This year’s Animarkt Stop Motion Forum, a film gathering based in Poland and dedicated to animation, consisted of numerous on-the-spot and offline events, including a pitching session. A total of 15 projects were presented to the industry guests, while at the end of proceedings, nine of them scooped accolades from the jury, comprising Bea Bartolome, Alicja Gancarz and Denis Walgewitz.

Hello Summer by Martin Smatana and Veronika Zacharova (Slovakia) won a €2,000 voucher to be spent on production in one of the Visegrad Group countries, as well as the Animond Award. Meanwhile, 3 Cups of Coffee by Natalia Krawczuk (Poland) was granted the CEE Animation Forum Award and the Sound Award, funded by the Audiovisual Technology Center (CeTA). The Wrocław-based company also gave a voucher worth 60,000 PLN (€13,000) to 9 Million Colors by Bára Anna Stejskalová (Czech Republic).

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Desire to Win by Michaela Režová (Czech Republic) went home with the Dragonframe Software Award. In addition, three projects – the aforementioned 9 Million Colors, Becarias by Marina Donderis, Núria Poveda and María Cortón (Spain), and Humanity by Tereza Kovandová (Czech Republic) – won a consultation with Marcin Zalewski, an expert in puppet-building.

The directors of Petra & the Sun, Maria Luisa Furche and Stefania Malacichini (Chile), received a free industry accreditation for the Mifa 2022 fair in Annecy, as well as festival distribution by Radiator IP Sales. Galaxia by Robinson Moreno (Venezuela) snagged the RIA Animation Residency Award by Apa and Apa Lab. Additionally, the jury bestowed two non-competitive awards upon Butterfly by Sunčana Brkulj (Croatia) and Becarias.

“Despite having spent many years working in this industry, the quality of the selected projects this year is new to me,” juror Denis Walgenwitz said in a press release, to explain the high number of awards dished out. “In recent years, in the stop-motion animation industry, we have observed a tendency to have better and better cooperation between producers, directors, teams and technical teams. That is why we have this variety and quality, and the ability to tackle many topics and issues, which I think is good news for everyone.”

The ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum, which unspooled from 7-11 December, is co-financed by the International Visegrád Fund and the Polish Film Institute. The main partners of the ANIMARKT Stop Motion Forum for 2021 were EC1 Łódź – City of Culture and the Łódź Film Commission. The event is organised by MOMAKIN, a company dedicated to education and professionalisation in the animated-film industry.

Here is the full list of award-winning projects:

€2,000 to Be Spent on Production in One of the Visegrad Group Countries
Hello Summer – Martin Smatana and Veronika Zacharova (Slovakia)

Sound Award Funded by the Audiovisual Technology Center (CeTA)
3 Cups of Coffee – Natalia Krawczuk (Poland)

Voucher worth PLN 60,000 Funded by the Audiovisual Technology Center (CeTA)
9 Million Colors – Bára Anna Stejskalová (Czech Republic)

Dragonframe Software Award
Desire to Win – Michaela Režová (Czech Republic)

Consultation with Marcin Zalewski
9 Million Colors – Bára Anna Stejskalová
Becarias – Marina Donderis, Núria Poveda, María Cortón (Spain)
Humanity – Tereza Kovandová (Czech Republic)

Industry Accreditation for Mifa 2022
Petra & the Sun – Maria Luisa Furche, Stefania Malacichini (Chile)

RIA Animation Residency Award by Apa and Apa Lab
Galaxia – Robinson Moreno (Venezuela)

Festival Distribution Led by Radiator IP Sales
Petra & the Sun – Maria Luisa Furche, Stefania Malacichini

CEE Animation Forum Award
3 Cups of Coffee – Natalia Krawczuk

ANIMOND Award
Hello Summer – Martin Smatana, Veronika Zacharova