News Archives - Fredrikstad Animation Festival

Call for Entries! 2024 Nordic-Baltic Competition PLUS a new competition for FAF 2024

The Fredrikstad Animation Festival is thrilled to announce that submissions are now open for the 2024 competition programs!

We are on the lookout for exceptional entries in the following categories:

Nordic-Baltic:

  • Short Film
  • Student Film
  • Commissioned Film
  • Feature Film

In addition to the Nordic-Baltic Competition, FAF 2024 will have a NEW International Short Film Competition. Please send an email to mail@animationfestival.no if you have any questions about this new competition program.

Mark your calendars! The submission deadline for all short film categories is 17 June, and for the feature film competition, it is 1 August. So don’t miss your chance to shine on the big screen!

For a full breakdown of rules and terms, head over to our submission page.

We can’t contain our excitement! This October, get ready to experience the pinnacle of Nordic-Baltic animation at its finest! Be prepared to witness astonishing talent, breathtaking visuals, and boundless creativity. We are eagerly awaiting a flood of submissions that will astound and inspire!

If you have any burning questions regarding film submissions, reach out to the festival producer, Clara Sætren, at clara@animationfestival.no. She’s ready to assist you on your thrilling animated journey!

SUBMIT TODAY

Screening of Winner Films

Wednesday 22 November- 18.00 – TÆPS- Fredrikstad

Thursday 23 November- 18:00 – BØNS – Moss

The event at BØNS in Moss has been canceled.

Together with our favorite burgers and beer-bars in Fredrikstad and the nearby city of Moss, TÆP and BØNS. we present the winner film of Fredrikstad Animation Festival 2023. The first three of the films are suitable for children.

Music Factory

Dir: Alf Martin Løvvold, Cina Espejord
Length: 08:53
Norway – 2022

In The Music Factory, we meet Herbert, who has synesthesia; a cross-sensory condition that makes him see shapes and colours when he hears sound and music, and we are presented with the story of how he found his way to the music factory. During his infanthood music, colors, and shapes all came together in a pure joyful synthesis, but when he gets older his synesthesia turns into a distraction with catastrophic results. At a low point in the film, the sound of a beautiful violin brings him out his sadness, and he follows the trails of synesthesia and discovers the music factory. He sneaks in, and is taken on a journey through the factory. In the grand finale, Herbert finds out he is capable of controlling the colors and shapes, and he brings the synesthesia down, shapes it, and throws it back up in the air. All in harmony with the music created by a full philharmonic orchestra. In the end, Herbert gets a job as head of R&D at the music factory and the film ends with him working his way through the factory.

The Photo That Came to Life

Dir: Mikk Magi
Lenght: 12:47
Estonia – 2022

It is Peter’s first summer in the countryside. All seems to be going well until the innkeeper’s dead grandfather tries to eat him.

Nun or Never!

Regi: Heta Jäälinoja
Lengde: 10:00
Finland – 2023

The nuns live in the monastery in contentment and harmony, fused together. One of the nuns finds a man underground while digging potatoes. The nun begins to dream of the man, goes mad and loses a common rhythm with others.

Theo Myling – my heart is in limbo

Regi: Håvard Skeide Glad
Lengde: 03:40
Norway – 2023

A heartbroken man stuck in grief is looking out his window towards a past love, in his floating house amongst the stars. Myling, a mysterious entity, appears and delves into the dark depths of the hidden basement, to find and uproot the pulsating source. As the entity rips out the growth, the man must confront his fiery pain, to ultimately be able to step outside and move on.

Mano

DIr: Toke Madsen
Length: 06:58
Denmark – 2023

Trapped in a neglectful family situation a protective older brother takes care of his younger sibling, and confronts his absent mother, leading to a rash decision.

Blush – An Extraordinary Voyage

Dir: Iiti Yli-Harja
Length: 14:55
Finland – 2023

For 18-year-old Finnish–Kosovan Fatu, a simple visit to the grocery store feels as nerve-wracking as a lunar expedition: for the first time in his life, he’s wearing makeup in public. Luckily, his best friend Rai, a young woman on the autism spectrum, is there to fiercely support him through the voyage.

The Eastern Rain

Dir: Milly Yencken
Length: 09:07
Estonia – 2023

If the rain were to fall indoors, but never outdoors, where do we begin to look for shelter?

FAF 2024 Exclusive Hotel Offer

SCANDIC CITY FREDRIKSTAD 

As some attendees experienced last year, hotel rooms in Fredrikstad can be difficult to come by. So this year we have reserved a whole hotel for our attendees!

FAF attendees have until September 20th to book an exclusive room, but with only 110 available we know this will sell out fast. Book your hotel early and be part of the festival action!

Only steps away from the Fredrikstad cinema, this hotel is the best option to be in the heart of the festival action. Book directly with the hotel by calling +47 69 38 56 00. Make sure you mention the festival! We are proud to offer our attendees a discounted rate at the Scandic City from Thursday- Sunday.

Single Room – 1345,-

Double Room – 1545,-

WEX Hotels

Wex is an apartment hotel in the center of Fredrikstad. Email nora@wex.no with FAF in the subject line to book your room today and receive 10% off during the festival.

More details about visiting Fredrikstad here.

Award Winners 2023

To mark the conclusion of the 2023 festival and in celebration of the outstanding Nordic-Baltic animation, the FAF Award Ceremony has been held at Beach Club in Fredrikstad. 

Three juries, composed of an international team of industry professionals, had the challenging task of selecting the 2023 award winners. 

The short film jury selecting the award winners for Grand Prix, Best Short Film and Best Student Film is Niels Putman, Sara Koppel and Konrad Hjemli. 

The award winner for Best Feature Film has been selected by Laura Almantaité and Frank Mosvold. 

For Best Commissioned Film the jury selecting the award winner is Peter Smith, James Martin and Martine Andersen. 

In addition to the professional jury, we also have a children’s jury for Best Children’s Film. This jury consists of

And there is a Young Audience programme, which has its own jury of children aged 9 to 15. This year’s jury is Audun Roaldseth Fuglesang og Arian Hawrez Lund. 

And there is a Young Audience programme, which has its own jury of children aged 9 to 15. This year’s jury is Edgar Simons, Ellis King og Linnea Melby.

They have selected the winner of the Best Young Audience Award.  

And we also have the award where the whole audience is in the jury by voting – the Audience Award. 

Here are the winners! 

GRAND PRIX 

Jury´s motivation: This brave film fluidly blends its circular narrative with a powerful artistic and poetic visual language, effectively presenting something both abstract and expressionistic. In this surreal world, the wonderous, colorful brushstrokes that meet with shades of gray are supported by a meditative and equally strong soundscape – ultimately drenching us as if we ourselves are dancing in the rain.  

