The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) has unveiled its 2025 poster, crafted by the talented Academy Award-winning Canadian director, animator, and illustrator Torill Kove. Each year, the festival selects a different animator to create the OIAF poster, resulting in a distinctive piece of art that showcases the unique style of that animator. This year’s design draws inspiration from the festival’s iconic symbol: the owl.

“Last spring, Chris [Robinson] approached me about creating the OIAF poster and signal film for 2025. I thought, ‘Absolutely, that’s a long way off and will involve drawing at least one owl — and I adore owls!’ I gladly accepted the task and tucked it away in my mind under ‘later,’” Kove shares. “Just a few months later, Chris reached out to see if I had made any progress on the poster. I hadn’t, but I felt compelled to present something. So, I sketched a grumpy owl perched in a tree. Why grumpy? I’m not entirely sure — it’s a common expression for owls, although I know it doesn’t necessarily reflect their true mood.”

“As I began to work on the poster in earnest, I found myself quite fond of the grumpy owl,” Kove continues. “Since he appeared a bit lonely, I decided to add some small stick figure owls that seem to be flying off the phenakistoscope. Plus, orange is my favorite color.”

Originally from Norway and now residing in Montreal, Canada, Kove has cultivated a passion for animation that has earned her multiple Academy Award nominations. Her first nomination came in 2000 for My Grandmother Ironed the King’s Shirts (1999), inspired by her grandmother’s experience ironing the shirts of Norway’s King Haakon VII.

In 2007, Kove’s The Danish Poet (2006) garnered her second Oscar nomination and her first win in the Animated Short Film category at the 79th Academy Awards. Her subsequent short, Me and My Moulton (2014), was nominated for the 87th Academy Awards.

Kove’s films have been showcased at numerous prestigious festivals worldwide, including the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and OIAF. Her latest animated short film, Maybe Elephants (2024), was featured in competition at OIAF 2024 and made it onto TIFF’s annual Canada’s Top Ten list for 2024.

“Torill’s artwork injects a refreshing perspective into our festival poster, characterized by a simplicity and vibrancy that distinguishes it from the more intricate and abstract designs we’ve typically embraced,” states OIAF Artistic Director Chris Robinson. “After years of wild and whimsical imagery, we aimed for something more straightforward and direct, and Torill’s work embodies that spirit perfectly. It marks a bold and beautiful new direction for OIAF, and we are thrilled to share it.”

Kove’s OIAF design will join the impressive lineup of past artists, including Lei Lei (2024), Matthew Rankin (2023), Angela Stempel and Amanda Bonaiuto (2021), Gary Baseman (2007), Gary Panter (2005), and Dave Cooper (2001), among others.

This year’s OIAF runs from September 24 to September 28. For more details about this year’s festival, visit animationfestival.ca.