Following MAF’s collaboration with BAFTA® in 2024 to recognise international animation festivals as qualifying events, all British films screened at the festival will now be automatically longlisted for BAFTA’s prestigious British Short Animation award.
The ceremony opened with the Industry Excellence Awards, recognising outstanding individuals behind the scenes in scriptwriting, storyboarding, character design, and character animation - shining a spotlight on the craft and talent that power the industry.
Festival Director Steve Henderson said: “There have been so many enriching conversations this week about the future of animation. At a tricky time for the animation industry, seeing such a range of wonderful, handcrafted, and intricate masterpieces celebrated - and awarded - here at the festival is genuinely heartwarming and brilliant, obliterating any doom and gloom!”
Industry
Excellence Award
- Script Writing: Davey Moore for "Maddie and Triggs" (CBeebies/RTÉjr)
- Storyboarding: Sasha Fusini for "Supertato" (BBC)
- Character Animation; Dave McKenna for "Maddie and Triggs" (CBeebies/RTÉjr)
- Character Design: Saeed Rezvani for "Mojo Swoptops" (CBeebies)
Manchester
Animation Film Award
- Feature Film: "Little Amélie or the Character of Rain" by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han (France)
- Special Mention: "Dog Ear" by Péter Vácz (Hungary)
- British Short Film: "Two Black Boys in Paradise" by Baz Sells (United Kingdom)
- Special Mention: "Brain Space" by Laura Tofarides (United Kingdom)
- Student Film: "The Twelve Inch Pianist" by Lucas Ansel (United States)
- Special Mention: "Urban Duo" by Hongyu Yue (China)
- Immersive Film: "Out of Nowhere" by Kris Hoffman (Austria)
- Special Mention: "Less Than 5gr of Saffron" by Négar Motevalymeidanshah (France)
- Commissioned Film: "Desi Oon" by Suresh Eriyat (India)
- Special Mention: "Naive New Beaters & Star Feminine Band" by Ye Kou Si Kuo (France)
- Audience Award: "Ovary-Acting" by Ida Melum (United Kingdom)
- Short Films for Children: "Forevergreen" by Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears (United States)
- Festival Fellowship Award: Tomm Moore, Paul Young, and Nora Twomey
