Make, a creative studio, has announced the recipients of its 2025 Animation Thesis Grant. This annual program supports senior animation students by offering funding, mentorship, and industry exposure to help them complete their thesis films.

The 2025 grant attracted submissions from students worldwide. A panel of judges selected three winners whose films stood out for their artistic vision, technical skill, and emotional impact.

Danny Robashkin, Make’s creative director and founder, highlighted the exceptional quality of this year’s entries, noting the creativity and heart demonstrated by students globally. Grand judge Andrew Chesworth praised the bold storytelling and intentional filmmaking seen in the selected works.

• First Place: Stone Lions Don’t Roar
  Directed by Le Hang Whalen, this film is set in a stylized 16th-century Vietnam and follows two orphaned sisters navigating a countryside under military occupation, where emotions take the form of beasts. The story explores emotional burdens and liberation, with a hand-painted 3D world inspired by works like The Wild Robot and Blue Eye Samurai. Whalen described the film as a personal exploration of how people carry and confront their emotions.
• Second Place: Thiefish
  Directed by Madhava Das Kinnicutt and Evelyn Grace Dale, Thiefish tells the story of a thief and a fisherman who join forces to return a powerful ocean spirit, exploited as a city’s light source, back to the sea. The film addresses themes of environmental responsibility and the effects of generative AI on natural ecosystems.
• Third Place: Back To Bones
  Directed by Ryan Koutras, this film is set in a medieval wasteland and follows a Knight and Squire accidentally resurrected into an undead army. Their comedic attempts to end their undeath blend fantasy adventure with humor, culminating in a final plan involving a misfiring cannon and a necromancer.

Winners receive direct cash awards—US $3,000 for first place, US $2,000 for second, and US $1,000 for third—as well as professional references, optional creative guidance, and ongoing exposure through Make’s channels and press coverage.

Disclaimer: This article has been auto-generated from a syndicated RSS feed and has not been edited by Vitrina staff. It is provided solely for informational purposes on a non-commercial basis.