VOID 2019 Winners, First Lejf Marcussen Award Honoree Announced

The 2019 VOID International Animation Film Festival (voidfilmfestival.com), held in Copenhagen from January 24 to February 2, wrapped up Saturday with an awards ceremony. This year, the Danish animation society ANIS inaugurated a new award named for pioneering Danish filmmaker Lejf Marcussen. The award recognizes animation that shows the spirit of Marcussen’s work, being personal, artistic and showcasing an interplay between music and imagery.

Lejf Marcussen (1936-2013) was the first European to receive the prestigious Norman McLaren Heritage Award from ASIFA-Canada. Marcussen’s films have been shown at countless festivals all over the world. He worked at Danish Broadcasting Corporation) for many years, heading among other things ”The Workshop for Groundmagic” — an initiative to give directors the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the immediacy of living images, free from scripts and with the highest possible level of freedom.

”It is amazing to be able to honour another big Danish animator by establishing an award in his name. Lejf Marcussen was internationally recognized for his beautiful work, curiosity and ingenuity, which has been a great source of inspiration for many animators around the world. We are proud to give Lejf a place of honour in Danish animation history,” says Søren Fleng, chairman of the Danish Animation Society ANIS.

The first Lejf Marcussen Award was bestowed on digital 2D commissioned film Danse Exquise for Michelin-starred restaurant La Grenouillére, created by French experimental collective Quart Avan Poing.

ANIS also presents the Oscar-qualifying Børge Ring Award and the Talent Award annually during the Odense International Film Festival (August 26-September 1).

2019 VOID winners:

Lejf Marcussen Award (1,000 euro)
La Grenouillére – Danse Exquise by Quart Avant Poing (Ulysse Lefort & Martin Wiklund; Miyu Productions)

Also nominated: A Love Letter to the One I Made Up (Rachel Gutgarts, Israel), Am I A Wolf? (Amir Houshang Moein, Iran), Love Me, Fear Me (Veronica Solomon, Germany), Birdnest Hair (Matthew Hsu & Ashleigh Djokic, Australia), Flowing through Wonder (Joanna Lurie, France), It Starts With (Laura Nasir-Tamara, U.K.), Maned & Macho (Shiva Sadegh Asadi, Iran), On Small Things (Pernille Kjær, Denmark), Once in the Fields of Boredom (Teele Strauss, Estonia), Reer (Francois Vogel, France), The Voyager (João Gonzalez, Portugal), Three Sketches (Adam Butcher, U.K.), Unexpected Discoveries (James Mabery, U.S.), Sound (Laureline Paul-Constant, Hugo Caby, Aurélien Issadi & Paco Dutoit, France), T.E.U vol. 1 (Lasse Næraa Smith, Denmark)

Graduation Film Award
A Love Letter to the One I Made Up by Rachel Gutgarts

Special Mention, VOID Graduation Film Award
Bacchus by Rikke Planeta

Audience Award
Sweet Night by Lia Bertels

Danse Exquise from Miyu Productions on Vimeo.

2019 VOID International Animation Film Festival

Lejf Marcussen