We present the films in the animation category that will be screened at the ifva Awards which will take place from February 24th until March 14th (2021) at the Hong Kong Arts Centre.

About the Awards:
ifva was founded by the Hong Kong Arts Centre in 1995. Over the years, ifva has established itself as Asia’s pioneering force in short film, animation and media arts, by providing a unique and professional platform for Hong Kong and Asian creative talents to unite, exchange and promote their works.

Animation Category
There are emotions, scenarios and imaginations that can hardly be depicted only through moving images, which require animators’ specialties to turn them into tales. Ten groups of animators from Hong Kong and other Asian cities, together with their original characters, gather to tell ten different stories that are beyond cultural and language boundaries. Each piece is a distinct fantasy with utmost honesty.

Date: March 13th, 2021 (Saturday) | Hong Kong Arts Centre | 2:30 pm (with after-screening discussion)

In a world where everyone’s head is made of a balloon, Balloon man passes through different balloons where some float and some do not. Going into his office, he starts to work. But what kind of job does a balloon has?

A red balloon has always been by the boy’s side, accompanying him as he grows up. However, an unexpected storm carries the red balloon away, and the boy’s world is turned upside down. Faced with -such calamity, the boy encounters Captain White Bear and they head towards a small clearing amidst the dark clouds.

At midnight, two kids, instead of falling asleep, start their journey to travel to lots of imaginary worlds. They turn into animals, fly into the sky, and have fun under their beloved blanket. They also talk about the present and the future.

A buoy is a simple marking. As it floats, it demarks a symbolic space within an uncertain area, allowing people to further understand the space. This story uses the concept of a buoy to reveal the relationship between people in life.

The protagonist has lived in a closet 24 hours a day ever since he was a child, which causes all kinds of inconveniences. When he becomes an adult, he decides to see a doctor to solve his problem. The process of consul tat ion between the protagonist and the psychologist elucidates how the events that occurred during his childhood has made him unable to open his heart.

GUNKWORLD is a horror cult cartoon series on TV where cute monster school children would terrorise human characters. Outside of the TV show, GUNKWORLD begins to advertise its brand through commercials and merchandise, which quickly gain popularity at an unholy rate. The entire planet becomes crazed, all their thoughts are replaced with messages from GUNKWORLD.

Chance encounters come and go, but when things that have gone away reappear, how would you face them? A dead child returns to her childhood home as a puppet and reunites with her granny in a fire. Can the two of them escape danger and continue their lives together?

An aging grandmother loses her five senses, one after the other before finally becoming a wooden chair. Throughout her transformation, she realizes that her housekeeper is not the wild animal she once thought she was, but the caring and loyal family member she was sadly lacking. A poignant story about illness and growing old which employs imagination and metaphor to show the difficult and painful process of departing.

Iron Fist is a stuntman who lives a happy life with his pet dog Popo after his retirement. One morning, a car runs over Popo, and the killer turns out to be the billionaire Danny. As he watches the car take off, Iron Fist vows revenge.

Mountains and Seas – Village of Muds is an animation based on an original script inspired by The Classic of Mountains and Seas. The story centers on three youngsters´ adventures in the land of mountains and seas.

For more information, please visit the official website of the festival: https://www.ifva.com/page/?langcode=en&id=T3S25OQdLoI