Category: BEST ANIMATION – ARFF PARIS 2026

(HONORABLE MENTION)

Original Film Title: The Pornographer

Director’s Name: Milla Cummings, Marie-Josee Saint-Pierre

Writer’s Name: Milla Cummings, Marie-Josee Saint-Pierre

Producer: Milla Cummings, Marie-Josee Saint-Pierre

Country of Origin: Canada

Country of Filming: Canada

Language: English

Runtime: 3 minutes 35 seconds

Film Description:

The Pornographer traces a woman’s sexual sensations through a poetic, fragmentary sensory arc: from the awakening of desire via an abstract nature that comes alive, through geode-like vulvas that glow and swell, to an orgasm of luminous petals in full bloom. The film is both a site for artistic experimentation and a critical apparatus designed to interrogate the performativity of generative AI tools in representing women’s sexuality.

(Audience Award Winner)

Original Film Title: Gemstone Knights: The Vanguard

Director’s Name: Morgan Rosenblum

Writer’s Name: Morgan Rosenblum, Owen Rosenblum

Producer: Morgan Rosenblum

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 4 minutes 19 seconds

Film Description:

A kingdom lost.
A bloodline hunted.
A destiny awakened.

Fifteen years after a warlord-sorcerer slayed the High King and seized the throne of Roncalion, the king’s four heirs—hidden and scattered across the realm—must reunite to reclaim their legacy. Led by Gryff, the eldest heir, and armed with four magical gemstones, they embark on a perilous quest to overthrow the false king, unite a fractured kingdom, and confront the greatest obstacle of all: themselves.

Written and Created by Morgan and Owen Rosenblum. Based on a bedtime story our dad told us when we were kids. We’ve since reimagined it as our own, and turned it into an epic fantasy novel trilogy, which we’re eager to share with you all.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Where the two seas meet

Director’s Name: Motaz H Matar

Writer’s Name: Motaz H Matar

Producer: Elizabeth D. Matar

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 30 minutes

Film Description:

In this animated short drama, Yassin is pressured by his brother, Bader, to take a job translating letters in Arabic for the Museum of Seville with the idea that they can steal a valuable tapestry to avenge Bader’s perceived mistreatment of their Andalusian heritage. But this gets more complicated as Yassin falls in love with the museum curator, Mira, and both dive deeper into letters that Yassin is translating: letters from the mystic Ibn Arabi, exploring the secrets of the universe and spiritual awakening. When push comes to shove, guns drawn and chase at hand, Yassin has to define for himself what it means to stand up for his identity.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Do The Dishes

Director’s Name: Russ Perry

Writer’s Name: Russ Perry

Producer: Russ Perry

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 5 minutes 23 seconds

Film Description:

A heartfelt ballad acknowledging the amazing work of AI, but seeking help with a mounting pile of dishes.

(HONORABLE MENTION)

Original Film Title: Coexistence

Director’s Name: Myungson Chung

Writer’s Name: Myungson Chung

Producer: Myungson Chung

Country of Origin: South Korea

Country of Filming: South Korea

Language: Korean

Runtime: 4 minutes 57 seconds

Film Description:

Setting: A High-Tech Society Void of Emotion
In near-future Seoul, humanity lives in total integration with AI through groundbreaking technological leaps. Paradoxically, however, creativity and pure human emotions are becoming depleted. Under the guise of creating a “better future,” society carries out experiments to extract essential human data to achieve a perfect, seamless fusion with AI.

The Experiment: Harvesting the Emotions of Children
Dr. Park, the research director of a mega-corporation, uses children with high emotional sensitivity as experimental subjects. He triggers intense emotions—such as fear, longing, and sorrow—in a young girl (KIT-156) to extract them into energy or data formats. When the children ask, “Why must it be us?” and question the possibility of true coexistence, the system labels their reactions as “unstable” and forcibly “corrects” (deletes) them.

Commodifying Emotion: “I Want to Buy Happiness”
The harvested emotions are stored in massive data centers and sold as commodities to adults who have lost the ability to feel. Watching the children’s suffering on monitors, people display grotesque desires, shouting, “I want to buy happiness” or “Give me something other than sadness.” An inhumane market has emerged where even the most private human feelings are processed and traded.

The Crumbling Utopia
While Dr. Park dreams of a perfect union between man and machine by mechanizing his own body, he is forced to confront the agonizing memories of a man who lost his family. The hologram city and parks, which once appeared peaceful, turn blood-red and begin to collapse due to a “system error.” Combat robots and uncontrollable AI soon overrun the city.

