Five BIAF-Affiliated Films Nominated for the 98th Academy Awards, Led by Grand Prize Winner Little A

Five BIAF-Affiliated Films Nominated for the 98th Academy Awards, Led by Grand Prize Winner Little Amélie or the Character of Rain With the announcement of the nominations for the 98th Academy Awards on January 22 (local time), a total of five films associated with the Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF) have been nominated. Among the nominated works is Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, winner of both the BIAF 2025 Grand Prize (Feature Film) and the Cocomics Music Prize alongside four short films that were recognized at BIAF: Butterfly – AniB Prize, BIAF2024 The Girl Who Cried Pearls – AniB Prize, BIAF2025 Retirement Plan – Special Mention, BIAF2025 Forevergreen – International Competition Short Film, BIAF2025 In total, five BIAF-affiliated films have achieved Academy Award nominations, marking a remarkable milestone for the festival. Notably, four out of the five nominees in the Short Film (Animation) category are BIAF-screened works. In addition, Three Sisters by director Konstantin Bronzit, who conducted a BIAF Masterclass in 2020, has also been nominated, Among them, Butterfly stands out as the latest short film by Florence Miailhe, who previously won three prizes at BIAF—including the Grand Prize—for her feature film The Crossing, and served as President of the Jury at BIAF 2022. The film is produced by Ron Dyens, who last year won both the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and the BIAF2025 Honorary Achievement Award with Flow. As such, Butterfly is widely regarded as one of the strongest contenders for this year’s Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Meanwhile, the 28th Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF 2026)—an Academy Award®-qualifying international animation festival—will take place from October 23 to 27, 2026, in Bucheon, South Korea. Official Website: www.biaf.or.kr