. It is no mean feat to complete an animated film, hand-drawn or otherwise. It often takes many weeks/months/years to finish, so our admiration goes out to all of those who have! Winner or not, you are all champions in our eyes. And keep those pencils drawing for 2020 too! We plan to support student and traditionally hand-drawn 2D animation in 2020 especially - as well as launch our new "Junior Golden Pencil Awards" animation competition that will also screen for FREE over the 4th July holiday. So why not help us in helping animation develop in the USA - and beyond - by supporting our event and entering your films! Looking forward to a great 2020!
Our 2019 Festival screeners...
"THE CONFESSION" (2:06 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"STUDENT" CATEGORY)
Officer Hodgepodge tries to get a confession from convicted felon, Warren Crime.
Director: Chelsea Pitti-Fernandez
Writer: Chelsea Pitti-Fernandez
Biography: A third year animation student with a passion for film.
"HUNGRY" (2:39 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"STUDENT" CATEGORY)
A film about a T-rex, who is starving in the desert and looking for food. It is a film about his adventure with meeting with other wild animals.
Director: Yaou Chen
Composer: Maxx Bradley
Biography - Yaou Chen grew up in Maanshan, China. Since childhood she has been fascinated by drawing comics. She has been actively creating animation and visual stories since the year of 2013. Yaou is currently a Character Animation student at Calarts. In 2017, her illustration “Untitled” has been nominated the student scholarship of Society of illustrators in New York. Yaou was the exhibitor of Creative Talent Network Expo 2017 & 2018 with her design collection <A Slice of Life> exhibited in Burbank, CA. In the year of 2019, Her animated short <You In Me> was selected in Cyprus Comic Con Film Festival, Florida Animation Festival and Rome Independent Prisma Awards.
"FLOWER CROWN" (3:57 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"STUDENT" CATEGORY)
In the deepest forest a young soldier from a poor background, who flees, deadly injured, from a failed battle. Due to his wounds incapable to escape, he sees the flower crown girls, who take care of him and accompany him on the way to the other side.Viktoria Sinner.
Director: Viktoria Sinner
Writer: Viktoria Sinner
Biography: Viktoria SinnerBorn in the early 90s Viktoria grew up drawing all day with a deep desire to set her ideas in motion. After a succesfull graduation at Hochschule Hannover of Applied Science and Art with Bachelor of Arts in the fields of Animation she works now as a freelancer illustrator and animator. She believes in strong concept/story and stunning style.
"TURTLE'S HURDLE" (2:30 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"STUDENT" CATEGORY)
A newborn, baby sea turtle gets left behind by his siblings when they make it to the ocean without him.
Director: Jada Kurian
Music: Ethan Orlanes
"LUMENS" (5:30 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"STUDENT" CATEGORY)
In a land where the sun has disappeared, a young woman embarks on a quest.
Director: Manuel Moreno Lee
Priority: Illusion
"SYNCHRONICITY" (3:47 ~ "GOLDEN PENCIL AWARD"/"2D ANIMATION" CATEGORY)
People come, people go - Yet everyone is moving in the same direction. We all are sharing something that we are unaware of, creating one big picture we are unable to see.
Director: Michelle Brand
Biography:
2014 - 2017 Animation BA (Hons) University for the Creative Arts, Farnham
2013 - onwards Animator and Illustrator on various projects
2017 - 2019 Animation MA Royal College of Arts, London
Michelle Brand is a German-English animator, who makes films that tend to visualise big, abstract and slightly complex ideas, attempting to connect philosophy and moving image. Her favourite subject so far revolves around time, movement in change, discussing how they interconnect and relate to each other, and connecting animation and film theory, and philosophical concepts. She enjoys experimenting with different visual styles and media in order to translate bigger concepts into small, thoughtful journeys. After graduating in 2017 from the University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, she is now currently enjoying her Animation MA course at the Royal College of Arts in London.
Director Statement: The film explores the idea of how everyone is connected in a way we may not realise. By sharing time, space and movement, we overlap and create a bigger picture. We all are walking down our own line of time, believing we live in our own time line, however this line constantly overlaps with the line of others – or perhaps we all are moving on the same line – and all lines are connected through a constant process of change.
"THE MUSIC BOX" (11:29 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"2D ANIMATION" CATEGORY)
The Great Chinese Cultural Revolution was a political campaign in China launched and led by Mao Zedong from 1966 to 1976. Nearly ten million people, including outstanding scientists, artists, intellectuals and ordinary people, died during these "Ten Years of Turnmoil" or "Ten Years of Holocaust."
