11/06/2012 - Romanian filmmaker Anca Damian wins. Special Distinction for the Spanish film Wrinkles and Audience Award for Approved for Adoption

Arbitrary detention and a fatal hunger strike, friendship and Alzheimer’s in an old people’s home, and a Korean adopted by a European family’s quest for identity. With great formal creativity (crossing fiction and documentary), the three animated features awarded on Saturday night at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival all tackle very serious social topics, but each in their own very moving way. The festival’s jury, including Belgian filmmaker Stéphane Aubier and British producer Sue Gofffe, thus handed the Crystal for Best Animated Feature Film to Crulic – The Path to Beyond [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anca Damian
film profile] by Anca Damian. This animated documentary retraces the judicial error that caused the death of a young Romanian in a Polish prison in 2008, and has been a sensation since its premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. Produced by Aparte Film and Fundacja Im. Ferdynanda Magellana, the film is sold worldwide by Wide Management and will be out in France on December 12.

The jury gave its Special Distinction to Spanish animated feature Wrinkles [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ignacio Ferreras
interview: Ignacio Ferreras
film profile] by Ignacio Ferreras, which thus adds a new award to its collection after, among others, two 2012 Goyas (Best Animation Film and especially, very unusually, Best Screenplay) as well as Cartoon Movie's trophy for best production company for Perro Verde Film.

The Audience Award went to Approved for Adoption by the duo Jung - Laurent Boileau - (read more). Adapted from the comic books about the former’s life (as a Korean adopted by a Belgian family when he was six), the film is a poetic exploration of identity and multiculturalism. Produced by the French Mosaïque Films and the Belgian Artémis Productions, the animated feature is sold worldwide by Wide Management and was released in French cinemas last Wednesday by Gebeka Films.

The following films stood out among those screened out of competition: Days of the Crows by Jean-Christophe Dessaint and Ernest and Celestine by the trio Stéphane Aubier - Vincent Patar - Benjamin Renner (well reviewed at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes - read the review).

Attendance was up by 4 % compared to 2011 at the festival’s film market (MIFA), with 470 companies exhibiting, 287 buyers, distributors, and investors, and in total close to 2,500 accredited professionals from over 63 countries attending. For the first time, the market passed the 1,000 mark, with up to 1,053 companies participating in total.

This edition of the Annecy Film Festival was the last to be overseen by artistic director Serge Bromberg who will now be replaced by the Canadian Marcel Jean.

Complete list of winners:

Feature films

Crystal for Best Feature: Crulic: the Path to Beyond - Anca Damian (Romania, Poland)

Special Distinction: Wrinkles - Ignacio Ferreras (Spain)

Audience Award: Approved for Adoption - Laurent Boileau & Jung (France, Belgium, South Korea, Switzerland)

Short films

The Annecy Crystal: Tram - Michaela Pavlátová (France)

Jury Special Award: Edmond Was a Donkey - Franck Dion (France, Canada)

Award for Best First Film: The People Who Never Stop - Florian Piento (France, Japan)

Special Distinction: Seven Minutes in the Warsaw Ghetto - Johan Oettinger (Denmark)

Best Original Soundtrack: Modern No. 2 - Mirai Mizue (Japan)

Junior Jury Award: Story of Him - Pascual Pérez (Spain)

Audience Award: Second Hand - Isaac King (Canada)

Television and commissioned films

Crystal for Best Television Production: Secret Mountain Fort Awesome "Nightmare Sauce" - Pete Browngardt (United States)

Special Prize for best television series - Stella and Sam "Voyage sur la lune" - Dave Merritt & Raymond Jafelice (Canada)

Award for best television special: The Gruffalo’s Child - Johannes Weiland & Uwe Heidschötter (Great Britain)

Award for best educational, scientific, or industrial film: Resale Right - Pierre-Emmanuel Lyet (France)

Award for best advertising or promotional film: Red Cross "Stuff" - Andrew Hall (United States)

(Translated from French)