SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 Virtual has officially announced the three award-winning films from its Computer Animation Festival. Selected from a pool of 577 CG animated projects, 51 pre-selection jurors whittled the group down to 139; from there, an international jury of top professionals reviewed each project, choosing three award winners for the CAF Winners Screening, 22 top works for the Electronic Theater screening as well as another 22 for the Animation Theater program.
“Our CAF winners, Electronic Theater and Animation Theater screenings highlight the work of an incredibly diverse and talented group of artists from around the world,” said SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 Computer Animation Festival chair Dan Sarto. “Our jury helped assemble an extraordinary collection of animated projects, including 47 animated shorts, VFX reels, commercials, scientific visualizations and other works, presented online during the festival. Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who took time to share their work with us.”
The SIGGRAPH the 2020 award winners are:
Best in show: Shoom’s Odyssey
Director: Julien Bisaro
Producer: Claire Paoletti
Production Company: Picolo Pictures
Country: France
The 26-minute film, which won the Cristal for Best TV Production at Annecy 2020, tells the story of Shooom, a baby owl, that hatches just as a storm turns the bayou surrounding her tree upside down. No sooner has she fallen from her nest, then the little fledgling totters off into the mangrove, pushing a second egg from the brood along with her. Come hell or high water, she’s determined to find a mother… even if that mom turns out to be an alligator or a raccoon!
Best student project: Migrants
Directors: Hugo Caby, Antoine Dupriez, Aubin Kubiak, Lucas Lermytte, and Zoé Devise
Producer: Carlos De Carvalho
School: Pôle 3D
Country: France
Distributor: Je Regarde
Two polar bears are driven into exile due to global warming. They will encounter brown bears along their journey, with whom they will try to cohabitate.
Jury special: Box Assassin
Producer / Director: Jeremy Schaefer
School: Ringling College of Art & Design
Country: U.S.A.
Craig, a pizza delivery boy, recalls the night he was making a delivery to a cold-blooded gang boss and his goons. Unknowingly, Craig delivers not pizza, but the legendary Box Assassin. The assassin shows up and wreaks havoc among the gangsters. Craig attempts to escape but is taken hostage by the gang boss. At the mercy of a cold-blooded gangster, Craig fears this might be the end.