The Grand Prix goes to THE EASTERN RAIN by Milly Yencken. 

AUDIENCE AWARD 

The Audience Award goes to NUN OR NEVER! By director Heta Jäälinoja. 

BEST NORDIC-BALTIC SHORT FILM 

Jury´s motivation: Out of all the Nordic-Baltic short films, this one truly has something special. From the DIY crafty visuals, to the clever metaphor use and documentary dialogue, every aspect of this film screams of authenticity. While on the surface it’s a deeply personal depiction of a charming friendship, the film also tells a bigger story concerning our society’s prejudices, and does it all in fabulous fashion.  

The award for Best Nordic-Baltic Short Film goes to BLUSH – AN EXTRAORDINARY VOYAGE by Iiti Yli-Harja. 

BEST NORDIC-BALTIC FEATURE FILM 

Jury´s motivation: We are delighted to announce the winner of best animated feature at Fredrikstad Animation Festival is a heartwarming film celebrating the power of friendship and the courage to let go of one’s fears. The film with its beautiful backgrounds, transports the viewers to a magical world of wonder and imagination. The accompanying music further elevates the storytelling, immersing the audience in the emotional journey of its characters. 

The winner of the Best Feature Film at the Fredrikstad Animation Festival is ROSA AND THE STONETROLL directed by Karla Nor Holmbäck. 

BEST NORDIC-BALTIC STUDENT FILM 

Jury´s motivation: By minimalistic means, this film creates an entirely believable world in just a few minutes. Told through an intense atmosphere and impressive character design, the narrative tropes of dysfunctional families are used wisely to celebrate the resilience of brotherhood, something actually worth fighting for. If only we could have stayed with these brothers a little bit longer. 

The award for Best Nordic-Baltic Student Film goes to MANO by Toke Madsen. 

BEST NORDIC-BALTIC CHILDREN’S FILM 

Jury´s motivation: A very cool film. Fun with 3D, and the images were very lively. 

The award for Best Nordic-Baltic Children’s Film goes to THE MUSIC FACTORY directed by Alf Martin Løvvold and Cina Espejord. 

SPECIAL MENTION 

Jury´s motivation: Silly and cool. 

Special mention to THE SWINEHERD directed by Magnus Igland Møller and Peter Smith. 

BEST NORDIC-BALTIC YOUNG AUDIENCE

Jury´s motivation: Very creative. Scary, cool, scary, cool, and funny. A great story about daring to try new things. 

The award for Best Nordic-Baltic Youth Film goes to THE PHOTO THAT CAME TO LIFE directed by Mikk Magi. 

SPECIAL MENTION 

Jury´s motivation: A very important and good story. Take care of nature and family. 

Special mention to PADDLE BOAT directed by Samppa Kukkonen. 

BEST NORDICBALTIC COMMISSIONED FILM 

Jury´s motivation: We focused on both good story telling and technical execution (Also there’s always the wow effects to consider). The film really stood out because it used 90’s video game style to tell an emotional story with beautiful abstract visuals. A music video with a good story arc, which can be a difficult balance in music videos. A nostalgic and mysterious style that suits the sound perfectly (with a cool drive). 

The award for Best Nordic-Baltic Commissioned Film goes to THEO MYLING – MY HEART IS IN LIMBO by director Håvard Skeide Glad. 

SPECIAL MENTION 

A super fun commercial extremely well executed both technically and artistically. 

Special mention goes to TROLLI GOONIVERSE by directors Renee Zehan and Lars Ellingbø. 

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

John M. Jacobsen, one of Norway’s greatest film producers, has been honored with the festival’s Lifetime Achievement award. John M. Jacobsen is being recognized for his contributions to the animation film industry, as well as his efforts to elevate the importance of visual effects in Norwegian cinema.

Congratulations to all!

Highlights from FAF 2023

French focus in the industry program, a Dutch animation legend, and a Norwegian veteran are some of the many highlights featured when this year’s Fredrikstad Animation Festival takes place from 19 to 22 October. An extensive concert and club program, along with a multitude of films also complements the program. Here’s an overview of some of what you can look forward to day by day. 

Thursday 19 October

Edufest: Building Neo-Tokyo, the world of Akira 

12:00, Fredrikstad Kino 

The first part of Edufest – which is seminars tailored for students – features a lecture by anime background art expert, Stefan Riekeles. He will delve into the unique artistry behind the classic anime film Akira. Riekeles has authored numerous books on the architecture in anime films and is considered one of the foremost authorities in the field. The seminar will also include presentations about key programs in animation, film, and VFX education. 

New Nordic Animation  

16:00, Fredrikstad Kino 

Every year, FAF gathers some of the foremost producers, filmmakers, and studios from across the Nordic region for a forum which is dedicated to shining a light on all the innovation happening in the field of animation in our part of the world. The forum is a collaboration among several Nordic organizations within the animation industry, and this year, exciting projects from all over the Nordics will be presented. 

Qvisten Animation, led by director Will Ashurst, will offer a Work-In-Progress presentation of The Brothers Gruff go to Splash World, set to premiere in Norwegian cinemas in December. From Sweden, Nordisk Film and producer Anna Warfvinge will showcase the studio’s work in developing animated TV-series. Additionally, Magnus Igland Møller from the Danish animation studio Tumblehead will share insights into the studio’s success with short films like Svinedrængen and how they achieve their unique 3D style. 

Official Festival Opening  

21:00, Fredrikstad Kino  

The official opening of the festival is at Fredrikstad Kino and will include the screening of the first of the competition programs for Nordic-Baltic Animated Short Films, other entertainment, and official speeches. 

During the opening, there will be a dance performance titled Grow, where surrealism meets climate and the environment through video projection, dance, and music. In this collaborative performance, questions and reflections on how the world looks today are raised. A constantly changing and dream-like scene creates a space for the audience to contemplate some of the biggest challenges of our time. 

Before the festival’s opening, an AR exhibition featuring the Danish animation artist Sara Koppel is held at Nygaardsgata 37.
 

Friday 20 October

Production Day 

10:00 – 16:30, Fredrikstad Kino  

For the third year in a row, Virke Produsentforeningen has chosen to host its Animation Convention in Fredrikstad in connection with the animation festival. The program has a French focus and offers exciting lectures featuring prominent figures from the French animation community. Read more about the program here. 

 
Meet the Filmmakers  

19:30, St.Croix Huset 

Meet the filmmakers behind the films in the festival’s competition program for Nordic-Baltic short films and learn more about both the films and the filmmakers. In a Q&A session, you have the opportunity to ask the questions you’re curious about, get more information about the films directly from those who made them, and gain insight into the ideas, processes, and techniques behind the finished works. It all takes place in a relaxed atmosphere at the St. Croix Huset. The participating filmmakers will be interviewed by animation expert, and journalist Nancy Denney-Phelps. 

