Exciting Announcement from the Ottawa International Animation Festival

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is thrilled to unveil its Best of Ottawa program, showcasing 10 exceptional animated short films from the upcoming 2024 Festival. This lineup features the Festival’s signature film, crafted by the talented Lei Lei, alongside the Academy Awards-shortlisted film, Percebes.

Celebrating Animation Excellence

Each year, the OIAF curates a diverse selection of short films, including award winners and audience favorites, for its touring Best of Ottawa Program. This initiative not only highlights remarkable achievements in the art of animation but also showcases a rich variety of styles, techniques, and perspectives that animation uniquely brings to life.

Screening Opportunities

Organizations of all sizes can now book either in-person or virtual screenings of the program starting February 25.

Artistic Insights

“What do you want me to say? The title says it all. This is a super sampler of some of the best contemporary international animation that also happened to impress OIAF jurists and audience members alike,” shares OIAF Artistic Director Chris Robinson. “This screening has it all: tourism troubles, guardian angels, war, social media, and the long-awaited showdown between Woody and Buzz Lightyear. What more could you possibly need or want? The answer? A ticket to the screening.”

This Year’s Best of Ottawa Lineup

This year’s Best of Ottawa features:

• OIAF 2024 Signal Film (dir. Lei Lei)
• Percebes (dirs. Alexandra Ramires & Laura Gonçalves)
• Carrotica (dir. Daniel Sterlin-Altman)
• Gina Kamentsky’s Pinocchio in 70mm (dir. Gina Kamentsky)
• Martyr’s Guidebook (dir. Maks Rzontkowski)
• In the Shallows (dir. Arash Akhgari)
• I Died in Irpin (dir. Anastasiia Falileieva)
• Corridor ‘Jump Cut’ (dir. Winston Hacking)
• La Voix des Sirènes (dir. Gianluigi Toccafondo)
• you’ve got a friend in me (dir. Peter Millard)

A Showcase of Award-Winning Talent

Exclusively available for in-person screenings of Best of Ottawa, Ramires and Gonçalves’ Percebes received the Craft Award for Best Design at OIAF 2024. Additional award-winning films featured in both in-person and online screenings include: Carrotica (Wacom Public Prize), Martyr’s Guidebook (Bento Box Award for Best Student Animation), In the Shallows (DGC Award for Best Canadian Animation), I Died in Irpin (Craft Award for Best Script), Corridor ‘Jump Cut’ (Best Commissioned Animation, Honorable Mention: DGC Award for Best Canadian Animation), La Voix des Sirènes (Grand Prize for Short Animation), and you’ve got a friend in me (Best Non-Narrative Short Animation).

Accessible Screenings for All

The Best of Ottawa program operates on a tiered pricing model, designed to enhance accessibility for small arts organizations while ensuring fair compensation for filmmakers. Organizations interested in booking a screening can reach out to the OIAF by emailing bestofottawa@animationfestival.ca.

Looking Ahead

As the longest-running animation event in North America, the next edition of OIAF will open its entry window from March 1 to May 31, 2025. Selections for the 49th edition of the Festival will be eligible for the Best of Ottawa 2025 program.

Visit us at animationfestival.ca

Persons

Lei Lei, Chris Robinson, Alexandra Ramires, Laura Gonçalves, Daniel Sterlin-Altman, Gina Kamentsky, Maks Rzontkowski, Arash Akhgari, Anastasiia Falileieva, Winston Hacking, Gianluigi Toccafondo, Peter Millard

Company Names

OIAF

Titles

Ottawa International Animation Festival, Best of Ottawa, Percebes, Carrotica, Gina Kamentsky’s Pinocchio in 70mm, Martyr’s Guidebook, In the Shallows, I Died in Irpin, Corridor ‘Jump Cut’, La Voix des Sirènes, you’ve got a friend in me