Short Film Cosmonauts Wins the Animest.21 Grand Trophy

The Romanian Competition Was Won by the Collective Film “Here, There Was a Park.” Both Productions Are Now on the List of Short Films Eligible for the Academy Awards

 

The 21st edition of the Animest International Animation Festival announced its winners during the Closing Gala, held in Bucharest on Saturday, October 10. Over 10 days this October, audiences enjoyed the boldest and most innovative international and homegrown animated productions, masterclasses led by renowned professionals, special screenings, and industry-dedicated events.

Cosmonauts, a Slovenian-Italian co-production directed by Leo Černic, snagged the coveted Animest.21 Trophy, presented by Jumbo, with services provided by MyAirBridge. This prize automatically places the winning animation on the list of films eligible for an Oscar nomination – Animest is the only film festival in Romania with this status, since 2017. The International Short Film Competition jury was won over by the film’s force and humor, describing it as a "vulnerable yet bold exploration of the human urge for connection, [a] visual celebration of love ended in a climax that left us wobbly in our knees with laughter. This film took us on the cosmic journey into the vast space, yet we didn’t feel lonely at all." Leo Černic’s short won two awards this night, also taking home the Audience Award, decided by votes cast by viewers, online or directly after the screenings. In the international shorts competition, a Special Mention went to the Canadian production Paradaïz (directed by Matea Radic), which stayed with the jury as a "painful yet hopeful story of returning home, [a] beautiful and imaginative film masterfully delivered with delicacy, warmth and complexity."

Starting with the 19th edition, Animest also qualifies the winner of the Romanian Competition to be in the running for the Oscars. This year, the section’s prize, worth RON 5,000, offered by the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) together with a TVPaint license and MyAirBridge services, went to the manifesto film Here, There Was a Park, created by the Animators for IOR collective. The jury described the project as "a light in a dark period. This collective effort highlights the importance of the park as a shared space and a vital part of local life. Each contribution to this collaborative, multi-part film reveals, in its own unique way and through a distinct artistic approach, how each artist feels about and responds to the issue at its heart. Beyond its artistic value, the film holds particular significance for the local community, offering a powerful reflection on the importance of the park and its place in our collective memory." The film also received the Green Sheep Badge awarded by the festival team to films that promote ecological responsibility and environmental protection.

The International Feature Film award went to the Brazilian production Son of a Bitch, directed by Otto Guerra, Erica Maradona, Sávio Leite, and Tania Anaya. The jurors noted that the award recognizes the "sensitive storytelling, symbolic depth, and striking visual approach" of this "compelling portrayal of a hero’s journey towards freedom from his constraints. [...] The film’s visual language is simple yet powerful and original, capturing the vibrant colours and distinctive spirit of Brazil."
 

In the International Student Short Film Competition, the section’s prize – EUR 1,000 offered by Banca Transilvania, together with a TVPaint license and MyAirBridge services – went to Taming Phenomena (directed by Shunyuan Yao, Estonia), a film in which "visuals blend seamlessly with the sound, creating a fluid and compelling experience for all the senses and reminding us why we love animation.” A Special Mention went to director Hanna Järgenstedt (Sweden) for I Want to Know What Love Is, praised for "its bold animation style that shouldn’t work, but somehow really does," which turns the search for love into a rediscovery of self-worth.

 

The Anidoc Award for the best animated documentary went to the British film Doug + Me, directed by Cecile Fountain-Jardim: a deeply moving work, owing to the director’s honesty and curiosity, with the jury noting the sense of intimate knowledge of the protagonist that it opens up to the viewers.

 

The Animusic Competition was topped by a double whammy: the award for Best Animated Music Video was awarded ex-aequo to Beggar’s Rant (for Westerner, directed by Matija Pisačić, Cooper Bombadil, Noa Pisačić, Croatia/USA), for its conceptual harmony and organic fusion of image and track, and to OHOIOrOI Syndrome (for Mogrillcoke, directed by Taewan Kim, United Kingdom/South Korea), for its "absolutely impeccable graphics, movement and editing, and for the way they elevate and enriche the music." Special Mentions in the category went to the videos Fear is a Rose (for Ella Hue, directed by Isabel Stub) and Sultan Tanzt Samba (for Keimzeit, directed by Sonja Rohleder).