This animated short film is based on a real story and sets in China during the Cultural Revolution in 1967, It is about a young boy Liang Liang, whose family is suddenly taken to the countryside by Red Guards. He is able to grab the only thing he treasures which is a western style music box, and is careful not to expose it to the red guards since it was linked to western culture. The film mirrors tragedies that befall children and families who are forced to leave their homes, due to war, colonization and political campaigns - unfortunately a situation which is all too common today.
Director: Joe Chang
Writer: Joe Chang
Producer: Yang Li
Biography: Joe Chang is an award-winning director, animator and artist. He studied at Lu-Xun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang, China and Tama Art University in Tokyo, Japan and the animated short the Chinese Violin (2000) was his first animated film with the National Film Board of Canada. His most recent animated short film is The Music Box (2018). Currently, Joe is an artist and independent filmmaker, and he also working at China Academy of Art as guest professor in Hangzhou, China.
"KING OF THE HOUSE" (10:45 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"ARCHIVE 2D ANIMATION" CATEGORY)
A delusional man lives alone in a small dark house, believing that he is the king of the world and his supremacy is secure. However, his sovereignty is shaken by the arrival of a stranger. Little by little, this intruder occupies his living space, forces him to face his inner fears, cowardice and inferiority. Eventually, he realizes the great king he conjured in his tiny kingdom, is nothing but a pitiful tramp to the rest of the world.
Director/Writer/Producer: Zige Zhang
Biography: Zige Zhang is a director and a storyboard artist. She is fond of telling metaphorical stories, and translating her life experience into fantasies. Although Zige likes to create animated films that are filled with theatrical pageantry, she believes they still have the power to make people feel empathy, as these characters play roles that are not so far from audiences’ own experience. Also, Zige is interested in singing and composing. She started playing piano at an early age and she has a solid foundation in music theory. Her long time engagement with music has led to her the especial interest of musicals and she just finished a musical animation King of the House.
Director Statement: This film is a portrait of a man in a stagnated mental state, which develops in many people. The “king” is afraid to go outside, and unwilling to accept new things, because he doesn’t want to accept his true self. I believe that in order to protect themselves, people sometimes can be deceived, believing they are better off sealed away. Hiding from the disappointments of experience, they succumb to isolation.
I am interested in exploring the dark sides of human nature: the strong possessiveness over one's territory, and the fear for the unknown. I think these dark sides of the humanity are often connected with our insecurity, and I hope to illustrate human's reactions under these psychological circumstances through a humorous and ironic story.
To make this piece inline with the “kings” hallucinations, I used a dramatic, musical structure to tell the story. There are three musical songs in this film. I hope the expressionism visual style, and the strong color palette presents a dark and desperate emotional tone within an also humorous film.
"ANIMATION LOGO OF KIT" (0:21 ~ "GOLDEN PENCIL AWARD"/"ADVERTISING" CATEGORY)
Animation logo of KIT Film Studio was realized by the famous animator Alexander Petrov, the winner of the Oscar.
Director: Alexander Petrov
Writer: Rafael Minasbekyan/Dzhanik Fayziev
Producer: Rafael Minasbekyan/Dzhanik Fayzie/Georgy Ryumin
DOP: Alexander Petrov
Editor: Alexander Petrov
Sound designer: Ruslan Muratov
Composer: Ruslan Muratov
Biography: Alexander Petrov is a Russian cartoonist, screenwriter. Since April 19, 2008 is an academician of the Academy of Arts. He is the only academic artist-animator. Member of the American Film Academy. Winner of the Oscar (2000) for the cartoon "The Old Man and the Sea."
"PERCY TALKS" (10:04 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"SPECIAL PURPOSE FILM" CATEGORY)
An autistic creator talks to children on the autism spectrum in search for understanding of what autism really is. The recordings of their conversations create a wealth of mini stories that are animated and presented by its creator who voices Percy the blue creature.
Director: Diego Raf Diaz
Writer: Couboi Faykand and the Wild West, The Time Travelers
Producer: Rodrigo Gomez Claros
Key cast: Diego Raf Diaz/Shane Carney/Michael Guerra/Jayden Dzielski
Biography - Diego Raf Diaz was born on May 28, 1993. I was diagnosed with autism at an early age. During my childhood, my mother tried to teach me about life by showing me some videos. Many of these videos featured animated cartoons; both films and television. As I continued to watch these videos, I began to see the cartoon characters as my only true friends. Also, during my childhood I loved to draw. I would often draw many pictures in various sketchbooks, most of which would be colored in. As I grew older, I imagined turning my drawings into movies and television. Soon, my love for drawing and my attachments to cartoon characters caused me to find my destiny; 2-D hand-drawn animation.
