This year, a total of 78 films were submitted to the Independent Walk section. Looking back on the preliminary round, I find that few years have made me think as deeply about where animation stands today. There were many works that fully embraced AI tools to explore new visual possibilities, as well as a considerable number that used AI as a supporting instrument while remaining focused on their own stories. At the same time, works by directors who have long refined and remained faithful to their own techniques and animating styles stood as firmly as ever. As a juror, I felt deeply grateful that works walking such different paths could come together in the shared space of Independent Walk.
What lingered in my mind the longest during the judging process were the works in which the director's hands and hours could be felt in every single frame. In an age when technology can take over so much, building up frames in one's own way may well be the slowest and most arduous choice. Yet the movement created in this way carried a texture and a breath that no tool could ever replace. I found myself inspired again and again before those images, and I wish to send my heartfelt encouragement to those directors. At the same time, the attempts to expand one's own world without fear of new tools were more than enough to demonstrate the pioneering spirit of independent animation.
After long deliberation and discussion, 24 films have advanced to the final competition. While some works regrettably could not join us in the finals, every film we encountered in the judging process carried its own precious value and light. It should be said that a jury's selection in no way defines a work's potential or worth. To hold on to one's own way of seeing the world, to wrestle with it over time, and to bring it into the world in the form of a film is in itself an artistic act that no one can presume to judge. I offer my sincere respect to all the directors who brought their works to completion.
The advancement of AI technology will continue to bring significant changes to animation. Yet having completed this round of judging, I have come to believe that no matter how the tools may change, works that preserve the fundamental power of animation to move us will only stand out all the more. Through this year's films, I was able to learn once again the power of putting one's heart into movement. I look forward to the conversations that the 24 selected films will create with audiences, and I hope to see you at the festival.
Written by Song Sihyung, on behalf of the Independent Walk preliminary jury: Kim Kyungbae, Song Sihyung, and Jinny Hyejin CHOO.