Animated Live: Ánnámáret

21:00, St.Croix Huset 

For the third consecutive festival, FAF presents its Animated Live concept. This year, the Finnish-Sámi artist Ánnámáret, in collaboration with visual artist and animator Marja Viitahuhta, presents a concert featuring live music and video art. Their film Flames may be familiar to previous festival attendees, as it was shown in the festival’s opening ceremony in 2021. Read more about the concert here.
 

Animated Club: Snorre Magnar Solberg & Ola Lysgaard 

22:00, St.Croix Huset

To end the fun of Friday, put on your dancing shoes as the festival presents a unique concept featuring retro heroes Snorre Magnar Solberg and Ola Lysgaard. This duo has collaborated on a series of spectacular audio and video total experiences, including at venues like Østre in Bergen. 

Multiartist and DJ shaman Snorre Magnar Solberg has established himself as one of the country’s most driving, distinctive, and experienced techno DJs over the past decade. Through his own club concept, Club No-No, and Ambient Garden, as well as collaborative releases with Berlin-based Sex Tags Mania, Solberg has marked his presence. Solberg builds up and improvises his beats all night long, taking audiences on extended sonic journeys through a carefully selected and tested eclectic mix of ambient, techno, acid, electro, and experimental electronic music. He molds them into a punky, unique, highly danceable mashup style, often infused with his own compositions. 

Multiartist Ola Lysgaard works with everything from his own comic books and art materials to 2D video game graphics and advanced 3D animation. He blends techniques from the old-school hypnotic lightshow and rave-visuals culture into a wholly distinctive live video style based on fractals, game graphics, and digital wormholes. 

Saturday 21 October 

Masterclass: Hisko Hulsing

10:00, Fredrikstad Kino 

Hisko Hulsing, the Dutch director behind the award-winning and widely acclaimed Undone, Seventeen, and Junkyard, will hold a Masterclass at FAF 2023. Hulsing, is known for his dystopian visuals and use of rotoscoping. In works such as Junkyard, he skillfully weaves his own life experiences into the film’s narrative, resulting in a cinematic piece that resonates with its audience. Hulsing is a multi-talent who not only directs but also writes, paints, and composes music for his own films. In the masterclass, Hulsing will talk about his methods, how he builds scenes and animation, and also highlights from his career. 

Guest of Honor: John M. Jacobsen  

12:30, Fredrikstad Kino 

John M. Jacobsen is being recognized for his contributions to the animation film industry, as well as his efforts to elevate the importance of visual effects in Norwegian cinema. As a producer, Jacobsen has significantly contributed to the establishment of the internationally acclaimed Norwegian CGI, animation, and VFX communities. His work has also further developed the significance of strong visual language used in major Norwegian film productions. In this encounter with the veteran of Norwegian cinema, you will gain a better understanding of his thoughts on how Norwegian cinema should appear visually and how it should engage with the audience. 

Symposium: Animatet Horror 

15:30, Fredrikstad Kino 

Animation and horror share many common traits: they are both pop cultural forms of expression that reanimate the seemingly lifeless, they both strive to push boundaries, and they both allow for limitless creativity in style. 

A premise for the symposium is that horror is a genre that deals with processing fear, not just a genre focused on creating fear. We ask: What is unique about animation’s ability to address and express fear? 

The keynote speaker at the symposium is Stacey Abbott, a professor in film and TV studies. Abbott has extensively published on the topic of horror. She will discuss the exciting synergies between animation and horror. Associate Professor Endre Eidsaa Larsen will present theories on the value of experiencing horror films and suggest how animated horror can make the familiar appear strange. Finally, Ray Whitcher, who teaches at the Department of Game Design in Uppsala, will discuss how the so-called Grimdark genre can serve as a starting point for storytelling. 

Animated Live: Center of the Universe/ Kristoffer Lislegaard

22:00, Østfold International Theatre (ØIT)

This year’s closing party will be held at Østfold International Theater following the award ceremony. Center of the Universe is known for producing videos to nearly all of his tracks, with a notorious use of green screen, B-film tricks, and funny animations. For FAF he is presenting a new audiovisual show in collaboration with VJ Kristoffer Lislegaard, with live video effects and attempts to take the concept Animated Live literally! Center of the Universe just released the album “COU”, where all the songs are acronyms, and an album of electronic Norwegian folk music together with Kenneth Lien, receiving plenty of good reviews and coverage in the media. Now the album “Long Player” is on its way. You can dance to this music that is inspired by house, disco, oriental, and various folk music.

Hisko Hulsing to Host Masterclass at FAF

Hisko Hulsing, the Dutch director behind the award-winning and widely acclaimed Undone, Seventeen, and Junkyard, will hold a Masterclass at FAF 2023.

Hulsing, who started his career by happenstance while studying art and painting, is known for his dystopian visuals and use of rotoscoping. In works such as Junkyard, he skillfully weaves his own life experiences into the film’s narrative, resulting in a cinematic piece that resonates with its audience.

Hulsing is a multi-talent who not only directs but also writes, paints, and composes music for his own films.

In the masterclass, Hulsing will talk about his methods, how he builds scenes and animation, and also highlights from his career.


Secure your festival pass and gain access to Hulsing’s masterclass Saturday 21 October.


Biography

Hisko Hulsing’s (1971) films Seventeen and Junkyard were invited to numerous festivals and won many awards, including the Grand Prize at the OIAF. Besides writing, directing, painting, and animating for his animated films, Hulsing composed the orchestral soundtracks for his own films. 

In 2014, Hulsing made large animated sequences for Cobain: Montage of Heck, the acclaimed documentary about Kurt Cobain. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was theatrically released worldwide by Universal Pictures.

Hulsing directed both seasons of Undone, an animated series for adults for Amazon Prime. Undone appeared in Top Ten lists of the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and Time Magazine and won the jury award in Annecy.

In 2022, Hulsing directed the bonus episode of The Sandman for DC Comics, Warner Bros, and Netflix called A Dream of a Thousand Cats. It was released in 2022 and was viewed over 30 million times in the first 6 weeks.

Release of short film competition programs

A total of 59 fantastic films have been selected from 185 submissions. Among them are 14 films in the professional program, 12 student films, 10 short films for children, and 24 commissioned films.

The festival’s pre-selection committee has watched over 19 hours of film and carefully evaluated which ones make it into this year’s competition program for Nordic-Baltic animated short films. The program, to be presented during the festival in October, promises both familiar and new voices, strong visual storytelling, and highlights from the animation scene in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

The number of submissions for the competition program in the professional short film category is a record-high this year, with a total of 89 entries. Additionally, there were 53 films from 23 different colleges and universities entered in the competition program for student films.

