Jun 26, 2015

"April and the Extraordinary World" "I can't live without the Cosmos" Top Annecy

Konstantin Bronzit's “We Can't Live Without Cosmos” (left) and Frank Ekinci and Christian Desmares's “April and the Extraordinary World.”

Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci's sci-fi fable, and Konstantin Bronzit's short but sweet exploration of brotherly bonds set against an astronomical backdrop, led the awardees at this year's Annecy Film Festival - to the outer limits.

As we reported, it's not hard to see why GKIDS acquired Desmares and Ekinci's April and the Extraordinary World, which landed Annecy's Cristal for Feature Film and touches down in North America early next year. It's an intriguingly rendered dystopia, based on the graphic novel from Jacques Tardi, about a Parisian girl navigating an alternate WWII history where technology has been shut down and scientists are imprisoned.

Annecy's Cristal for Short Film went to Bronzit's We Can't Live Without Cosmos (TRAILER), a tale of two inseparable astronauts trying to make it to the stars. It's another international nod for the Russian film, which also picked up the grand prize at Animafest Zagreb just one week earlier. Bronzit's other festival favorites include At the Ends of the Earth and the Oscar-nominated Lavatory Lovestory.

The festival winners were announced last Saturday in Annecy, France. A complete list of winners is below:

Cristal for a Feature FilmApril and the Extraordinary World Frank Ekinci, Christian Desmares (France, Canada, Belgium)

Cristal for a Short FilmWe Can't Live Without Cosmos Konstantin Bronzit (Russia)

Cristal for a TV ProductionHello World! “Long-Eared Owl” Eric Serre (France)

Cristal for a Commissioned FilmRotary “Fateline” Suresh Eriyat (India)

Cristal for a Graduation FilmMy Dad Marcus Armitage (UK)

Jury AwardSarusuberi: Miss Hokusai Keichi Hara (Japan)

Audience AwardLong Way North Remi Chaye (France, Denmark)

Jury AwardThe Master Riho Unt (Estonia)

Jean-Luc Xiberras Award for a First FilmGuida Rosana Urbes (Brazil)

Jury Distinction and Audience AwardWorld of Tomorrow Don Hertzfeldt (USA)

Off-Limits AwardMynarski Death Plummet Matthew Rankin (Canada)

Jury Award for a TV SeriesRita and Crocodile “Fishing” Siri Melchior (Denmark, UK)

Jury Award for a TV SpecialThe Mitten (La Moufle) Clementine Robach (France, Belgium)

Jury AwardNSPCC “Lucy and the Boy” Yves Geleyn (UK)

Jury AwardEdmond Nina Gantz (UK)

Jury DistinctionBrume, cailloux et métaphysique Lisa Matuszak (France)

Festivals Connexion Award-Region Rhone-Alpes with Lumieres NumeriquesIn Deep Waters (Dans les eaux profondes) Sarah Van Den Boom (France, Canada)

Jury Junior Award for a Graduation FilmRoadtrip Xaver Xylohpon (Germany)

Jury Junior Award for a Short FilmWe Can't Live Without Cosmos Konstantin Bronzit (Russia)

FIPRESCI AwardTeeth Daniel Gray, Tom Brown (USA, Hungary, UK)

Fipresci Award – Special DistinctionGuida Rosana Urbes (Brazil)

André Martin Award for a French Feature FilmAn Animated Conversation With Noam Chomsky Michel Gondry (France)

André Martin Award for a French Short FilmRhizome Boris Labbe (France)

André Martin Award – Distinction for a French Short FilmYùl and the Snake Gabriel Harel (France)

Gan Foundation Support for Distribution for a Work in ProgressMy Life as a Zucchini Claude Barras (France, Switzerland)

Best Original Music Award for a Short FilmDissonance Till Nowak (Germany) Music: Olaf Taranczewski, Frank Zerban

CANAL+ Creative Aid Award for a Short FilmEdmond Nina Gantz (UK)