TEHRAN – “This Magnificent Cake!”, a joint production of Belgium, France and the Netherlands, was named best film at the 11th Tehran International Animation Festival, the organizers announced on Thursday.

Co-directed by Marc James Roels and Emma De Swaef, the story of the film is set in colonial Africa in the late 19th century. The anthology film tells the stories of five different characters, including a troubled king, a middle-aged Pygmy working in a luxury hotel, a failed businessman on an expedition, a lost porter and a young army deserter.

The closing ceremony of the event was organized at the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA), where “Am I a Wolf?” by Iranian animator Amir-Hushang Moein selected as a runner-up.

The award for third best movie went to “Peripheria” by David Coquard-Dassault from France.  

“Patchwork Pals” by German director Angela Steffen won the award for best children’s film, while “My Little Goat” by Tomoki Misato from Japan received the award for the best student animation.

The award for the best TV production went to “One Thousand Myths” co-directed by Asghar Saffar and Abbas Jalali Yekta from Iran, and “9 Ways to Draw a Person” by Sasha Svirsky from Russia won the award for the best experimental animation.

The acclaimed Iranian animation “The Last Fiction” by Ashkan Rahgozar won the award for best feature-length movie, while “Wicked Girl”, a co-production between France and Turkey by Turkish director Ayce Kartal, received the special jury prize.

“The Blissful Accidental Death” by Sergiu Negulici from Romania received the award for best artistic and technical achievement, and the CIFEJ Prize was presented to “Trunky” by Ekaterina Filippova from Russia. 

In the national section, “Fox” by Sadeq Javadi was picked as best animation. 

The film is about a young fox on the verge of experiencing the first love. Meanwhile, it gets trapped by a hunter. Thus begins the fox’s effort to survive and love, and seek revenge.

“Am I a Wolf?” was selected as second best film and “Maned and Macho” by Shiva Sadeq-Asadi won the award for best third movie. 

The special jury award was presented to “Eaten” by Mohsen Rezapur. 

Veteran Iranian film scholar Akbar Alami also was honored for his lifetime achievements during the ceremony. 

Photo: Iranian film scholar Akbar Alami (R) poses with IIDCYA director Fazel Nazari after being honored for his lifetime achievements during the 11th Tehran International Animation Festival on March 7, 2019. (Fars/Hamid Tavakkoli) 

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