Russian animator scoops prize at Moscow festival

For the first time since its inception seven years ago, a Russian filmmaker has been named among the winners at the Linoleum international festival of contemporary animation and media art. Anna Shepilova took third place for her animation It’s Raining (2012), a tale about the fragility of happiness. After graduating from the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography, Moscow-born Shepilova has worked on a number of animations including Whitebrow (2009) based on an Anton Chekhov short story and her debut short, Jalil in 2010.

Top prize went to French animator Bruno Collet for His War (2012) about a war veteran, Emile, who is haunted by memories of his time on the frontline. Second place was awarded to Eusong Lee from the US for his graduation animation Will (2012), a tearjerker about the 9/11 terrorist attack.

The Viewer’s Choice award was given to Bastien Dubois from France for Faces from Places (2013), a collection of short documentary-style animations depicting life in 20 countries including Russia. In the film, Russia is seen through the eyes of a travelling illustrator taking a ride on the Moscow metro.

The festival was launched in 2006 to showcase some of the best animation from around the world, much of which is created especially for the event. The main theme for this year’s festival was Re-animation, which gave rise to a number of animated filmed about armed conflict.