The following films have been selected for the short film competition program:

Nordic-Baltic Competition: Short Film 

  • Glenn, the Great Nature Lover, Anna Erlandsson, Sweden, Norway (2023)
  • In Perpetuum, Birute Sodeikaite, Canada (2023)
  • The First Metahuman, Yi Le, Norway (2023)
  • Matthew, Trine Vallevik Håbjørg, Norway (2023)
  • Nun or Never!, Heta Jäälinoja, Finland (2023)
  • Antipolis, Kaspar Jancis, Estonia (2023)
  • Doris & Bettan – Marbella Mayhem, Ellen Ekman, Sweden (2023)
  • I Am a Horse, Chaerin Im, Denmark, South Korea (2022)
  • Eeva, Lucija Mrzljak, Morten Tšinakov, Estonia, Croatia (2022)
  • Blush – An Extraordinary Voyage, Iiti Yli-Harja, Finland (2022)
  • Purga, Gintarė Valevičiūtė Brazauskienė, Antanas Skučas, Lithuania (2023)
  • Earthquake, Said Mohsen Hossaini, Afghanistan (2022)
  • George-Peterland, Christer Wahlberg, Sebastian Rudolph Jensen, Sweden (2023)
  • The Swineherd, Magnus Igland Møller, Peter Smith, Denmark, Norway (2022)
Matthew, Trine Vallevik Håbjørg, Norway (2023)
Matthew, Trine Vallevik Håbjørg, Norway (2023)

Nordic-Baltic Competition: Student Film

  • Mano, Toke Madsen, Denmark (2022)
  • Beanboy, Emily Hanning, Denmark (2022)
  • A story about a monkey, a bear and a caterpillar, Dashka Dementeva, Estonia (2023)
  • The Eastern Rain, Milly Yencken, Estonia (2023)
  • Instruction, Jelizaveta Averko Averko, Ksenia Pleshakova, Estonia (2023)
  • The Juggler’s Guide, Rebeka Kruus, Estonia (2023)
  • Piano in the bushes, Dashka Dementeva, Estonia, Russia (2023)
  • What Makes Them Tick, Jimi Kujanpää, Finland (2022)
  • The Paper, Katariina Haukka, Finland (2022)
  • Playtime, Konrad Kaminski, Norway (2023)
  • The Last Spark, Michaela Box, Sweden (2023)
  • Muscle Hearts, Juho Maurinen, Santeri Laasanen, Finland (2022)
Instruction, Jelizaveta Averko Averko, Ksenia Pleshakova, Estonia (2023)
Instruction, Jelizaveta Averko Averko, Ksenia Pleshakova, Estonia (2023)

Nordic-Baltic Competition: Commissioned Film

  • The True Price of Your Couch, Machteld Rijnten, Lithuania, Netherlands (2023)
  • How are blue forests threatened?, Syed Hasan Abbas, Norway (2023)
  • What causes yeast infections, and how do you get rid of them?, Mette Ilene Holmriis, Denmark, USA (2022)
  • Wisting, Bjarne Anmarkrud, Norway (2023)
  • Skjærgaardsløken har kommet, Hanne Berkaak, Norway (2023)
  • Theo Myling – my heart is in limbo, Håvard Skeide Glad, Norway (2023)
  • A future there, Charlotte Heyman, Charlotte Heyman, Sweden (2023)
  • A Trip To Infinity – Infinity is a Circle, TRY Motion, Norway (2022)
  • Ammo – Title Sequence, TRY Motion, Norway (2022)
  • Norwegian Seaweed Association, Steph Hope, Henrik Dyb Zwart, Norway (2023)
  • Rosa Sløyfe, Steph Hope, Henrik Dyb Zwart, Norway (2022)
  • O2 – Snowgran, Joseph Mann, Norway, UK (2022)
  • Trolli GOOniverse, Renee Zehan, Lars Ellingbø, Norway, UK (2022)
  • Jordan – Change, John Christian Ferner Apalnes, Norway (2022)
  • DOA – Intro 2022, Ole Magnus Saxegård, Norway (2022)
  • Atea Pentester, Ronald Kabicek, Norway (2023)
  • Red Pill Dilemma, Kristofer Ström, Sweden (2022)
  • Handybag, Olov Burman, Sweden (2022)
  • Unexpected, Jonas Odell, Sweden (2022)
  • Tankist – The Gulag Archipelago, Moreno Tempini, Estonia, Italy (2023)
  • The Mother – Timelapse, Morten Skallerud, Norway (2022)
  • 14th Anibar Animation Festival Trailer “Love”, Sander Joon, Estonia, Kosovo (2023)
  • His Best Friend, Helēna Ozola, Helmuts Bondars, Latvia (2023)
  • Farewell Glacier, Simone Maria Hooymans, Norway (2023)
DOA - Intro 2022, Ole Magnus Saxegård, Norway (2022)
DOA – Intro 2022, Ole Magnus Saxegård, Norway (2022)

Nordic-Baltic Competition: Young Audience

  • Paddle Boat, Samppa Kukkonen, Finland (2023)
  • The Photo That Came to Life, Mikk Magi, Estonia (2023)
  • The Story of Bodri, Stina Wirsén, Sweden (2022)
  • Home office, Endre Lund Eriksen, Daniel Damm, Norway (2023)
Paddle Boat, Samppa Kukkonen, Finland (2023)
Paddle Boat, Samppa Kukkonen, Finland (2023)

Nordic-Baltic Competition: Children’s Film

  • The Swineherd, Magnus Igland Møller, Peter Smith, Denmark, Norway (2022)
  • The Turnip, Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu, Estonia (2022)
  • Feels Like – Love, Markus Vad Flaaten, Tommy Vad-Funderud, Norway (2023)
  • The Music Factory, Alf Martin Løvvold, Cina Espejord, Norway (2023)
  • The Mystery of Missing Socks, Oskar Lehemaa, Estonia (2023)
  • The Spyglass, Malin Erixon, Sweden (2022)
The Turnip, Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu, Estonia (2022)
The Turnip, Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu, Estonia (2022)

Submissions for feature-length films are still open. The deadline is Monday, August 7th.

2023 Trailer Release and Filmmaker Spotlight

Konrad Hjemli has had a great start to his career with the graduation film, The Harbourmaster, winning the jury prize at Annecy and being selected to create the FAF 2023 festival trailer. After winning the Audience Award at FAF 2022, The Harbourmaster was shortlisted for an Amanda Award and has been nominated for best short film.

Konrad Hjemli

We would like to take some time to highlight this fantastic start and learn more about how FAF has helped him with the start of his bright future.

