LOS ANGELES (October 21, 2025) – ANIMATION IS FILM (AIF) today announced the winners of its 8th annual festival, with AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN, directed by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, receiving the festival’s top honor, the Grand Jury Prize.
The Features Jury said, “Showing us the world from the perspective of a toddler, LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN portrays the wonders and pains of being alive like poignant revelations. As it finds whimsy in the everyday through its dazzling style, the film also grapples with the complexity of two cultures clashing, connecting, and simultaneously shaping the young protagonist’s nascent identity.”
ARCO, directed by Ugo Bienvenu, was awarded the Audience Award. This imaginative, inventive and tender time-travel adventure, which weaves together themes of friendship, collective memory, and the forces of a shifting planet, resonated strongly with the AIF audience.
The Fumi Kitahara Special Jury Prize was awarded to DECORADO. During Opening Night of the festival, AIF Director Matt Kaszanek announced the prize’s renaming in memory of beloved publicist Fumi Kitahara, who passed away in February.
“Fumi devoted her professional career to championing animators and was one of the earliest and most vocal supporters of Animation Is Film and its mission. While there is a tremendous sadness at her not being at AIF this year, we take comfort in knowing that we’re about to spend the weekend doing what she would’ve wanted for us — coming together as a community in celebration of great animation,” said AIF Director Matt Kaszanek.
The Jury praised DECORADO, stating, “Set in a dystopian reality where authoritarian forces control every aspect of the individual’s life, DECORADO cleverly explores how we adapt and push back against accepted normalcy. Though it unflinchingly tackles timely and mature sociopolitical themes, it does so through satirical humor and fantastical characters — including the protagonist couple, Arnold and Maria — making it a wholly unexpected experience.”
The Shorts Jury Grand Prize went to Cynthia Calvi’s GIGI, described by jurors as “a deeply intimate, conversational chronicle of the title character’s gender transition. Gigi’s strong visual metaphors ably enrich a story of inherent personal authenticity. It is a film that works on every level.”
The Special Jury Prize in Shorts was awarded to Giovanna Ferrari’s ÉIRU. The Jury noted, “With visually stunning use of light and color, this rousing adventure set in ancient Ireland unfolds as a tale of mortal courage and divine reckoning, elevated by its breathtaking technical execution.”
“Animation Is Film offers its sincerest congratulations to all of the filmmakers who participated in this most recent edition,” said AIF Director Matt Kaszanek. “The 2025 Festival experienced record-shattering numbers in terms of attendance. This doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Thank you to the filmmakers, the audiences, the festival sponsors and community partners for celebrating the art of animation. We’ll see you again next year!”
The 2025 feature competition lineup included ALL YOU NEED IS KILL, ARCO, CHAO, DECORADO, I AM FRANKELDA, LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS, LITTLE AMÉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN, NOBODY, SCARLET, and A STORY ABOUT FIRE.
The 2025 Features Jury comprised:
- Carlos Aguilar – Member, Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) and National Society of Film Critics (NSFC)
- Jemaine Clement – Actor, Writer, Musician, Producer; Creator/Co-Director of WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS
- Torill Kove – Director, Academy Award winner for THE DANISH POET and nominee for MY GRANDMOTHER IRONED THE KING’S SHIRTS and ME AND MY MOULTON
The 2025 Shorts Jury comprised:
- Hsiang Chin Moe – Inaugural Chair, BFA Animation Program at School of Visual Arts; Chair for Education, Women in Animation
- Jamie Lang – Editor-in-Chief, Cartoon Brew
- Matt Braly – Creator of the Emmy-nominated AMPHIBIA; Annie Award–winning director, GRAVITY FALLS
