The illustrious Annecy Festival wrapped up this weekend, and this year proved a triumph for the auteur artistry of local French production with both the audience and Cristal awards for best animated feature going to Claude Barras’ My Life as a Courgette. Sebastien Laudenbach’s much buzzed-about fairy tale adaptation The Girl Without Hands took the jury prize in the feature competition.
A France-Switzerland co-production, My Life as a Courgette is a stop-motion project centered on Courgette — a 10 year old boy with an intriguing nickname. After his mother’s sudden death, he is sent into foster care, where he meets other orphans and struggles to adapt to his new life, eventually finding love and a new family. Claude Barras directs from a screenplay by Celine Sciamma. The film is produced by Blue Spirit Prod., Amelle Glorennec, Rita Prod., Max Karli, Gebeka Films, Marc Bonny and Michel Merkt.
Recently picked up for North American distribution by GKIDS, The Girl without Hands is adapted from a Brothers Grimm fairytale by the entirely dedicated Sebastien Laudenbach. The story begins when a hard-pressed miller sells his daughter to the Devil — but the girl’s purity protects her, and the beast takes his revenge by depriving her of her hands. The 2D film is produced by Les Films Sauvages, Jean-Christophe Soulageon and Pelleas Films.
Cristal – Feature Film
My Life as a Courgette by Claude Barras (France/Switzerland)
Jury Distinction – Feature Film
The Girl without Hands by Sebastien Laudenbach (France)
Audience Award – Feature Film
My Life as a Courgette by Claude Barras (France/Switzerland)
Cristal – Short Film
The Head Vanishes by Franck Dion (Canada/France)
Jury Award – Short Film
Blind Vaysha by Theodore Ushev (Canada)
Jean-Luc Xiberras Award for a First Film
An Ordinary Blue Monday by Naomi van Niekerk (South Africa)
Jury Distinction – Short Film
Moms on Fire by Joanna Rytel (Sweden)
Audience Award – Short Film
Peripheria by David Coquard-Dassault (France)
Off-Limits Award
4 min 15 in the Developer by Moia Jobin-Pare (Canada)
Jury Distinction – Short Film
The Reflection of Power by Mihai Grecu (France/Romania)
Cristal – TV Production
Stick Man by Jeroen Jaspaert & Daniel Snaddon (U.K.)
Jury Award – TV Special
La Rentree des Classes by Stephane Aubier & Vincent Patar (Belgium/France)
Jury Award – TV Series
Lili “Lili Loves Food” by Siri Melchior (Denmark/U.K.)
Cristal – Commissioned Film
The New York Times “Modern Love – A Kiss, Deferred” by Moth Collective (U.K.)
Jury Award – TV & Commissioned Film
Awesome Beetle Colors by Indra Sproge (Latvia)
Cristal – Graduation Film
Depart at 22 by Wiep Teeuwisse (HKU, Netherlands)
Jury Award – Graduation Film
Balkon by David Dell’Edera (Budapest Metropolitan Univ., Hungary)
Jury Distinction – Graduation Film
Frankfurter Str. 99a by Evgenia Gostrer (Hochschule fur Kunst und Gestaltung, Germany)
Andre-Martin Award for a 2015 French Feature Film
Adama by Simon Rouby (France)
FIPRESCI Award
How Long, Not Long by Michelle Kranot & Uri Kranot (Denmark)
Junior Jury Award for a Short Film
Blind Vaysha by Theodore Ushev (Canada)
Festival Connexion Jury Distinction – Region Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
(in partnership with Lumieres Numeriques & Pilon Cinema)
Moms on Fire by Joanna Rytel (Sweden)
Andre-Martin Award for a French Short Film
Peripheria by David Coquard-Dassault (France)
Junior Jury Award for a Graduation Film
The Alan Dimension by Jac Clinch (U.K.)
Canal+ Creative Aid Award for a Short Film
¾ oz by Pierre Grillere & Romain Peyronnet (France)
Best Original Music Award for a Short Film
(sponsored by the SACEM)
Beast! by Pieter Coudyzer (Belgium)
Festivals Connexion Award – Region Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes
(in partnership with Lumieres Numeriques & Pilon Cinema)
Decorado by Alberto Vazquez (Spain/France)
Gan Foundation Award for Distribution
White Fang by Alexandre Espigares (France/Luxembourg)