Sources of Inspiration:
Walt Disney---------------------------------------------------------------Pinocchio
Don Bluth------------------------------------------------The Land Before Time
Craig McCracken-----------------Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
C.H. Greenblatt-----------------------------------------------------------Chowder
Thurop Van Orman------The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
"THE CONFESSION" (2:06 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"STUDENT" CATEGORY)
Officer Hodgepodge tries to get a confession from convicted felon, Warren Crime.
Director: Chelsea Pitti-Fernandez
Writer: Chelsea Pitti-Fernandez
Biography: A third year animation student with a passion for film.
"HUNGRY" (2:39 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"STUDENT" CATEGORY)
A film about a T-rex, who is starving in the desert and looking for food. It is a film about his adventure with meeting with other wild animals.
Director: Yaou Chen
Composer: Maxx Bradley
Biography - Yaou Chen grew up in Maanshan, China. Since childhood she has been fascinated by drawing comics. She has been actively creating animation and visual stories since the year of 2013. Yaou is currently a Character Animation student at Calarts. In 2017, her illustration “Untitled” has been nominated the student scholarship of Society of illustrators in New York. Yaou was the exhibitor of Creative Talent Network Expo 2017 & 2018 with her design collection <A Slice of Life> exhibited in Burbank, CA. In the year of 2019, Her animated short <You In Me> was selected in Cyprus Comic Con Film Festival, Florida Animation Festival and Rome Independent Prisma Awards.
"FLOWER CROWN" (3:57 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"STUDENT" CATEGORY)
In the deepest forest a young soldier from a poor background, who flees, deadly injured, from a failed battle. Due to his wounds incapable to escape, he sees the flower crown girls, who take care of him and accompany him on the way to the other side.Viktoria Sinner.
Director: Viktoria Sinner
Writer: Viktoria Sinner
Biography: Viktoria SinnerBorn in the early 90s Viktoria grew up drawing all day with a deep desire to set her ideas in motion. After a succesfull graduation at Hochschule Hannover of Applied Science and Art with Bachelor of Arts in the fields of Animation she works now as a freelancer illustrator and animator. She believes in strong concept/story and stunning style.
"TURTLE'S HURDLE" (2:30 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"STUDENT" CATEGORY)
A newborn, baby sea turtle gets left behind by his siblings when they make it to the ocean without him.
Director: Jada Kurian
Music: Ethan Orlanes
"LUMENS" (5:30 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"STUDENT" CATEGORY)
In a land where the sun has disappeared, a young woman embarks on a quest.
Director: Manuel Moreno Lee
Priority: Illusion
"SYNCHRONICITY" (3:47 ~ "GOLDEN PENCIL AWARD"/"2D ANIMATION" CATEGORY)
People come, people go - Yet everyone is moving in the same direction. We all are sharing something that we are unaware of, creating one big picture we are unable to see.
Director: Michelle Brand
Biography:
2014 - 2017 Animation BA (Hons) University for the Creative Arts, Farnham
2013 - onwards Animator and Illustrator on various projects
2017 - 2019 Animation MA Royal College of Arts, London
Michelle Brand is a German-English animator, who makes films that tend to visualise big, abstract and slightly complex ideas, attempting to connect philosophy and moving image. Her favourite subject so far revolves around time, movement in change, discussing how they interconnect and relate to each other, and connecting animation and film theory, and philosophical concepts. She enjoys experimenting with different visual styles and media in order to translate bigger concepts into small, thoughtful journeys. After graduating in 2017 from the University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, she is now currently enjoying her Animation MA course at the Royal College of Arts in London.
Director Statement: The film explores the idea of how everyone is connected in a way we may not realise. By sharing time, space and movement, we overlap and create a bigger picture. We all are walking down our own line of time, believing we live in our own time line, however this line constantly overlaps with the line of others – or perhaps we all are moving on the same line – and all lines are connected through a constant process of change.
"THE MUSIC BOX" (11:29 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"2D ANIMATION" CATEGORY)
The Great Chinese Cultural Revolution was a political campaign in China launched and led by Mao Zedong from 1966 to 1976. Nearly ten million people, including outstanding scientists, artists, intellectuals and ordinary people, died during these "Ten Years of Turnmoil" or "Ten Years of Holocaust."
This animated short film is based on a real story and sets in China during the Cultural Revolution in 1967, It is about a young boy Liang Liang, whose family is suddenly taken to the countryside by Red Guards. He is able to grab the only thing he treasures which is a western style music box, and is careful not to expose it to the red guards since it was linked to western culture. The film mirrors tragedies that befall children and families who are forced to leave their homes, due to war, colonization and political campaigns - unfortunately a situation which is all too common today.
