2021 Taichung International Animation Festival Astounds the World Mayor LIU Shiow-Yen Presents Taiwan Short Films Grand Prix for "Spinning" and "Inside"

2021 Taichung International Animation Festival Astounds the World

Mayor LIU Shiow-Yen Presents Taiwan Short Films Grand Prix for "Spinning" and "Inside"

 

Today, October 13th, after six days of grueling jurying at the 2021 Taichung International Animation Festival, LIU Shiow-Yen, the Mayor of Taichung and the Award Juries announced the award winners together. The Award Juries selected nine winners from the 69 outstanding films judging by their story structure, artistic style, use of media, sound design and animation techniques. Through 6 days of grueling jurying, the winners were announced during the awarding ceremony today, October 13th, 2021, at the 2021 Taichung International Animation Festival. The juries had to select the eight winners from 69 outstanding films judging by their story structure, artistic style, use of media, sound design and animation techniques. The juries also expressed their approval of the Taichung City Government's success in organizing TIAF for so many years. It is evident from the high number of submissions, up to 2,716 films, that the festival provided a platform for animation creators to interact and compete and boosts the spirits of Taiwan's animation. The festival also prepared the Audience Award and Children's Choice Award for the audience to vote for their best-animated film of the year. "Step into the River," co-produced by Chinese and French directors, won the Grand Prix for the Short Films category, and Indian director Balaram J's "Story of a Beginning", won the Grand Prix for the Student Short Films category. As for the long-awaited Taiwanese Short and Student Short Films category, "Spinning" by Director YANG Tzu-Hsin and "Inside" by Director LIEN Chun-Chien and LEE Po-Han were joint-winners of the Taiwanese Short Films Grand Prix. "This One is Sweeter" by Directors LIU Li-Yu, and WANG Shu-Yen took the Grand Prix for the Taiwanese Student Short Films category.

Taichung City Mayor and Taichung Film Development Foundation President, LIU Shiow-Yen, presented the Taiwanese Grand Prix at the awarding ceremony. She said with the new high record of submissions, and 400 of them being Taiwanese film, we can see the rich energy in Taiwanese animation creators. Incredibly awe-inspiring no matter what use of media or variety of topic they choose to make. She also said that the Taichung City Government would continue to support and promote the Taichung International Animation Festival and make Taichung a powerful exposure platform for more local and international animation creators.

The Award Juries struggled to decide the Grand Prix winner for Taiwanese Short Films between Director YANG Tzu-Hsin's "Spinning" and Director LIEN Chun-Chien and LEE Po-Han's "Inside". Both films were well-liked by the juries. "This One is Sweeter" by Directors LIU Li-Yu, and WANG Shu-Yen sailed through the discussion without any objection and won the Grand Prix for Taiwanese Student Short Films.

Director YANG Tzu-Hsin, whose film “Do-ji-le” won the 2019 TIAF's Student Short Films Grand Prix, stated she was thrilled that "Spinning" was able to give her another opportunity to take home another Grand Prix from the festival. She based the plot in "Spinning" on her personal experience and went on a journey to discover the underlying history of Taichung City. The beautiful music and smooth transitions took the audience on a trip to many of the landmarks in Taichung City. It won the hearts of the juries for this prize with its beautiful balance between entertainment and philosophy. "Inside" shone above all others with the way it poetically illustrated the intricacies of life and the formation and growth of one's inner-self with its complex and delicate computer-simulated cutout technique.

This year's Short Films category Grand Prix was presented to Chinese Director MA Wei-Jia's "Step into the River" by LIN Shiau-Chi, the Taichung Film Development Foundation Director. It poignantly and powerfully illustrated the heartbreaking and horrifying choices human nature is capable of making and how the goodness of hearts can heal trauma. It rose above the 2716 submitted works and won the Grand Prix with its realistically fantastical depiction. Quite an impressive achievement. Though Director MA could not attend the awarding ceremony, she still recorded an acceptance speech to thank Taiwan and the Taichung City Government. "Mondo Domino" and "The Night Watch" respectively won the Jury Distinction award and the Outstanding Work award for the Short Films category.

The Grand Prix for the Student Short Films category was awarded to the Indian animation "Story of a Beginning." Director Balaram J built the story around the question, "what's at the beginning of the river?" and pinpointed the blind spot people have when dealing with life. "Dayfly" won the Jury Distinction award with its smooth and natural visual style, taking the audience on a journey to experience the impermanence of life through microscopic lends. The 3D animation "Carried Away" won the Outstanding Work award with its fantastical and eye-catching transitions and entertaining story.

The Chief Secretary of the Taichung Information Bureau, CHEN Yu, presented the two Popular Awards. "Coffin" defeated "The Hole" by a fraction of audience votes and won the Audience Award. "Coffin" depicts a depressing university dorm life, and it captured the audience's attention with its mind-boggling transitions. "The Hole" is a story about the survival of a soldier trapped in a cave. Both of the films coincidentally reflected this year's theme, "Alternate Dimensions." One hundred thirty children participated in the Children's Choice Award, and "This One is Sweeter" won the hearts of those children with an overwhelming number of votes.

The Jury Chairperson this year was Kevin Geiger, a former American Producer of the Walt Disney Studio. He shared with us the juries' struggle during the final jury meeting. Many of them were impressed by the quality and diversity of films in competition. Senior VFX Artist Chris Armsden and Associate Professor Janaka Rajapakse from Tainan University of the Arts Graduate Institute of Animation and Film Arts stated many of the nominated work's maturity in media usage and technique utilization were very creative and innovative. They were honored to be the juries for the festival this year. Taiwanese Animation Director WANG Shih-Wei and Director HUANG Yun-Sian, whose film "LITTLE HILLY" won the Grand Prix for Taiwanese Short Films at last year's TIAF, both praised the quality and originality of this year's nominated works. They exhibit the cultures, creative spirit and strength of the animation industry worldwide and share the animation creator's observation of current international affairs and contemporary societal issues, which are all valuable aspects of exchange at a festival.

Today, on October 13th, celebrity Vega TSAI, an enthusiastic creator, livened the atmosphere of the awarding ceremony as hostess and helped close the curtains for TIAF at the Taroko Mall Kbro Cinema. Thank you to all who participated in the festival events. We all look forward to seeing you again in Taichung next year! For more information on the award-winning films, please visit Taichung International Animation Festival's official Facebook page at facebook.com/tiaf.taichung.