Dancing Bears claimed the best feature film award at the 14th CEE Animation Forum in Pilsen, Czechia, as organizers distributed €100,000 in cash and non-monetary prizes across 33 competing projects on Thursday, Skwigly reported.
The three-day pitching, financing, and co-production market brought together over 60 animated projects at various stages of development. More than 70% of the selection involved Central and Eastern European production partners, with a combined estimated budget exceeding €48 million.
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Dancing Bears and Other Films Win Major Awards
- Dancing Bears, directed by Anna Błaszczyk and Marta Pajek and produced by Maja Tokaj’s Animoon, won the feature film category alongside a direct access prize for Cartoon Movie.
- How to Become a Landlord, directed by Abigél Dérczy at MOME Anim, secured the Audience Award and a TVPaint Animation Licence.
- The Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award granted €50,000 to the Ukrainian-Czech project Illogical Adult World.
Pilsen Awards Highlight European Co-Productions
The pitching competition spanned four distinct categories, featuring 10 short films, 6 student short films, 10 series and TV specials, and 7 feature films. Over half of the selected projects targeted young adult and adult audiences.
Dancing Bears also secured a direct access recipient spot for Cartoon Movie, with a script written by Aleksandra Świerk and Witek Szabłowski. The feature film jury included Edmunds Jansons, Mathieu Rolin, and Yutong Yu.
The special mention in the feature film category went to Back to Tomioka, directed by François-Marc Baillet. Producers on the project include Ilan Urroz, Anna Mroczek, and Reka Temple across French, Polish, Hungarian, and Belgian production houses.
“The award goes to a work whose original design and exceptional artistic quality make it truly remarkable.”
said the Feature Film Jury regarding Back to Tomioka.
Lussekatt Wins Series Category as Trois-Fois-Rien Wins Short Film
In the series and TV specials category, Lussekatt took the top prize. The project was directed by Roxane Campoy and Camille Pipet Pham and produced by Sacha Mirski and Vladimir Kokh at Les Films de l’Arlequin.
The jury praised Lussekatt for its complex storytelling, poetic artistic style, and female-led creative team. Finding Home received a special mention in the same category for its portrayal of climate change impacts.
Titouan Tillier’s Trois-Fois-Rien won the short film category, produced by Sylvain Debretagne at Frigo Films. The project also received the CICLIC Residency.
The short film jury commended Trois-Fois-Rien for its mockumentary approach to a community facing the apocalypse with humor and absurdity. Half Open Half Pose and Family Recipe collected special mentions in the short film division.
Ita Turns 30 Wins Student Short Film Category
Živa Divjak’s Ita Turns 30 won the student short film category. Produced by Gala Kebakoska at FAMU Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, the film explored social pressures faced by women.
Redefining Island, directed by Julie Černá and produced by Kristina Husová, received the Travelling Distribution Award alongside a special mention. The project was recognized for its satirical approach to body image in reality pop culture.
| Award Category | Winning Project | Director | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feature Film | Dancing Bears | Anna Błaszczyk and Marta Pajek | Poland |
| Series and TV Specials | Lussekatt | Roxane Campoy and Camille Pipet Pham | France |
| Short Film | Trois-Fois-Rien | Titouan Tillier | France |
| Student Short Film | Ita Turns 30 | Živa Divjak | Czechia |
| Audience Award | How to Become a Landlord | Abigél Dérczy | Hungary |
Additional industry sessions at the forum included presentations by Clementine Trolong-Bailly from the Council of Europe, Emmanuèle Pétry-Sirvin from Dandelooo, and Søren Fleng from FLENG Entertainment. Broadcaster representatives Jonas Kryger Hansen, Martina Peštaj, and Jarmo Lampela also addressed European co-production opportunities.