Director: Joe Chang
Writer: Joe Chang
Producer: Yang Li
Biography: Joe Chang is an award-winning director, animator and artist. He studied at Lu-Xun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang, China and Tama Art University in Tokyo, Japan and the animated short the Chinese Violin (2000) was his first animated film with the National Film Board of Canada. His most recent animated short film is The Music Box (2018). Currently, Joe is an artist and independent filmmaker, and he also working at China Academy of Art as guest professor in Hangzhou, China.
"KING OF THE HOUSE" (10:45 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"ARCHIVE 2D ANIMATION" CATEGORY)
A delusional man lives alone in a small dark house, believing that he is the king of the world and his supremacy is secure. However, his sovereignty is shaken by the arrival of a stranger. Little by little, this intruder occupies his living space, forces him to face his inner fears, cowardice and inferiority. Eventually, he realizes the great king he conjured in his tiny kingdom, is nothing but a pitiful tramp to the rest of the world.
Director/Writer/Producer: Zige Zhang
Biography: Zige Zhang is a director and a storyboard artist. She is fond of telling metaphorical stories, and translating her life experience into fantasies. Although Zige likes to create animated films that are filled with theatrical pageantry, she believes they still have the power to make people feel empathy, as these characters play roles that are not so far from audiences’ own experience. Also, Zige is interested in singing and composing. She started playing piano at an early age and she has a solid foundation in music theory. Her long time engagement with music has led to her the especial interest of musicals and she just finished a musical animation King of the House.
Director Statement: This film is a portrait of a man in a stagnated mental state, which develops in many people. The “king” is afraid to go outside, and unwilling to accept new things, because he doesn’t want to accept his true self. I believe that in order to protect themselves, people sometimes can be deceived, believing they are better off sealed away. Hiding from the disappointments of experience, they succumb to isolation.
I am interested in exploring the dark sides of human nature: the strong possessiveness over one's territory, and the fear for the unknown. I think these dark sides of the humanity are often connected with our insecurity, and I hope to illustrate human's reactions under these psychological circumstances through a humorous and ironic story.
To make this piece inline with the “kings” hallucinations, I used a dramatic, musical structure to tell the story. There are three musical songs in this film. I hope the expressionism visual style, and the strong color palette presents a dark and desperate emotional tone within an also humorous film.
"ANIMATION LOGO OF KIT" (0:21 ~ "GOLDEN PENCIL AWARD"/"ADVERTISING" CATEGORY)
Animation logo of KIT Film Studio was realized by the famous animator Alexander Petrov, the winner of the Oscar.
Director: Alexander Petrov
Writer: Rafael Minasbekyan/Dzhanik Fayziev
Producer: Rafael Minasbekyan/Dzhanik Fayzie/Georgy Ryumin
DOP: Alexander Petrov
Editor: Alexander Petrov
Sound designer: Ruslan Muratov
Composer: Ruslan Muratov
Biography: Alexander Petrov is a Russian cartoonist, screenwriter. Since April 19, 2008 is an academician of the Academy of Arts. He is the only academic artist-animator. Member of the American Film Academy. Winner of the Oscar (2000) for the cartoon "The Old Man and the Sea."
"PERCY TALKS" (10:04 ~ HONORABLE MENTION/"SPECIAL PURPOSE FILM" CATEGORY)
An autistic creator talks to children on the autism spectrum in search for understanding of what autism really is. The recordings of their conversations create a wealth of mini stories that are animated and presented by its creator who voices Percy the blue creature.
Director: Diego Raf Diaz
Writer: Couboi Faykand and the Wild West, The Time Travelers
Producer: Rodrigo Gomez Claros
Key cast: Diego Raf Diaz/Shane Carney/Michael Guerra/Jayden Dzielski
Biography - Diego Raf Diaz was born on May 28, 1993. I was diagnosed with autism at an early age. During my childhood, my mother tried to teach me about life by showing me some videos. Many of these videos featured animated cartoons; both films and television. As I continued to watch these videos, I began to see the cartoon characters as my only true friends. Also, during my childhood I loved to draw. I would often draw many pictures in various sketchbooks, most of which would be colored in. As I grew older, I imagined turning my drawings into movies and television. Soon, my love for drawing and my attachments to cartoon characters caused me to find my destiny; 2-D hand-drawn animation.
Sources of Inspiration:
Walt Disney---------------------------------------------------------------Pinocchio
Don Bluth------------------------------------------------The Land Before Time
Craig McCracken-----------------Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends
C.H. Greenblatt-----------------------------------------------------------Chowder
Thurop Van Orman------The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack