Manchester Animation Festival announces winners of the 2024 awards

Recipients of the festival’s Short Film Award will be eligible for consideration in the Short Films competition of the Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

After working together with BAFTA to introduce international animation festivals as qualifying events, British films screened at MAF will automatically be long listed for BAFTA’s prestigious British Short Animation award.

The Jury for the Industry Excellence Awards comprised of Myles McLeod (Writer), Malachi James (BAA Lamb Award winning Storyboard Artist, Blue Zoo) and Nila Wood (Character Designer, Blue Zoo). The Industry Excellence Awards supported by Maxon, recognise individuals working in industry in the fields of writing, storyboarding and character animation took place alongside the film awards.

THE 2024 INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS ARE:
Script Writing
Alex Collier for Odo: Once Upon a Camp Leader

Storyboarding
Robin Shaw for Mog’s Christmas

Character Animation
Andy Fossey for Pip & Posey

MANCHESTER ANIMATION FILM AWARD WINNERS ARE:
Short Film – the Jury included Tom Brown, a British Artist and Filmmaker; Erik van Drunen, a curator of animation and film programmes both in the Netherlands and Internationally, and Tanya J Scott, an Award winning Director and Creator
I Died in Irpin by Anastasiia Falileieva (Czechia)

Feature Film – the jury consisted of award-winning producer Andrew Baker, Producer and co-author of Adventures in Animation Imogen Sutton, and freelance critic and reporter Rafael Motamayor
Flow by Gints Zilbalodis (France, Latvia, Belgium)

Special Mention: Memoir of a Snail’ by Adam Elliot (Australia)

British Animated Short Film
And Granny Would Dance directed by Maryam Mohajer (United Kingdom)

Audience Award – voted for by MAF delegates
The Lost Courier by Ma ZiDong (China)

Student Film
Bunnyhood by Mansi Maheshwari
The Jury said:

Short Film for Children – the category was judged by a specially formed panel of 9-14 year olds from Into Film’s Youth Advisory Group
Freak of Nature by Alexandra Lermer (Germany)

Commissioned Film
Eyes on Porn by Joseph Clark (United Kingdom)

Immersive Award
Oto’s Planet by Gwenael François (France)