This interview was conducted as Hjemli was wrapping up his trailer design for the upcoming Fredrikstad Animation Festival and before heading to Annecy to see his graduation film in France, and before the release of Amanda Award nominees. The interview has been translated from Norwegian and has been edited for length and clarity. You can read the original Norwegian interview here. His FAF 2023 trailer is out now.

Hjemli has a long history of participating in festivals, especially the Fredrikstad Animation Festival, but has wanted to attend Annecy for a long time, and now has a good reason to go. The animated short film, The Harbourmaster, which was Hjemli and Mia Ludvigsen Henriksen’s graduation project from animation studies at Volda University College was selected for the Graduation Films in Competition program at this year’s animation festival in Annecy.

The Harbourmaster being selected at Annecy was a surprise.

How has the reception of the film been internationally?

The reception has been surprisingly good. It was very clear that Norwegians were the main target audience. Norwegians have heard the story before or have a vague memory of it, and the film serves as a reminder. It is a very Norwegian film, with typical Nordic humor, I will say. We were unsure if it would translate to an international audience.

The film has already been screened at a range of festivals; Anima in Brussels and Anifilm in Liberec – the film premiered at Factual Animation Film Festival in London, where it received the prize for best student film – and it has been screened at both at Kaboom Animation Festival in Amsterdam and FiSH Film Festival in Rostock, which Hjemli attended.

The film was well-received there. It manages to resonate, even though we didn’t prioritize an international audience.

The Harbourmaster also won the Audience Award at FAF 2022. How was it to win an award in your hometown?

It was significant and unexpected. It feels extra cool that the public voted for it. It was a very very cool experience.

This year Hjemli made the festival trailer for FAF 2023. Traditionally, the filmmaker has a lot of creative freedom when making the FAF trailer. It might sound like a dream task, but it hasn’t been easy.

It is common for a new animator to think that it’s a dream job to do absolutely anything that you want but it’s known among creatives that is the most difficult type of job. You have the freedom to do what you think is the coolest but suddenly you can’t come up with anything. It took me some time to find a theme and visual inspiration.

Festival director Anders Narverud Moen and the festival’s graphic design team liked the design of The Harbourmaster which was largely created by Henriksen.

It would have felt wrong to imitate the design that was more Mia’s expression. My contribution to The Harbourmaster was the combination of live-action and animation. It was a very cool stylistic expression and a way to save some time. It is an expression that is more of my thing.

For the trailer, he draws on the inspiration of the characters and animation from watching his roommates play Rhythm Heaven Fever.

It is a rhythm game with random characters, and very fun, quirky, strange scenes. I thought I could do something with that in my style and expression.

The software he used had some limitations around hand drawing which is how Hjemli typically works. Hjmeli had to design the characters around these limitations.

In the past your films have had different styles. How has your style evolved?

It has a lot to do with the fact that I have worked with others on my projects so far. In Pandiculation that I made with Jakob Eiring, he was mainly responsible for the design style. It both productions (Pandiculation and The Harbourmaster) I think we found compromises in our styles. I have moved between different styles and think of myself as a pure animator and filmmaker type. Design is not what I’m most interested in. One thing that I hold onto a lot is mixing different techniques and styles together. Mixed media you could say.

When you say that, I think of your film Eh

That was a completely solo project where I did everything. So maybe that is purely my style. It wasn’t meant to be a film, I was just bored. I really like simple characters, but animated in an exaggerated way that might clash with the simplicity of the style. I like to put a lot into the animation itself – that’s where I feel comfortable and have been since I was little.

Hjemli has always been interested in animation and started his animation career at a young age. He was 8 years old when he got into Flash and started making animation as a hobby. When he was 10 years old, he joined the Flash club with E6 – Østfold mediaworkshop, and later participated in the FAF workshop for young talents.

I have always watched a lot of animated films and TV-series. We had Cartoon Network and it quickly became a problem that I wanted to do nothing else but sit in front of a TV or study it. I was very fascinated by the animated expression. When I was 12, Megafon came on NRK Super and made an episode where I was a little animator. It was my whole identity as a kid.

In spite of his strong interest in animation as a kid, Hjemli fell out with animation as a teenager but continued to work on films and drawing. In his youth, Hjemli took part in the Fredrikstad Animation Festival through school several times as a student but also as a volunteer. He values having the festival as a local offer. It was through FAF that he discovered the animation program at Volda University College, which he recently completed.

The festival has been part of my connection to animation for a long time. And careerwise, it has been very beneficial to have a place to show films locally. It is a way to get to know the people who make films. People might pay extra attention when they realize it’s a local guy. It’s pretty cool to show a film in Fredrikstad.

Since you have participated in the festival so many times, you must know the festival well. If you had to choose the best part of the festival, what would it be?

I really like how professional the whole experience is. It’s something I have noticed at other festivals. There is a difference in the thoughtfulness and effort in the film program and the festival creates a smooth experience. Also of course the cinema in Fredrikstad is excellent, a fantastic screening location, where you can see films in the best way possible.

What are you excited for in this year’s festival?

I am always interested in the panels and masterclasses so I will try to attend as many as possible. There are many exciting films being produced right now and I’m sure many new productions I have never heard of will be shown. 

You will see Hjemli’s trailer at the start of every screening during the festival and you can watch it now online to get familiar and see his unique style.

Nordic-Baltic Film Competition: Strong Submissions for Preselection

Pre-selection jury: Gina Thorstensen, Nancy Denney-Phelps, Anders Narverud Moen

Submissions for FAF 2023 Nordic-Baltic competition programs have closed. The preselection committee is coming to Fredrikstad and will make their selections this weekend, 8-9 July. This year, the festival had over 180 submissions, with representation from every country in the Nordic-Baltic region, and 16 other countries were included as co-producers. This amounted to over 19 hours of viewing for the judges! The festival administration was excited to see students from 23 colleges and universities submit to the student film category, which shows how much the field of animation is growing.

The pre-selection jury consists of FAF festival director Anders Narverud Moen, journalist Nancy Denney-Phelps, and visual artist Gina Thorstensen. The official festival selection will be announced at the beginning of August.

About the Jury

Nancy Denney-Phelps is a journalist who writes about European animation and festivals. She is also a producer of music for animation. Alongside her composer/musician husband, Nik Phelps, she co-founded the Sprocket Ensemble, which is dedicated to presenting live performances of original music with screenings of contemporary animation from around the world. Nancy’s writings have appeared in publications such as CARTOON and ANIMATOON, as well as on her regular blog for AWN (Animation World Network). She is a regular correspondent for ASIFA/San Francisco and a member of the ASIFA International Board of Directors. Nancy is also an Ambassador At Large for the Emile Awards. Nancy works as an advisor to several animation festivals and, in 2019, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the ANIMA KON Animation Festival in Bilbao, Spain.

