Oktapodi Takes Top Prize at SIGGRAPH

Two octopi escape from the grasps of a stubborn and determined restaurant cook in Oktapodi, a student film from France’s Gobelins, l”cole de l’image that won Best of Show in this year’s SIGGRAPH Animation Festival. Created by third-year students Julien Bocabeille, Francois-Xavier Chanioux, Olivier Delabarre, Thierry Marchland, Quentin Marmier ad Emud Mokhberi, the short also won the Audience Prize. A short making-of documentary on the film can be found at www.oktapodi.com. The prizes were awarded last night during the 35th international conference and exhibition on computer graphics and interactive techniques in Los Angeles.

The award winners were chosen from hundreds of submissions from students and professional studios around the globe. An expert panel of jury members selected the winners for exemplary use of computer-generated imagery, animation and storytelling. The ceremony was presided over by SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Award recipient Ken Perlin and a host of industry presenters.

Best of Show

Oktapodi

Gobelins, l”cole de l’image, France

An animated short about two octopi that comically escape from the grasps of a stubborn and determined restaurant cook.

Best Student Piece

893

Supinfocom, France

Short combines story and style to tell a tale of honor, tradition and imagination.

Jury Award

Mauvais Role

‘cole Sup’rieure de R’alisation Audiovisuelle, France

This is a tale that shows that you can achieve whatever you want, regardless of the opinions that surround you. Watch as a video-game monster manages to break out of a typecasting rut.

Best Well Told Fable

Our Wonderful Nature

“Konrad Wolf” Potsdam-Babelsberg

This documentary uses time stretching, film camera work and creative sound design to tell the story of water shrews in the wild.

Audience Prize

Oktapodi

Since 1999, the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival has been an official qualifying festival for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Best Animated Short Film award. A total of fifteen films from the fest have been nominated for the Oscar throughout the years. For 2008, the Computer Animation Festival expanded into a full-scale film festival that incorporated competition and invited screenings, production studio nights and discussion panels with filmmakers/artists/producers. It was open to the public for the first time and attracted thousands of attendees.