The diversity awards at the 4th WIA Diversity Awards at SPARK
Women in Animation (WIA) announced the fourth edition of the WIA Diversity Award , presented in collaboration with the Spark Computer Graphics Society (Spark CG). The recipients of this year's awards are: Kyoto Animation, Laurence Ralph for her animated short The Torture Letters (Torture letters) and María Trénor's animated short Where Were You? (Where were you?) The awards were presented by WIA President Marge Dean with a tape presentation made available online from day one of SPARK ANIMATION 2020, which will take place virtually from October 29 to November 8 from Vancouver, Canada.
The WIA Diversity Awards were established to recognize and honor individuals, films and organizations that have made a significant impact in expanding the diversity of voices in the art and animation industry, through their own creative work, promoting the work of others, or by leading diversity initiatives that enrich our industry and society.
“It is important to recognize and celebrate the courageous efforts and progress for diversity that is taking place in the world today. The WIA Diversity Awards are our way of putting the spotlight on some of the success stories and inspiring them to others, ”said Marge Dean, President of WIA.
Voted by the Board of Directors of WIA, the 2020 WIA Diversity Award for Corporate Achievement is given to Kyoto animation for their ongoing work to create an inclusive study based on the principle of creating a gender balanced work environment. Co-founded and run by married couple Hideaki and Yoko Hatta, the studio has long supported and encouraged women to enter the animation field in Japan, offering salaried positions and in-house training to help staff develop their skills. These practices encourage employees to focus on frame quality rather than production quotas. Additionally, this study model offers many women the continued confidence they need to justify a commitment to work in the animation industry.
“It is our honor to award this important award to Kyoto Animation,” said Jinko Gotoh, Vice President of WIA. “As a Japanese producer myself, I am particularly proud of the way Kyoto Animation shares WIA's inclusive principle of hiring female artists, as well as their commitment to educating artists. They also showed enormous courage in the face of a terrible tragedy “.
Also voted by the WIA Board of Directors, the 2020 WIA Diversity Award for Individual Achievement is assigned to Laurence ralph, particularly for his powerful short animated documentary The torture letters. Ralph is a director and anthropology professor at Princeton University, whose research explores how police abuse, mass incarceration, and drug trafficking make illness, disability and premature death seem natural to urban residents of color, which they are often seen as disposable. The torture letters illustrates one of Ralph's earliest memories of the police, when a plainclothes officer harassed his family. Looking back, Ralph traces his story back to the ingrained torture practices of the Chicago police.
“I want to thank Marge Dean and the entire Women in Animation organization for expanding the diversity of voices in the animation industry. This recognition means that my voice and my vision as a storyteller deserve to be seen. I am honored that such an amazing organization believes in me and I am honored to be a part of this community, ”said Ralph.
Dean added: “It is our honor to reward Laurence Ralph with this award. The torture letters uses the medium of animation in the best possible way by telling a story that is not often heard but fundamental to the progress of humanity. Additionally, Ralph's academic work in medical and political anthropology is broadening discussions and understanding of the changes needed for social justice in the United States. ”
A jury prize awarded by the Spark Computer Graphics Society, the WIA Diversity 2020 Award for short films is presented to María Trénor's Where were you? The film challenges us to reflect on the transversal and universal reality that is violence against women. Testify to daily violence which can be subtle or brutal from experiences told in different languages and from different countries, Where were you? harmonizes the authenticity of real life testimonies with the evocative and visual power of animation, pleading with its viewers that "wherever you are, don't let that happen".
After receiving the award, Trénor said: “It is an honor to accept the WIA Diversity Award. It also belongs to all the brave women from the Philippines, Spain and Mozambique who made this short film possible. All of them have been victims of gender-based violence. As I did so, I could feel more than ever the solidarity that exists between women regardless of age, ethnicity or nationality. This award will contribute to the visibility and denunciation of universal violence against women. The best prize to win is to save lives ”.
Marina Antunes, director of the festival of Spark Animation 2020 and the Spark CG Society, added: “The jury of the festival was very much taken by María Trénor Where were you?, which faces the grim universal reality of violence against women and challenges us to address not only brutal physical violence, but also the often subtle daily indiscretions that affect more than half of the world's population. It is beautiful, powerful and necessary work. "
