Awards 2026

Zaven Najjar, BE/FR, 2025, 1h27

"Allah n’est pas obligé is a powerful story delivered with honesty and without judgement of its characters. The pacing, humour and great voice direction kept us engaged through Birahima’s journey; A journey documenting a heartbreaking reality but where the heaviness of the topic is balanced with sensitivity through a solid script."
Feature Film Competition Jury – Arthuria Dekimpe, Valérie Magis, Áine Mc Guinness

P. P. Jr., J-C. Rozec, D. Súkup, L. Vidmar, CZ, 2025, 1h30

"The feature film that we particularly enjoyed is one that approaches a delicate subject with tact and gentleness. The beautiful direction is carried by moving, lively and finely crafted characters who develop within a high-quality visual universe. We were moved by this film, which manages to amaze with its three stories about grief."
Jury of the International Competition for Short Films and Feature Films for Children – Marcel Barelli, Nicolas Fong, Hélène Giraud  

Provided by Benshi (acquisition of broadcasting rights)

Shui Yu, CN, 2025, 1h58

"Because we also come to Anima to watch films that make us feel good, the jury has chosen to award a Special Mention to a true piece of entertainment, in the noblest sense of the word. A grand adventure that made us laugh out loud, impressed us with the quality of its backgrounds, and reminded us that even so-called “nobodies” can accomplish great things. It goes to Nobody by Shui Yu."
Feature Film Competition Jury – Arthuria Dekimpe, Valérie Magis, Áine Mc Guinness

Zaven Najjar, BE/FR, 2025, 1h27

Adrià Garcia, ES/BE, 2025, 1h27

Kim Bo-sol, KR, 2025, 1h23

Acquisition of broadcasting rights

Zaven Najjar, BE/FR, 2025, 1h27

"Our final choice is a film with a powerful story, delicate to tackle although, but unfortunately portrays a relevant topic still today. A film that shows a contrast between an almost childlike, colorful and refined drawing style and the harsh reality of the hero. We were being submerged into the inner thoughts of a young narrator, which are sometimes raw, sometimes humorous, but always deeply moving due to its sincerity. He takes us on a journey to understand what the idea of ‘humanity’ still means today."
Mouv CinéTeens Jury

Alberto Vázquez, ES, 2025, 1h35

"We found the selection to be rich and varied, but always interesting, with the occasional touch of humour. This led to the deliberations being heated and dramatic. This is why we have decided to give a special mention to a film that touched us because of its courage. Its animation allows the film to seem almost parodic, while still remaining connected to current issues. We would like to award the special mention to Decorado!"
Mouv CinéTeens Jury

Agnès Patron, FR, 2025, 15’

"The Grand Prix goes to a film which blends impeccable sound, music and imagery to create atmospheric sequences of haunting melancholic memories. The film has a sincerity of spirit that washes over the audience and makes us reflect on the complexities of family, love, loss, and the sanctuary of nature; themes that resonate with all of us."
International Short Film Competition Jury – Joanna Quinn, Andrew Ruhemann, Anne Verbeure

Provided by the Brussels-Capital Region (€ 2.500) 

Michael Granberry, US, 2024, 11’38’’

"The Special Jury award goes to a nightmarish film whose grotesque depictions of the abuse of power and debauchery is reminiscent of the tormented black paintings of Goya. The frenzy created by the relentless and exuberant animation pulls the audience in, whether they want to be pulled in or not!"
International Short Film Competition Jury – Joanna Quinn, Andrew Ruhemann, Anne Verbeure

Masataka Kihara, JP, 2025, 7’33’’

"The Best Student award goes to a film that is skilfully understated - minimalist in both design and sound. The film has its own distinctive style and conveys the feeling of mystery and loneliness through its slow pace, intriguing settings and original viewpoints. A haunting film, literally! "
International Short Film Competition Jury – Joanna Quinn, Andrew Ruhemann, Anne Verbeure

Provided by the Municipality of Ixelles (€ 1.000)

