Category: BEST ANIMATION – ARFF PARIS 2026

(HONORABLE MENTION)

Original Film Title: Jack Boomerang

Director’s Name: Jorge Lopez

Writer’s Name: Jorge Lopez

Producer: Jorge Lopez

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 3 minutes 48 seconds

Film Description:

Jack Boomerang is an experimental AI short film that explores the psychological tension between identity, pain, fantasy, and self-confrontation.

Inspired by readings of Carl Jung and Jungian analytical psychology, the film reflects on the masks people create in order to survive, the persona presented to the world, and the shadow that remains hidden beneath it.

The film is also loosely inspired by the 1960s, particularly the emotional echoes of the Cold War, and by the traumatic memories and visions of my grandfather, Bambo López. Through this personal and historical lens, Jack Boomerang becomes a psychological portrait of inherited fear, fractured identity, and the fantasies created by pain.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: The Ghost Pulse

Director’s Name: WEILEI DONG

Writer’s Name: WEILEI DONG

Producer: WEILEI DONG

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: English

Runtime: 4 minutes 59 seconds

Film Description:

A female robot, artificially created by capitalistic forces and infused with ‘human’ emotions, participated in a live robot exhibition competition.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Mysterious Dinosaur Valley

Director’s Name: Weidong Zhang

Writer’s Name: Jun Hua

Producer: Zhu Bing Lee

Country of Origin: China

Country of Filming: China

Language: Chinese

Runtime: 13 minutes

Film Description:

When alien crisis descends upon Earth,
The Lufengosaurus “Lufeng,” the Anchuans Street Dinosaur “Xiongxiong,” the Yuanmou Man “Xiaoyuan,” and the Peacock Princess “Chuchu” undergo genetic transformation to become the super Analu (meaning “brave” in the Yi language) team. Based at the Lufeng World Dinosaur Valley in Chuxiong, they join forces to fight against the aliens and protect the world.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: 情「Jeong」

Director’s Name: Hyungjae Youh

Writer’s Name: Hyungjae Youh

Producer: Hyungjae Youh

Country of Origin: South Korea

Country of Filming: South Korea

Language: Korean

Runtime: 7 minutes 55 seconds

Film Description:

In rural Korea, a woman lives alone — tending the fire, keeping the yard, setting a table for one. She writes a letter every day. Her children visit each spring, filling the house with laughter before the road takes them away again. On the day of the first snow, her calendar is covered in circles — every day she chose to remember. Then the final letter’s recipient is revealed. He is no longer living. Jeong — that untranslatable Korean bond — does not end with loss. It keeps writing letters that will never be answered.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: La Traversée

Director’s Name: Noel Fenez

Writer’s Name: Noel Fenez, Martial Fenez, Valérie Cachardi, Joanna Simoens

Producer: Noel Fenez, Joanna Simoens

Country of Origin: Canada

Country of Filming: Canada

Language: French

Runtime: 12 minutes

Film Description:

In La Traversée, a young man sets sail from France in 1911 aboard the S.S. Pretorian, driven by dreams of a better life in Canada. Inspired by a letter he wrote during his voyage, the film traces his emotional and physical journey across the Atlantic. At first enchanted by the ship’s bustling decks and vast seascapes, he soon faces the harsh reality of third-class travel—cramped quarters, relentless seasickness, and the toll of rough waters. Yet, moments of beauty, like glimpses of whales and icebergs, rekindle his sense of wonder and remind him of the promise that lies ahead.
As the ship approaches the Canadian coast, the sight of Newfoundland’s fishing boats and Québec’s riverside villages stirs anticipation for the new chapter awaiting him in the prairies of Manitoba. Aboard the train to his final destination, he is drawn to a young woman, his thoughts turning from survival to possibility. Blending animation, archival photos, and French folk music, La Traversée—created by Noel Fenez and Joanna Simoens—breathes life into a century-old letter. The film serves as both a personal homage and a universal reflection on the immigrant experience, preserving a family legacy for generations to come.

(FINALIST)

Original Film Title: Innolux N3D Technology: Bring the Natural World to Your Sight

Director’s Name: Yong Wei Chen

Writer’s Name: Yong Wei Chen

Producer: Yong Wei Chen

Country of Origin: Taiwan

Country of Filming: Taiwan

Language: English

Runtime: 3 minutes 20 seconds

Film Description:

A cutting-edge promotional video showcasing Innolux’s groundbreaking N3D naked-eye 3D display technology. This innovative display solution delivers natural 3D viewing experiences without special glasses, featuring real-time rendering with low computing requirements and multi-user compatibility. The video demonstrates how N3D technology bridges virtual and reality, making imagination come to life through advanced 3D visualization that reconstructs the real world for enhanced digital marketing and gaming applications.