Gina Thorstensen is a visual artist working in the fields of animation, interactive media, decoration, and sculpture. Her virtual reality experience Kabaret premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2023. She has worked as an art director on several animated films, most recently on The Island by Anca Damian, and has directed many animated music videos. Gina holds a B.A. in art and design from La Escola Massana in Barcelona and an M.A. in film and new media from the Norwegian Film School.

Animated Live: Ànnàmàret

For the third year, the Fredrikstad Animation Festival presents its Animated Live concept. This year, the Finnish Sámi artist Ánnámáret in collaboration with the visual artist and animator Marja Viitahuhta presents a concert with live music and video art. Their film Flames may be familiar to previous festival audiences, as it was screened at the opening of FAF 2021.

Ánnámáret is Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman, Sámi musician who lives and whose work is based in Nuorgam, northernmost Finland. Her music is inspired by life and nature in Sápmi. Ánnámáret’s strength as an artist springs from having grown up between two cultures and, thus, understanding these cultures and their collisions and similarities.

Ánnámáret’s band combines indigenous Sámi vocal music yoik to the ancient sound of Finnish bowed lyre jouhikko, played by Ilkka Heinonen, and organic live electronics, played by Turkka Inkilä. The music gains influence from both the rich tradition of yoik and the vibrant Sámi culture and Arctic nature, by taking to intensely experiential worlds by means of music and images. The concert is accompanied by Marja Viitahuhta’s video art based on Ánnámáret’s innermost visions and ideas in her joiks.

Tickets are free for All Access and Student passholders or single tickets are available for 280 kr.

John M. Jacobsen Named Guest of Honor

When the Fredrikstad Animation Festival takes place from October 19th to 22nd, John M. Jacobsen, one of Norway’s greatest film producers, will be honored with the festival’s Lifetime Achievement award. John M. Jacobsen is being recognized for his contributions to the animation film industry, as well as his efforts to elevate the importance of visual effects in Norwegian cinema. As a producer, Jacobsen has significantly contributed to the establishment of the internationally acclaimed Norwegian CGI, animation, and VFX communities. His work has also further developed the significance of strong visual language used in major Norwegian film productions. The award is presented by the festival board of Fredrikstad Animation Festival to honor individuals with a lifelong dedication to the Nordic-Baltic animation community.

John M. Jacobsen started his career in the film industry at the age of 15 as a bouncer and program manager for a local cinema on the outskirts of Oslo. At the age of 17, he left school to work at the warehouse of Universal Pictures’ office in Oslo.

Throughout his extensive career, which involved film distribution and the development of the emerging video industry, Jacobsen is primarily known as a significant producer. Since his debut with Prima Veras saga om Olav den Hellige (“Prima Vera’s Saga about Olav the Holy”) in 1983, followed by Hard Asfalt (“Hard Asphalt”) (1986) and Veiviseren (“Pathfinder”) (1987), Jacobsen has produced over 40 titles spanning over four decades. In 1988, he established the Norwegian subsidiary of Svensk Filmindustri, SF Norge AS, which quickly became the country’s largest distribution company. In 1996, he shifted his focus entirely to film production. In 1997, Jacobsen created Norway’s first full-length animated film, Solan, Ludvig og Gurin med Reverompa (“Gurin with the Foxtail”) and has produced a total of four full-length animated films and over 50 animated TV episodes featuring Elias, den lille redningsskøyta (“Elias, the little rescue boat”), and Blekkulf, the former of which was nominated for an Emmy. He has also been a driving force in implementing CGI technology in Norwegian films, including the legendary Jakten på Nyresteinen (“The Hunt For The Kidney Stone”) (1986), and notably, last year’s Vikingulven (“Viking Wolf”) which made it to Netflix’s international top 10 list of most-watched non-English language films.

Jacobsen’s films have been nominated for both the Oscars and International Emmy Awards, and have won the Amanda, Kanonprisen, and Gullruten awards. He himself has been awarded the Honorary Amanda, the Cinema Directors’ Guild’s Gullstrimmelen, the Film & Kino’s Future Cinema Prize, and the Municipal Cinemas’ Honorary Aamot Statue. His production Max Manus (2008), is the biggest Norwegian box office success in modern times with 1.2 million tickets sold and the TV-series Kampen om Tungtvannet (“The Heavy Water War”) (2015) is the most-watched drama production in Norwegian TV history, averaging 1.8 million viewers per episode.

John M. Jacobsen has been appointed Commander of the Order of St. Olav for his contributions to Norwegian cinema.

A comprehensive perspective on John M. Jacobsen and his work in animation and the visual development of Norwegian cinema will be featured in Fredrikstad Animation Festival’s prestigious seminar series when the festival takes place in October 2023. Buy early bird passes today to take part in all of the festival action.

2023 Trailer Sneak Peek!

FAF is thrilled to announce that the 2023 edition of the festival is just around the corner, and we can’t wait to share all the amazing details with you. We’re kicking off the season with a fantastic trailer by the incredibly talented local animator, Konrad Hjemli. The trailer is set to drop in June, but we’ve got a little sneak peek to tide you over until then. Konrad Hjemli is a rising star in the animation world, having studied at Volda University College from 2017 to 2022. He co-directed the FAF Audience Award-winning short, The Harbourmaster, which is already generating buzz and set to screen at Grimstad Short Film Festival and the prestigious Annecy Animation Festival this summer. And that’s not all – Konrad also co-directed the mind-blowing short PANDICULATION, which took home the Best Norwegian Animation Film award at the Reanima Bergen International Animation Festival and the Special Jury Prize at the Big Cartoon Festival in Moscow. Thilo Goluza joins Konrad on this project as the composer and sound designer. We can’t wait to see what Konrad has in store for us with the FAF 2023 trailer. Stay tuned for more updates and get ready for an unforgettable festival experience!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Toon Boom Workshop Stream

FAF and Toon Boom welcome the animation industry to Grafill Animasjon og Motion Design for a night of education and networking!

If you were unable to attend, the workshop is available on vimeo. Check it out!

Ansgar Massmann from Toon Boom will host a workshop that explores how animators can utilize Harmony Premium regardless of the style of animation they work in. Harmony Premium would like to open the field for what it can do for animation production, the different fields and types of projects it’s used for and what Toon Boom does beyond being a software vendor.

This will be followed by a group discussion on tips for recent graduates or independent animators on skills that will prepare them for their jobs at studios. From there how to open the bridge to education and map out what we hear from the animation industry in terms of expectations for animation graduates. We will end the evening with beer, wine, light appetizers, and mingling with your friends and peers!

