This year, the short film competition saw record numbers, both in terms of the number of entries and the range of countries represented: 600 short films from 59 countries.
Alejandro Erramún, academic coordinator of the Bachelor’s Degree in Animation and Video Games, notes that “the festival has established itself on the international stage and has already built a solid track record.” In fact, he pointed out that “as soon as the festival ends, both schools and industry representatives are already asking when the next edition will take place.”
The FIA has established itself as a platform for showcasing animated shorts created by students and graduates of animation schools, high school students, independent animators, and production companies from around the world. It is an annual event organized by the School of Communication and Design at Universidad ORT Uruguay has been designated an Event of Cultural Interest by the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.
We saw some incredibly high-quality short films featuring a wide variety of techniques. We hope they help broaden your perspective on what’s possible here.
Alejandro Erramún, B.A., M.F.A.
"The level was extremely high," Erramún insisted, singling out the French players in particular.
He also noted that this year a student short film won the animated short category, which involves the industry. “Student short films, especially in certain countries, are of the highest quality. Those made as a team achieve a higher standard of quality than independent work. That is why we encourage our students to engage in collaborative, multidisciplinary work.”
Regarding *Pájaros*, the nationally award-winning short film, he noted that it had already received other forms of recognition, such as funding from the MEC’s Competitive Culture Grants. “To me, it feels like yet another boost to the growth of animated shorts throughout the process.”
Contest Winners
The jury was composed of Federico Masini—from the production company Niko Films—, Gerardo Castelli—academic coordinator of the Bachelor’s Degree in Communication with a focus on Audiovisual Studies—, Diego Miranda—holder of a Master’s Degree in Animation, director of Mungo TV, and winner of the Best Uruguayan Short Film category at the 9thFIA—; Juan Mazzara and Rubén Rosenzweig—faculty members of the Bachelor’s Degree in Animation and Video Games—.
| Grand Jury Prize |
400MP Directors: Paul-Eugène Dannaud, Julia Chaix, Lorraine Desserre France Prize: $1,200. |
| Best Uruguayan Short Film |
Birds Director: Erik Berlin Prize: $800 |
| Best Uruguayan Short Film , Student Category |
Undecided Directed by: María Noel Bonjour and Lucía Mostarda Prize: Wacom tablet |
| Best Experimental Short Film |
Muedra Director: César Díaz Martínez Spain |
|
Best Advertising Spot / Music Video |
Wild Horses Directed by: Maxime Dupuy and Kevin Roualland - France |
| Best Animated Short Film |
Teacher Director: Illogic France |
| Best Short Film (Student Category) |
400MP Directors: Paul-Eugène Dannaud, Julia Chaix, Lorraine Desserre France |
After the awards ceremony, a Wacom Bamboo tablet, courtesy of Nexsys, was raffled off among those in attendance.
The FIA was organized with the support of Antel, Montecarlo TV, and Nexys.