"Only a Child" wins first prize at SPARK ANIMATION

The SPARK Computer Graphics Society (Spark CG) has announced the award winners of the 2021 SPARK ANIMATION at the Spark ANIMATION Celebration. The ceremony will be available for viewing online during the 12th edition of the SPARK ANIMATION Film Festival which will be held from October 28 to November 7.

Simone Giampaolo's film Only a Child (One child only) from Switzerland was selected as this year's Best in Show, the first prize for the Oscar qualification of SPARK ANIMATION. The film was selected for its powerful and urgent reminder of the broken promise for global climate change that was promised 30 years ago and remains largely unfulfilled.

This year's director's award was awarded to  The Fall Vancouverite Desirae Witte, premiered at SPARK, while  Angakusajaujuq - The Shaman Apprentice by Zacharias Kunuk'sha took home the awards for the stop-motion narrative short film and the Canadian film.

Mr Spam Gets in New Hat (Mr. Spam gets a new hat) (UK) by William Joyce won the 3D Narrative Short Prize, while Joanna Quinn's Affairs of the art (UK) took home the 2D Narrative Award.

The French team of Yanis Belaid, Eliott Benard, Nicolas Mayeur, Etienne Moulin, Hadrien Pinot, Lisa Vicente, Philippine Singer and Alice Letailleur (Pôle 3D) won the Student category with The Seine's Tears (Tears of the Seine), while Canadians Michael Joseph McDonald and Joe Bluhm won the Music Video category with "Freedom" by Jordan Hart.

The CRCR collective (Japan) took home both the Commercial category with Head & Shoulders "The Chase" as well as the Cinematic category with League of Legends "Fenicemanti". Matt DesLauriers' wayfinder (Canada) received a Special Mention, Animated Interactive and Anatolii Umanets' But Happy (Ukraine) complete the winners with the VFX award.

Further awards and special mentions were awarded to:

• All Those Sensations in My Belly - Marko Djeska (Croatia) | WIA Diversity Award
• mila - Cinzia Angelini (USA) | Second place, 3D narrative short film
• People - Erick Oh (USA) | Runner-up, 2D narrative short film
• Freedom Swimmer - Olivia Martin-McGuire (UK) | Winner, Narrative short film with mixed media
• I Am Chuma - Wendy Spinks, Clea Mallinson (South Africa) | Second place, narrative short film on mixed media
• homebird - Ewa Smyk (UK) | Runner-up, short student
• Felt Right Then, Feels Right Now (I felt good then, I feel right now) - Ashton Blyth (UK) | Special mention, social message, short for students
• Where Are You Really From? (Where are you really from?) - Steven Lee (USA) | Special mention, social message, short for students
• The beast - Marlijn van Nuenen, Ram Tamez, Alfredo Gerard Kuttikatt (France) | Special mention, social message, short for students
• The Soloists (The Soloists) - Mehrnaz Abdollahinia, Feben Elias Woldehawariat, Razahk Issaka, Celeste Jamneck, Yi Liu (France) | Special mention, social message, short for students

• Misery Loves Company (Misery loves company) - Sasha Lee (South Korea) | Special mention, social message, short for students
• Circus in Town (Circus in the city) - Sebastian Kellermann, Robin Pfister (Germany) | Special Mention, Documentary, Short film for students
• Barking Orders (Orders to bark) - Alex Tullo (USA) | Special Mention, Comedy, Short film for students
• Molly & Her Cat (Molly and her cat) - Annabelle Cabaret, Lucie Damin, Emmanuel-Xuân Dubois, Chloé Laffaire, Yifang Man, Clarisse Milcent (France) | Special Mention, Comedy, Short film for students
• The clearing (The clearing) - Daniel Hope (UK) | Special Mention, Stop-Motion, Student Short
• Three jumps to happiness (Three leaps to happiness) - Artur Hanaj (Poland) | Special Mention, Stop-Motion, Student Short
• Save ralph - Spencer Susser (USA) | Winner, PSA
• Belshezzar's Feast "The Writing on the Wall" - Nicos Livesey (UK) | Runner-up, music video
• Katy Perry "Harleys in Hawaii" - Hoku Uchiyama, Adam Bolt (USA) | Special Mention, Music Video
• Cacophony - "I Am Sorry" - Hayoung Elaine Song (South Korea) | Special Mention, Music Video