THE ARGENTINEAN JUAN PABLO ZARAMELLA, ANIMAC ANIMATION MASTER AWARD 2023 AND THE ROMANIAN CREATOR ANCA DAMIAN, HONORARY AWARD
Anca Damian will receive the award in the 27th International Animation Film Festival of Catalonia to be held in Lleida from 23 to 26 February and online from 3 to 12 March 2023
In an edition to celebrate the creativity of Latin American animation, under the motto “LatAm Boom!”, Juan Pablo Zaramella will be recognised with the Animation Master Award as one of the most outstanding international contemporary stop motion animators
From 1 December the calls for participation in Incubator, Animacrea and Animac Campus will be open
The 27th International Animation Film Festival of Catalonia bestows the Honorary Award on one of the most outstanding directors in the world animation panorama, the Romanian Anca Damian (Cluj-Napoca, 1962), for reflecting the challenges of the contemporary world in her prolific work with imagination and innovative aesthetic ideas on the threshold of animated documentary. Her films, mainly produced by her production company Aparte Film, have been distributed around the world and she has received numerous international awards, such as the Cristal Award for Best Feature Film in Annecy 2012, the Award for Best Director in Warsaw, the Mirada International Award in the Madrid Film Festival, and the Eurimages Audentia Award, among many others.
In an edition dedicated to Latin American animation, under the motto “LatAm Boom!”, the Animac Animation Master Award 2023 will go to a prestigious Argentinean creator Juan Pablo Zaramella (Buenos Aires, 1972), as one of the most outstanding international contemporary stop motion animators.
From today, 1 December, the calls are open for participation in the professional sections of Animac: Incubator, Animacrea and Animac Campus. All the information will be available on the festival website www.animac.cat.
ANCA DAMIAN, ANIMAC HONORARY AWARD 2023
Born in Romania, Anca Damian studied at the Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in Bucharest where she graduated in Cinematography and later achieved a doctorate in Arts, Cinema and Media. She has worked as a director, scriptwriter and producer of many documentaries on issues related with art and has been director of photography on two feature films and several shorts.
Her second feature film, the animated documentary, “Crulic: The Path to Beyond” (Romania, 2011), which won the Annecy Cristal Award 2012, has been selected for over 150 international festivals such as Locarno and Telluride, and has garnered more than 35 international awards.
Her extensive film production includes “The Magic Mountain” (Romania, 2015), Best Film awards in the Zagreb and Amiens festivals, and the Eurimages Audentia Award, among others; “Moon Hotel Kabul” (Romania, 2018), winner of the Best Director Award in Warsaw and the Mirada Internacional Award in the Madrid Film Festival; “Marona’s Fantastic Tale” (Romania, France and Belgium, 2019), awarded the Special Jury Prize at the Animation Is Film festival in Los Angeles, André-Martin Award for a French Short Film at the Annecy Festival 2021, and Grand Prize at the Tokyo Anime Festival 2020, among others.
Most recently she has premiered “The Island” (Romania, 2021), a musical fable about the myth of Robinson Crusoe in reverse. Robinson is a doctor and he lives in voluntary isolation on an island overrun by migrants, NGOs and guards. He saves Friday, the sole survivor of an illegal refugee ship. During his journey to the island, Robinson encounters extraordinary beings and events. He will come up against current issues through visual poetry and symbolism in a world where everyone is seeking out their paradise. The artistic director of this film is the renowned illustrator Gina Thorstensen, who designed the Animac poster for the last two years of the Festival and this year has handed over to the Valencia-born illustrator and animator Rocío Álvarez, who has created the poster and directed the opening video of Animac 2023.
Today, she is immersed in the production of her fourth animated feature film entitled “Starseed”, which tells the story of an albino girl trying to survive in a poor neighbourhood in Zimbabwe ironically called Los Angeles. The 3D story uses the narrative tool to create a character with a yearning for what is beyond her family, physical and personal surroundings. For this project, Damian is, once again, joined by the art director Gina Thorstensen.
ANIMATION MASTER AWARD 2023 FOR THE ARGENTINEAN CREATOR JUAN PABLO ZARAMELLA
The Argentinean director, animator and illustrator Juan Pablo Zaramella will receive the Animac Animation Master Award 2023 as one of the most outstanding international contemporary stop motion animators. His simple aesthetic style, sense of rhythm and humour developed in his shorts and series have put him on the podium of world animation
His short film “Luminaris” (Argentina, 2011) earned him the Guinness Record for most awards won by an animated short film with 324 awards, including the Audience Award and Fipresci International Critics’ Award in Annecy, and it was shortlisted for the Oscars. Currently, Zaramella is preparing his first animation feature film entitled “Soy Nina”, a project that won the Ciclic Award at Annecy-Mifa 2020.
Animac will also dedicate a retrospective to the work of Zaramella, as well as a travelling exhibition curated by Angie Zamblera, with Animac as its first European venue.
CALLS FOR PROFESSIONALS TO PARTICIPATE IN INCUBATOR, ANIMACREA AND ANIMAC CAMPUS NOW OPEN
From today, 1 December, calls are open to participate in the professional sections of Animac: Incubator, Animacrea and Animac Campus. All the information will be available on the festival website www.animac.cat.
Incubator is the meeting point for animation creators and professionals, where projects at an embryonic stage are presented before a panel of experts.
Animacrea brings together the best national and international animation schools year after year. In this space, professional stands are combined with the most fun and experimental activity for families and visitors, with animation workshops where you can discover the techniques and potential of animation as an expressive medium.
Animac Campus is especially designed for students of animation, cinema, audiovisuals, art or design who would like to experience Animac with their classmates.
FURTHER INFORMATION
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