The SIGGRAPH Asia 2021 Computer Animation Festival (CAF), Asia’s premier computer-generated animation and visual effects event, will showcase a worldwide collection of the year’s best works. From student films to professional projects, the festival once again showcases and celebrates some of the industry’s newest, most compelling technology-based visual artistry.
Four award-winning films have been selected by judges from a total of 501 submissions. This was the first year the festival saw a tie in the Best Student Project category, resulting in four honorees for the CAF Winners Screening. The international jury of industry heavyweights also selected the top 16 works for the Electronic Theater screening, and another 19 for the Animation Theater screening.
“This year saw another fantastic selection of works from artists across Asia and around the world,” said CAF Chair, Dan Sarto. “Our winning CAF films, as well as each selection for the Electronic Theater and Animation Theater screenings, showcase the latest innovative works from an incredibly diverse and talented group of artists. Our jury helped assemble an extraordinary collection of animated projects, including 35 animated shorts, commercials and other works, that conference attendees can watch both in Tokyo and online. Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who took time to share their work with us.”
CAF 2021 Award Winners
Best in Show: Twenty Something
Dir. Aphton Corbin, prod. Erik Langley | Pixar Animation Studios | U.S.Adulting can be hard. Some days you’re nailing it, while other days, you’re just a stack of kids hiding in a trench coat hoping no one notices. Gia finds herself in this exact scenario the night of her 21st birthday. This is a story about the insecurities of adulting and how we’re all just faking it ’till we make it. Produced as part of Pixar Animation Studios’ SparkShorts Program.
Best Student Project (Tied): Le Retour des Vagues
Dirs. Manon Cansell, Alejandra Guevara Cervera, Edward Kurchevsky, Francisco Moutinho de Magalhães & Hortense Mariano; prod. Moïra Marguin | Gobelins, l’École de l’Image | France | Miyu Distribution
Coming back to his hometown in hopes of reconnecting with his past, a young man encounters the place completely stopped in time. Moving through the familiar streets, memories disorient him as he faces what he once left behind.
Best Student Project (Tied): Les larmes de la Seine
Dirs. Yanis Belaid, Eliott Benard, Nicolas Mayeur, Etienne Moulin, Hadrien Pinot, Lisa Vicente, Philippine Singer & Alice Letailleur; prod. Carlos De Carvalho | Pôle 3D | France October 17, 1961, “Algerian workers” take to the streets to protest against the mandatory curfew imposed by the Police prefecture.
Jury Special: Only a Child
Dir. Simone Giampaolo, prod. Gabriella de Gara | Amka Films, RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera, SRG SSR | U.K., Switzerland
Only a Child is a visual poem created by over 20 animation directors under the artistic supervision of Simone Giampaolo, which gives shape and color to the original words spoken by Severn Cullis-Suzuki at the UN Summit in Rio in 1992, a child’s desperate call to action for the future of our planet. An omnibus film celebrating the environmental youth movement 30 years in the making.
SIGGRAPH Asia 2021 will take place at the Tokyo International Forum, Japan and online December 14-17. For more information on the program line-up and to find information on the registration tiers, visit https://sa2021.siggraph.org/en.
