This finely crafted film shifts between memories of the past, the present moment, and the protagonist’s imagination. Its tightly woven narrative makes the animation both relatable and absorbing. The film draws a connection between the reality that people believe they are experiencing and the medium of cinema. From the performances of the voice actors to the quality of the animation, sound, and visuals, this exquisite film impressed all of the jury members who were unanimous in their decision. The main character endures hardship and despair as she struggles to find fulfillment by living according to the standards of others. What she desires might be simpler and closer than she knows, as she discovers in the final conclusion which leaves us with a deeply moving message. (JEONG Da-hee)

This film is carrying the audience away on a visual journey into the psychology of its characters. Setting aside the environment to focus on people, the minimalism of the graphic style and the restricted, dull color palette both capture feelings and emotions beyond words. (Laure GOASGUEN)

When we see characters living as someone other than themselves in society, we may see a reflection of ourselves living in the modern world. This film presents the novel idea of wearing and casting off skins in everyday life through powerful and striking imagery. The muted colors and delicate visuals made the film all the more distinctive and compelling. Like a reflection in the mirror, this animation causes us to take another look at ourselves. (JEONG Da-hee)

Artistic creation may be our passion, but it is still a road paved with difficulties. In times of hardship, we may find ourselves alone, or sharing a drink and grumbling with friends enduring the same situation. We get angry, make jokes, exchange laughs, and share our hopes. This film invites us to such a night out, created with painstaking work that brings us boisterous and joyous humor, sharing a message of comfort and encouragement that we all wish for. (WON Jongshik)

The jury was impressed by a film about judgement itself. The film skilfully blends different times and stages. It makes impressive use of all the tools animation has to offer. The interplay of image and sound is executed with impeccable timing. The jury is looking forward to seeing where this director takes us with his future work. The Special Prize for Debut Film goes to a visually stunning film about guilt. (Michael FREI)

While reviewing the films for the music and sound category, we looked for a creative and experimental approach that defies common expectations while creating a sense of harmony without getting in the way of the visuals.

This film relied solely on the human voice to create both the music and sound, with an original approach that allowed us to become fully immersed as viewers. (CHAI Minjoo)

This film kissed us and made us all very animated. Unfortunately, the jury cannot say much more about the film because we were all laughing throughout the film and can't read our shaky notes that we have made during the screening. The KAFA Special Prize goes to a very funny film. (Michael FREI)

Many independent animation directors make works that are autobiographical in nature. It takes great courage to face your own difficult memories through artistic creation. This year's KIAFA special prize goes to a film about a boy whose precious yet painful remembrances of his father are revealed in a deep cave, reminding us of our own fathers who had a hard time expressing themselves. The members of the jury wish to thank and congratulate the recipient of this award. (SUNG Bokyung)

We were excited to review the works in competition, to see the diverse creations and the paths that they took. Each work shined like a star in the Milky Way, like a beacon that lights the road ahead in the future of web animation. It was a challenge to compare so many fine works which set a high bar for the jury. The effort and perseverance of the filmmakers was evident and led to heated discussions.

Animation is always fraught with finite resources. We empathize with the all the filmmakers who struggle with limited time and budgets. Regardless of their end product, we hope everyone encourages and supports each other while they continue to pursue their passions and challenge themselves. We applaud all your hard work. (LEE Sung-hwan)

This work captures the warm sunlight which we feel every day. The light, earth, and wind are felt by the characters, and the people that they observe make the everyday experiences of our own lives seem a little more special. We can readily imagine the stories of the dust fairies in the small room, between the trees, and on the floor.

Above all, the two directors’ voice performances were memorable for their genuine feeling, the most personal and essential quality needed to express an emotion. We feel gratitude and respect for the creators of this wonderful work. (LIM Su-in)

After a careful and certainly complex selection in this 18th edition of Indie_AniFest, the jury had serious difficulties in finding winners. The diversity of the films presented, whether in aesthetics, technique or even narrative, shows that independent animation cinema is still in good health. 

The authors and their teams bring us fresh and innovative ideas that explore the new tools of animation without destroying artistic expressiveness, showing that true innovation is above all in their creativity, and that it is still possible to create films that still surprise us.

The films chosen by the jury try to reward the different aspects of animation filmmaking, whether in genre, technique, aesthetics, or narrative language. The diversity presented in the different sessions we've attended is one of the pluses of independent animation cinema. It's the diversity and creative freedom that allows the continuous evolution of this art. Originality, concept, message, aesthetics, animation and direction were the main focuses of the jury in choosing the awarded films. (Nuno BEATO)

The jury highlights this work for its aesthetic beauty, original direction, and careful and thorough animation. The author of this beautiful film leads the viewer through a sequence of animated images with a poetic delicacy, working with the simple movement of touch. Not having a linear narrative, she manages to involve the audience through the rhythm, the delicacy of the movements, the soft colors, and a perfect harmony between all these elements, culminating with a very well done achievement. (Nuno BEATO)

This 11-minute film shows a coming-of-age drama and delicately connects the main character's pain and fear in two situations, using fast-paced cross cutting to propel the narrative and natural animation that moves the audience to empathy and applause. The members of the Asia Road jury unanimously chose this film to receive the jury special prize. (Jinna LEE)

Watching the films in the Asia Road competition was a wonderful experience that allowed us to feel the common perspectives connecting people from different cultures. The winner of the Asia Road competition is its director’s first film, and it is notable for its enduring spirit and bold direction. We hope the stories from diverse cultures continue to be shared in many places. We offer our sincere congratulations to the recipient of this prize. (JEON Seungbae)

Making an animation about the life of the most famous figure in Korea’s labor movement history was surely a difficult undertaking. This film used emotional storytelling to inspire empathy from a broad audience. It deserves applause for its subtle direction which captures the weight and emotion of the true biographical story without exaggeration or excess. (LEE Sung-gang)

This film combines a dystopia and utopia. A utopia can mean a perfect place with the best conditions, but it can also mean a place that doesn't exist. Meanwhile, a dystopia doesn't only exist in science fiction but is being experienced in the real world all around the globe. This film unfolds in a space and time that can be called "virtual," which is something that is artificial but can also be something that is "latent" or exists "in actuality." This animation shows vision in combining its imagery and narrative in an experimental and original way, making us look forward to the director's next work. The jury special prize is awarded to a film that was woven together with the talent and passion of an independent artist. (SHIN Eun-shil) 

This fun animation is filled with affection for the genre of stop motion. It weaves together various elements to show the multifaceted charm of the genre while feeling approachable. The film blends documentary and puppetry to show an artist’s hardships with a universal sense of humor. Above all, the audience kept laughing throughout the length of the film. One of the puppets had hoped that Korean stop motion animation would see the spotlight someday. The audience’s reception made us feel that this day had already arrived. (BAEK Jimin)