 

In the realm of new tech and virtual reality, Retsu (The Line), directed by Naho Kamimura (Japan), won Best VR Film, for the subtlety with which it explores the theme of evolution, tension, and the perception of time. The VR Special Mention went to Less than 5gr of Saffron (directed by Négar Motevalymeidanshah, France), for its poetic and aesthetic approach to a complex subject through a blend of virtual space, the mundane everyday, and the representation of the main character's trauma. 

The youngest jurors decided the winners of the Minimest section: the Best Short Film for Children Award, offered by Groupama, went to The Great Dreamscape (directed by Rémi Durin, France/Belgium), praised by the children’s jury for its wonderful technique and motivational message about overcoming fears. A Minimest Special Mention went to Atlante (directed by Massimo Vagliviello, Filippo Biasiotto, Gabriele Carollo, Italy). Meanwhile, the Teen Jury chose the feature Light Pillar (directed by Zao Xu), a film "as smart as it is touching" about escaping loneliness in the contemporary world, which flips convention by turning animation into reality and live-action sequences into fantasy.

 

Animest’s industry development sections continued to support and highlight new voices and promising projects-in-development. In the Pitch, Please! pitching competition, the Rise & Shine award went to Crossing (directed by Lavinia Petrache), while the Black Sea Animation Workshop awards went to FIN (directed by Alex Halka) and Master of the Two Worlds (directed by Adèle Coulloudon, Radu Popovici), with a special mention for Kupi’s Workout Routine (directed by Teodora Crîșmăriuc). The Toon Scripts screenwriting competition, organized together with PRO TV and now at its third edition, awarded its grand prize – worth EUR 5,000 and a development contract – to Trupa lu’ Balaur, created by Călin Ene and Miruna Șmit. The jury also awarded a special mention and a PRO TV & VOYO development option to the retro-futurist project Groapa by Ioana Ichim and Bianca Solymoși.

 

Once again created by set designer and artist Cristina Milea, the Animest.21 trophies brought the theme of Plant Intelligence to the forefront – crafted from mycelium paper, cellulose, cement, bio-resin, and real botanical specimens integrated into the sculptures. Each trophy carried the scientific story of a specific plant – from the edelweiss, worked into the Grand Trophy as a photonic shield, to the chicory, sunflower, or strawberry runners in the Audience Award trophy – becoming a manifesto on resilience, collaboration, and interconnectivity in the midst of the urban jungle.

 

From October 2 to 11, 2026, Animest.21 once again turned Bucharest into the world capital of auteur animation, bringing to the silver screen over 320 short and feature productions from around the world, alongside more than 80 international guests – filmmakers, producers, and renowned professionals present at Q&A sessions, talks, panel discussions, and masterclasses. All of the edition’s special events (from Trippy Animation Night to Creepy Animation Night and Animusic) attracted full houses, and in the case of Erotica and the Romanian Competition, audience demand was so high that the Animest.21 organizing team scheduled an extra screening for each.

 

The 22nd edition of the Animest International Animation Festival will take place in 2027, between October 8 and 17. In the meantime, the Animest Association’s educational and inclusive cinema programs continue.

 

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The Animest Festival is a project of the Animest Association, co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN).

The project does not necessarily represent the position of the National Cultural Fund Administration. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how its results may be used. Responsibility for these lies entirely with the funding recipient.

 

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Institutional Partners: Romanian Cultural Institute, French Institute and Embassy of France, Instituto Cervantes, Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Center in Bucharest, Goethe-Institut, Polish Institute, Austrian Cultural Forum, Romanian Peasant Museum, AFN – Animation Festival Network, UNATC – “I.L. Caragiale” National University of Theater and Film Arts, UCIN – Romanian Filmmakers’ Union

 

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