Category: Best Animation – 2025 ARFF Paris

(HONORABLE MENTION)

Original Film Title: Irrational Geographic

Director’s Name: Katie Gibbs

Writer’s Name: Katie Gibbs

Producer: Katie Gibbs

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 2 minutes 23 seconds

Film Description:

A satirical short film featuring two animal actors on the set of a wildlife documentary. Despite their ability to converse like human beings, the animals are not always cooperative. Join the film crew in their attempt to capture an intense chase scene between two of the most celebrated creatures of the savanna.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Faith and the Christmas Star

Director’s Name: Anne Trenning

Writer’s Name: Anne Trenning, Abby Davenport

Producer: Anne Trenning

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 22 minutes 29 seconds

Film Description:

An animated chidren’s Christmas film with original instrumental soundtrack. The message is Faith, hope and love are the manifestation of Christmas and as a result Christmas lives in our hearts every day.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Soundtrack Your Life

Director’s Name: Saniya Assembek, Brandon Po-En Wang

Writer’s Name: Saniya Assembek, Brandon Po-En Wang

Producer: Saniya Assembek, Brandon Po-En Wang

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 1 minute 3 seconds

Film Description:

“Soundtrack Your Life” is a motion graphic short film incorporating 2D and 3D elements, exploring music’s transformative power in enhancing our everyday lives. Through the narrative lens, viewers are guided alongside the protagonist during her daily commute. As she immerses herself in music, the film vividly illustrates how her surroundings come alive with color and magic.

(HONORABLE MENTION)

Original Film Title: Moonlit Bamboo Forest

Director’s Name: David Pagaille

Writer’s Name: David Pagaille, Gabrielle D’Andrimont, Chamseddine Kaddouri, Joseph Morpugo

Producer: Yiting Lyu, Zhaoyu Zhou, Mulan Fu, Chamseddine Kaddouri, Marc Bodin-Joyeux, Lucie Friar

Country of Origin: France

Country of Filming: France

Language: English

Runtime: 12 minutes

Film Description:

A young boy ventures into an ancient, mystical bamboo forest, teeming with spirits and monsters from childhood tales…

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Star Of Tomorrow

Director’s Name: SiWei Liang

Writer’s Name: XiaoLiao Yang

Producer: XiaoLiao Yang

Country of Origin: United Kingdom

Country of Filming: United Kingdom

Language: English

Runtime: 3 minutes 40 seconds

Film Description:

Star Of Tomorrow is a futuristic transformation TV show that aims to transform an ordinary person to a modern superstar, he will go through a series of tortures of three experts and eventually leads to self-destruction…

(WINNER)

Original Film Title: BAAHUBALI: CROWN OF BLOOD Season 1 – Episode 6 “Dark Secrets”

Director’s Name: Jeevan J. Kang, Navin John

Writer’s Name: Sharad Devarajan, Jeevan J. Kang, Sarwat Chadda

Producer: S.S Rajamouli, Sharad Devarajan, Shobu Yarlagadda, Jeevan J. Kang

Country of Origin: India

Country of Filming: India

Language: Hindi

Runtime: 20 minutes

Film Description:

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Jesus 2

Director’s Name: Jesse Moynihan

Writer’s Name: Jesse Moynihan

Producer: Casey Rup, Aron Fromm

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 7 minutes

Film Description:

In the future no one can die and no one wants to live anymore. Two space pirate brothers must destroy an evil messiah to break the curse of immortality and deliver Humanity to its final resting place.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Watering Plastic Flowers

Director’s Name: Kathy Kiany

Writer’s Name: Kathy Kiany

Producer: Kathy Kiany

Country of Origin: Iran, Islamic Republic of

Country of Filming: Canada

Language: English

Runtime: 9 minutes 35 seconds

Film Description:

This short animation follows a nine-year-old girl from a religious Middle Eastern family. In a conversation with her brother, who prides himself on his masculine power, she realizes her new jurisprudential duties as she reaches the age of ‘religious puberty.’ These duties include preparing for marriage and wearing the obligatory hijab.
A vibrant child with big dreams for her future, she finds these rules conflicting with her aspirations, becoming incredibly irritated and furious. Seeking support, she turns to her mother. However, her mother, once a victim of the same rigid rules, feels powerless and unable to help.