‘Chicken for Linda!,’ ‘Compound Eyes of Tropical’ Win BIAF Grand Prizes

The 2023 Bucheon International Animation Festival has come to a close, marking the event’s 25th year of celebrating the best in international animated features, shorts and commissioned films in South Korea. The feature film competition was juried by Alain Ughetto, Kim Nayoung and Michael Arias. Chicken for Linda! Chicken for Linda! by Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach won the feature film Grand Prize as well as the Kinolights Prize for Feature. Mixing comedy, music, action and emotion, the illustrative 2D film tells a bittersweet story about loss and memory. The Jury noted Chicken for Linda! is “An animation that arouses interest and curiosity with fast-paced development, strong colors and simple graphics.” The Jury Prize for feature film went to The Siren by Sepideh Farsi, which explores the tragic history of the Iran-Iraq war through the life of 14-year-old Omid in Abadan. Jury Statement: “A real-life conflict is properly explained through animation. A beautiful film that clearly shows the horrors of the ongoing war.” Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds by Benoît Chieux and Mars Express by Jérémie Périn shared the Special Distinction Prize. Robot Dreams by Pablo Berger took the Audience Prize. Sirocco and Kingdom of the Winds also won the COCOMICS Music Prize.  Jury statement (Sirocco):”A well-made animation both cinematically and musically. The music was composed to bring out the scene well. Just by using her voice, opera singer Selma captivates people’s souls.” The Concierge by Itazu Yoshimi won the Korean Animation Studies President’s Prize, an award given to a film that is deemed likely to have the greatest audience appeal. The new SK telecom AI creative award was given to White Plastic Sky by Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó. Compound Eyes of Tropical The Grand Prize for short film was given to Compound Eyes of Tropical by Xuzhan Zhang. The film retells the Southeast Asian folktale ‘The Mousedeer Crossing the River’ through multiple perspectives, reinterpreting the story’s multiple facets across cultures. Jury Statement: “A work that stands out for its technique, including excellent visuals and delicate sound designs for each material. The silence after the breaking sound in the last scene is exquisite.” The Jury Prize went to The Miracle by Nienke Deutz. The short transports audiences to a sun-filled resort, where one woman’s attempt to enjoy paradise is foiled by constant reminders of the one thing she does not have. Jury Statement: “A good story, a compelling piece that explores feelings of loneliness and longing with a unique perspective and style.” Special Distinction Prizes were given to Garden of Remembrance by Yamada Naoko, 27 by Flóra Anna Buda and World to Roam by Stephen Irwin. Garden of Remembrance also won the Audience Prize. The DHL Diversity Prize and the EBS Prize each went to I’m Hip by John Musker and Flutter by Adam Levy. The Kinolights Prize for a short film went to The Brave Locomotive by Andrew Chesworth.  The Jury for the Short Film Competition was Tom CJ Brown, Gu Byeongmo and Shad Bradbury.  Garden of Remembrance Sewing Love by Xu Yuan won the Jury Prize for a Graduation Film. The piece exaggerates the toxic aspects of being in love, as two individuals with strong personalities are ultimately driven to ruin by selfish possessiveness.  The Jury Prize for TV & Commissioned Film went to All the Best by Pablo Roldan, ‘dedicated to all those who were told they were weird or were made to feel that way.’ Pado (The Waves) by Joung Yumi won the Jury Prize for a Korean Short Film, and Battery Mommy by Jeon Seungbae took the Special Distinction Prize. The jury for Graduation, TV & Commissioned and Korean Short Film competitions comprised Moon Sujin, Yu Yu and Antoine Coppola.