Éric Montchaud, FR, 2025, 9’

"A short animated film that works like a beautiful children’s fairy tale. Funny and touching, with an animation technique that perfectly serves the story. We particularly appreciate the idea that only the audience discovers what the Box truly is."
Jury of the International Competition for Short Films and Feature Films for Children – Marcel Barelli, Nicolas Fong, Hélène Giraud

Provided by the Municipality of Ixelles (€ 1.000) and Benshi (acquisition of broadcasting rights)

Oscar Jacobson, DE, 2025, 5’20’’

Robinson Van Hoof, BE, 2026, 7’18’’

Elena Walf, DE/HR, 2025, 5’13’’

Chris Lavis & Maciek Szczerbowski, CA, 2025, 17’

"With La jeune fille qui pleurait des perles, nominated for an Oscar, Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski blend stop-motion animation, live action, and digital animation. They return to what makes animation magical at its core: giving life to the inanimate and telling a story in which we can all recognize ourselves. In 17 minutes and 36 seconds, this short film contains everything one expects from a feature, complete with flashbacks and a score by Patrick Watson. The sets were created through the recycling of old junk—“du vieux brol,” as we say in Brussels. In the age of AI, stop-motion still has a future. And the fairy tale remains timely: it speaks of love and greed."
Jury : Esther De Loose, Didier Stiers, Thierry Zamparutti

Sylwia Szkiladz, BE/FR, 2025, 17’27’’

"This captivating film quickly made us emotionally attached to the main character and experience this uniquely narrated journey with her. The subtle play with proportions and stylization of animal characters, so typical of a child’s perception of the adult world, worked wonderfully for us. One of the film’s strongest points is the sensitive voiceover casting, which felt real and authentic. The film completely absorbed us with its magic and, at times, even spooky atmosphere and we are happy to award it with this well-deserved prize."
National Short Film Competition Jury – Jean Tourette, Pieter Van Houte, Veronika Zachar

Provided by Loterie Nationale Loterij (€ 2.500)

Théo Hanosset, Mathieu Georis, BE/FR, 2025, 14’47’’

"This masterful and incredibly mature film was a joy to watch. Everything here, from the visuals to the direction, works like a perfectly tuned machine, but doesn’t lack a soul either. The precisely observed reality combined with absurd, subtle humor creates a fresh and incredibly clever piece of art. We are glad to have been among the first viewers and congratulations to the entire team for a high-quality viewing experience."
National Short Film Competition Jury – Jean Tourette, Pieter Van Houte, Veronika Zachar

Provided by Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (€ 2.500)

Nicolas Fong, BE, 2025, 6’30’’

"A film that made us think about our own ability to accept intimacy. We were delighted by its simple message, perfect animation and, without a doubt, fulfilled the author’s vision, which served us a warm movie without pathos. Masterful observation of a fragile subject without becoming overly sentimental. "
National Short Film Competition Jury – Jean Tourette, Pieter Van Houte, Veronika Zachar

Provided by SACD (€ 2.500)

Rémi Durin, BE/FR, 2025, 28’12’’

"A film that perfectly meets the definition of a children’s film and is truly created with its target category in mind. In addition to the relevant story, it is flawless technically, both visually and the carefully composed soundtrack, which is why we are awarding it for the best animation."
National Short Film Competition Jury – Jean Tourette, Pieter Van Houte, Veronika Zachar

Provided by Sabam (€ 1.500)

Camille Britte, BE, 2025, 2’48’’

"Even though it was the shortest of all the student films, it won us over with its fun and brilliant idea. For that sudden moment when it finally hits you, we decided to award it as the best student short film.."
National Short Film Competition Jury – Jean Tourette, Pieter Van Houte, Veronika Zachar

Provided by Amplo (€ 1.000)

Bruno Tondeur, BE, 2025, 15’

Acquisition of broadcasting rights

Gwenaëlle de Ville, BE, 2025, 6’50’’