Stop by on your way home for a short educational workshop and networking with the animation industry. Have a chance to provide valuable insight to colleges and recent graduates about what you wish school had prepared you for when joining the workforce. Network and mingle with your friends from the animation industry with drinks and light bites provided by Toon Boom. Who knows you might meet your next intern or project collaborator.

Thank you!

The 2022 edition of the Fredrikstad Animation Festival was successful with a 50% increase in the tickets to the festival’s exhibits, seminars, and events breaking the 2021 records. The festival was from the 20th to the 23rd of October and was the largest animation in Norway.

“We are very pleased, of course,” says festival director Anders Narverud Moen. “The festival captured our audience with a strong programme and a good atmosphere, and as people come, they create an even better atmosphere. We have worked on this for many years building up the festival and it is great fun to set an audience record two years in a row,” he continues.

The festival tickets grew from 4000 to 6000 in 2022, and the festival also grew in the number of passsales by 20%

2022 marked the 26th edition of the festival since it started as Animerte Dager in Oslo in 1994. The festival has been held in Fredrikstad since 2000 and has presented many types of programmes with a focus on Nordic-Baltic animated films. The festival’s digital platform will continue until 31.10.

The Fredrikstad Animation Festival 2023, will be back from the 19th to 22nd of October at the Fredrikstad Cinema as the main venue. Buy your early bird passes now. 

 

2022 Award Winners!

To mark the conclusion of the 2022 festival and to celebrate the great Nordic Baltic animation the FAF Award Ceremony was held at Quality Hotel. The redesigned FAF award has been bestowed upon the deserving winners of Best Nordic-Baltic Feature Film, Best Nordic Baltic Short Film, Best Nordic-Baltic Student Film, Best Nordic-Baltic Commissioned Film, Best Nordic-Baltic Children’s Film – the new Best Nordic-Baltic Young Audience Film – and the festival would of course not be complete without the Audience Award and, last but certainly not least, the Grand Prix Award.

Three juries, composed of an international team of industry professionals, had the challenging task of selecting the 2022 award winners:

The short film jury selecting the award winners for Grand Prix, Best Short Film and Best Student Film is Ida Melum, Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Aneta Ozorek.

The award winner for Best Feature Film has been selected by Johan Edström, Maria Anestopoulou and Maria Mac Dalland.

For Best Commissioned Film the jury selecting the award winner is Tobias Rud, Katz Plunkett and Jens Jonathan Gulliksen.

In addition to the professional jury, we also have a children’s jury for Best Children’s Film. This jury consists of Aron Luvi Forsetlund, Johan Gudesen, and Sofie Holme Hardeng. 

New this year is the Young Audience programme, which has its own jury of children aged 12 to 15. This year’s jury is Oscar Riley Williams, Sverre Qvale Friis, and Håvard Solum Larsen. They have selected the winner of the first Best Young Audience Award. 

And we also have the award where the whole audience is in the jury by voting – the Audience Award.

Here are the winners!

Grand Prix Award

Sierra

Director: Sander Joon

Jury´s motivation: It’s not often that we experience such a supersonic and bombastic film about family dynamics. This short is told with clarity, visual nerve, and energy. Thank you for the ride Sander. The Fredrikstad Animation Festival Grand prix goes to Sierra by Sander Joon. 


Audience Award

The Harbourmaster

Director: Mia Ludvigsen Henriksen & Konrad Hjemli


Best Feature Film

My Love affair with marriage

Director: Signe Baumane

Jury´s motivation: This very unique animated film, where myths & symbols confront neurology and hormones, succeeds in a very bold way to transform a personal to a universal story. 


Best Short Film

I’ll be your kettle

Director: Tobias Rud

Jury´s Motivation: You will appreciate this film if you are compulsively trying to fix your relationships by becoming an electrical appliance. The jury enjoyed this lighthearted and surreal short about the serious struggles of codependency. The whimsical design fits the tone of the film perfectly. The award for best Nordic Baltic short goes to I’ll be your kettle by Tobias Rud


Best Student Film

Cowboy Kevin

Director: Anna Lund Konnerup

Jury´s Motivation: It’s not easy to talk about love, and it’s even harder to not become sentimental and cheesy when doing so. The director of the winning film succeeded in telling a playful, sincere and perfectly paced love story, elevated by a remarkable voice acting performance. The award for best student film goes to Cowboy Kevin by Anna Lund Konnerup. 


Best Children´s Film

Tales of Zale – Flickering lights

Director: Sif Savery

Jury´s motivation: This year’s best children’s film is awesome, amazing. The plot and drawings were very nice. This year’s winner is Tales of Zale – Flickering lights.


Special mention Children´s Film

Hjemme Hos Sinna

Director: Tommy Vad Funderud & Markus Vad Flaaten

Jury´s motivation: Another film we really liked was Hjemme Hos Sinna. It was good, funny and a little weird.


Best Young Audience Film

Troublemaker Tommy

Director: Rao Heidmets & Pauline Heidmets

Jury´s motivation: This year’s best youth film is charming with great music. Childish, but fun. This year’s winner is Troublemaker Tommy.


Special mention Young Audience Film

Bear Hug

Director: Margrethe Danielsen

Jury´s motivation: Another good film on the program is Bear Hug. Very good animation with an unexpectedly good plot twist.


Best Commissioned Film

Toleransevinduet

Director: Julia Torjak

Jury´s Motivation: After a lot of deliberation, we have landed on Toleransevinduet. This is a film that approaches its subject with clarity and is at eye level with its target audience. It is a Stylisticly confident film with a very appealing design. 


Special mention Commissioned Film

Welcome to Hell – Black Midi

Director: Gustaf Holtenäs & Sevi Iko Dømochevsky

Poster Welcome to Hell

Jury´s motivation: Special mention goes to Welcome to Hell-Black Midi. It was cool and beautifully chaotic and it was so nice to see music videos entered in the selection.


Lifetime Achievement Award

Heikki Prepula

Heikki Prepula, born in 1939 in Finland, started his career in animation already in 1965. In Finland animation has historically been small-scale and individual, as in Norway and the other Nordic countries. But in the 1960’s and 1970’s, cut-out animation had its heyday in public television and Heikki Prepula together with others produced imaginative works for children’s programs.

In the beginning Prepula worked for television making long animated serial films for children. Later he started to produce his own short films and has made a total of 29 animated films through his career! His productions are non-commercial low-budget short films, mainly for children and Prepula has produced, directed, written, designed and animated himself. Heikki Prepula has also drawn numerous illustrations and cartoons for books and magazines. Besides animation films published illustrations amount to 4700 pieces and 360 cartoons. He has been an extremely productive Artist.