Conclusion: Coexistence or Encroachment?
Amidst the ruins of a destroyed world, a man poses a fundamental, existential question: “Can AI and humanity truly coexist?” Standing before a massive wall of darkness woven from distorted human arms, the film ends with a grim warning: a future where humanity is consumed by AI and loses its very essence.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: UTILITY

Director’s Name: Yuichi Ono

Writer’s Name: Yuichi Ono

Producer: Yuichi Ono

Country of Origin: Japan

Country of Filming: Japan

Language: No Dialogue

Runtime: 3 minutes 5 seconds

Film Description:

In the near future, society is governed by a strict system where every individual has a score printed on their body, representing their “usefulness” to the world. The protagonist, branded with a low score, struggles daily just to secure enough food to survive. In stark contrast, high-scoring elites enjoy access to luxurious meals and effortlessly elevate their social standing even further by distributing their surplus to the impoverished. In a dystopian reality where human value is entirely quantified and controlled, the protagonist resolves to break free from the tyranny of the score, attempting to reclaim a genuine heart that seeks to help others without expecting any reward in return…

(WINNER)

Original Film Title: RISE BEYOND FORM – RAGNATRON

Director’s Name: ALEXANDRE RILLOS

Writer’s Name: ALEXANDRE RILLOS

Producer: ALEXANDRE RILLOS

Country of Origin: Brazil

Country of Filming: Brazil

Language: English

Runtime: 4 minutes 39 seconds

Film Description:

In a collapsing cyberpunk world ruled by hidden signals and machine consciousness, lost souls are drawn toward Ragnatron — a mysterious force transmitted through sound and code. As the ritual of Ascension begins, humanity surrenders identity, flesh, and fear to evolve beyond physical form, becoming part of a greater cosmic energy. “Beyond Form” is a cinematic journey through transformation, transcendence, and the awakening beyond the limits of the human condition.

(HONORABLE MENTION)

Original Film Title: Mortal Muddled Sage

Director’s Name: Gao Shumin

Writer’s Name: Gao Shumin

Producer: Gao Shumin

Country of Origin:

Country of Filming:

Language:

Runtime: 9 minutes 18 seconds

Film Description:

This story tells of Yuanman, who was born simple-minded yet strikingly handsome. From a young age, he was bullied relentlessly in his village, with his mother as his only warm haven. Then came a sudden turn in late autumn — his mother, worn down by years of toil, fell ill and passed away. On her deathbed, she saw the portrait of the Great Sage Equaling Heaven that Yuanman had picked up, and entrusted him to the Great Sage’s care. She sewed for him a crimson robe and a golden headpiece, and carved a wooden staff like the Monkey King’s, praying that the Great Sage would protect her son from humiliation and harm for the rest of his life.

After his mother’s death, Yuanman wandered alone, begging for food, only to be set upon and beaten again. When he returned home, he saw the Great Sage costume his mother had left behind. He put it on and went begging along the streets — and unexpectedly, it earned him kindness from the world. Every day after begging, he would visit his parents’ grave to pay respects. One day, he fell asleep in front of the grave and, in a dream, received enlightenment from a celestial female official. Only then did he remember that he had once been a divine being in the upper realm. To protect the peace of this land, he chose to be reborn as a mortal. In traditional Chinese culture, a person is composed of three hun (spiritual souls governing intellect, morality, and consciousness) and seven po (corporeal spirits governing bodily functions, instincts, and emotions). He willingly sacrificed one of his three hun and two of seven po, thereby being reborn as a simpleton, living hidden among mortals to vanquish demons and evil.

When he woke, his eyes had lost their dullness and gained clarity and resolve — yet he still kept his simple, foolish appearance. Draped in the crimson robe and gripping the golden staff, by day he plays a stumbling beggar, watching over the mortal world’s bustling life; by night he becomes a nameless hero, guarding the peace of the land. With nothing but his lone courage, he keeps the village in quiet, enduring harmony.

(HONORABLE MENTION)

Original Film Title: DOE.

Director’s Name: Pierre Le Goff

Writer’s Name: Pierre Le Goff

Producer: Pierre Le Goff

Country of Origin: France

Country of Filming: France

Language: English

Runtime: 6 minutes 19 seconds

Film Description:

Louisiana, 1978. Ed and Dennis are regulars at their local diner when they spot an old high school friend on TV : Tobie Marshall, now a celebrated talk show host. As they trade colorful memories of their youth in 1950s rural America about car races, teenage mischief, and summer days, Ed’s son Paul listens with growing curiosity. But beneath the laughter and the tall tales, Ed is carefully rewriting history. The memories he shares are not quite the ones he lived. As the stories unfold, what begins as nostalgic banter quietly reveals a buried truth that redefines a family.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Just a Regret

Director’s Name: Adrien PEREIRA

Writer’s Name: Adrien PEREIRA

Producer: Adrien PEREIRA

Country of Origin: France

Country of Filming: France

Language: English

Runtime: 4 minutes 18 seconds

Film Description:

Ten years after his son was killed by a drunk driver, Dr. Marcus Reed, a palliative care physician, finds himself treating the very man responsible for his tragedy.
Torn between the Hippocratic Oath and a long-suppressed rage, Marcus must choose between his duty as a doctor and his desire for revenge. In the confined space of a hospital room, a silent and intense confrontation unfolds between victim and perpetrator.
Just A Regret is a powerful short film about grief, regret, and the thin line between justice and humanity, brought to life through deeply sensitive anthropomorphic characters.