Heikki Prepula

The kangaroo Kössi is the most popular character brought to the screen by him and it is considered a classic of Finnish animation. Prepulas linear, two-dimensional drawings have been screened at festivals around the world. Some of his most known shorts, like The Locomotive (La Locomotive)(1978), Le Navet (1982), The Magic Hat (Le Chapeau magique)(1987) and The Flying Pig (Le Cochont volant)(1994) has won great popularity in France and his films has even been screened at Centre Charles Pompidou.

Prepula also influences younger generations in Finland. When the finnish company Haruworks presents their animationwork they talk about being inspired by the legendary Finnish animator Prepula.

Prepula is awarded this price for his lifelong dedication to the finnish animation scene.


FAF congratulates all the winners!

Renewal of Fredrikstad Animation Festival’s Award

The development of the Fredrikstad Animation Festival has been great in recent years, as can also be said about the rest of the animation industry. In order to reflect both the growing industry and the modernization of the festival, it is time to renew the festival’s award with a new design and layout.

The festival has collaborated with a local artist, Ingeborg Elieson on the new design for the award. She says this about the award’s new concept:

“The award is designed in a stylized and playful expression with a character-like appearance. The design springs from the idea of ​​a figure that is considering itself. I wanted to integrate the engraved text field as part of the concept by having the character turn his gaze inward and study his own performance.

Emphasis has been placed on the price being sustainable, having a certain weight, exclusivity and durability without being too traditional. It has also been important to keep an openness in the expression, so that the award can embrace all the categories of the competition programmes. To make the character come alive, the arm will have a certain movement when holding the prize.”

In accordance with the expansion of the festival’s competition program to include feature films, and the aim of including new formats, a dynamic award has been developed that can accommodate new media and narratives in addition to the traditional short film format.

With the renewal of the award, the festival wants to communicate that it is embracing the exciting technological developments that have taken place and are taking place in animation. At the same time, the foundation is laid for a festival that embraces the entire industry, where everyone who works with animation, both in terms of film, games and new technology such as VR, AI, VFX and Motion Graphics, is included in the festival’s perspective.

The fact that the festival chooses to collaborate with a local artist means that the award has a strong local affinity in Fredrikstad, at the same time that the artist, through the award’s design, highlights the festival’s universal values ​​such as playfulness, breaking boundaries and technological development. Ingeborg Elieson is a trained craftsman and lives/works in Fredrikstad. Elieson’s background stems from goldsmithing followed by the Oslo Academy of Arts, where she graduated in 2012. After her studies, she has participated in a number of exhibitions at home and abroad.

In the meeting between different materials such as wood, marble, metal and concrete, Elieson creates sculptural objects with a focus on form, materiality and its ability to communicate sensory experiences. 

The new FAF award will be awarded for the first time in 2022 during Fredrikstad Animation Festival’s Award Ceremony, Saturday 22 October at Quality Hotel in Fredrikstad.

 

Digital Festival

Are you unable to travel to Fredrikstad this week, but don’t want to miss out on the festival? Check out our digital festival options; Digital Industry Pass and Digital Film Lover Pass. For a good price you can access most of the festival’s content, such as films, seminars and digital events. We’d say attending the digital festival is the next best thing to being here. And, your access is not limited to only the four days of the festival. You can watch the content from October 20 to 31.

New and Easier Voting

FAF is relying on our audiences to select their favourite film for the highly esteemed Audience Award. Make sure your opinion is heard by voting for your favourite films. New for FAF 2022 is that the voting system is digital – making it easy and accessible for you to vote.

This is how you do it:

Go into “My tickets”. (If you are not logged in yet, you need to do this first.) You can use this link.

 

Next to the screening you would like to cast your votes for you can select “Vote”. A window will pop up, and you give each of the films a rating from 1 to 5. The best rating being 5, and 1 the worst. Note that your ticket needs to be scanned you need to attend the screening to vote.

 

Alternatively you may use our QR code showed on the screen after every programme screening. Scanning the code will take you directly to voting.

The programmes for children’s film and young audiences will still supply paper forms for voting. The form will be handed out and collected at the screening or you can vote from your phone.

All voting closes on Saturday at 20:15.

Full Programme Released

16 days left until the Nordic region’s most important animation festival kicks off and finally, the full programme is released. With 112 films, 16 seminars and panel discussions, and a number of other events for young and old, Fredrikstad Animation Festival welcomes you to four festival days in the town of Fredrikstad, and to the festival’s own digital screening platform.

YOU FIND THE FULL PROGRAMME HERE.

Friday, October 7 at 12:00 the booking and sales of single tickets for screenings, events and seminars is released. If you don’t already have your festival pass, get it in time to book all your favourites before they are full.

If you already have purchased a festival pass, you will receive an e-mail with all the necessary information.

 

Here are some of the highlights of FAF 2022:

Competition Programmes for Nordic-Baltic Animated Short Films

The festival’s main focus is the competition programmes for Nordic-Baltic animated short films, a total of 68 films are selected in the categories of Short Film, Student Film, Commissioned Film and Children’s Film. This selection is the best of films from the countries Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Norway and Sweden. More details here.

Competition Program for Nordic-Baltic Animated Feature Film

Four feature films will be screened as a part of the feature film competition programme at Fredrikstad Animation Festival, including the premiere of Titina. The films competing for the festival’s award for best-animated feature film are:

Titina (Kajsa Næss, Norway / Belgium, 2022)
My Love Affair with Marriage (Signe Baumane, Latvia/USA/Luxenburg, 2022)
Little Allan – The Human Antenna (Amalie Næsby Fick, Denmark, 2022)
Just Super (Rasmus A. Sivertsen, Norway, 2022)

Symposium Researching Animation – Nordic Perspective

We want to show a variety of perspectives in this symposium, allowing the audience to get a broader view of some of the concerns, topics, and questions that occupy Nordic researchers now. In Researching Animation: Nordic Perspectives, we will ask questions about animated literacy, media archeology, new forms of collaborations in VR, the potential health benefits of video games, and the political importance of letting students tell their own stories.

Animation Production Day

The Animation Production Day is a significant event for animation professionals. This year’s theme is Japanese Anime, and the speakers are well-recognized Japanese producers and directors in the animation industry. This convention will be the largest event focusing on Japanese Anime that has ever taken place in Norway. The three-part seminar will feature the following speakers: Eiko Tanaka, Koji Takeuchi and Yasuhiro Yoshiura. More details here.

Masterclasses

There are three excellent directors and creators of animated films presenting masterclasses in this edition of FAF. Peter de Séve is considered one of the best in the discipline of character design, and is an award-winning illustrator. He is followed by Mark Burton, recognized as one of the best screenwriters for animation in Europe and has contributed to many international box office successes. And last, but not least, the skilled animator Marie-Laure Guisset who has worked on several international productions, including The Secret of Kells and Triplets from Belleville.

 

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