ASIFA-East Awards
On the night of January 27th members and friends of ASIFA-East, the local chapter of L’Association Internationale Du film d’Animation, gathered to view the winning entries in the groups yearly film festival. Presiding over the occasion was ASIFA-East president Richard Rauh of The Optical House. The meeting was held at the May auditorium at The Parsons School of Design. It was the 13th such event for the organization, the longest running, active animation festival in the world.
This year’s event received more than 70 entries and due to the length of many of the films, the judging, which is done by the organization members, had to be held on three nights at different locations around the city. It began to take on the tone of the larger film celebrations such as the New York Film Festival, as ASIFA members were invited to assemble at the Optical House for the screening of the video entries, at the New School for the bulk of the professional films and finally at The School of Visual Arts for the student entries.
For the first time in its 13 years of existence (President Rauh referred to this milestone as ASIFA’s bar mitzvah year) the executive committee agreed to allow participants to submit videotapes. The accepted medium had always been 16mm prints because of their ease of projection to a large gathering and for their superior visual quality. The reality of the times which requires television spots to be transferred to video after the initial printing leaves most production houses without the additional prints that were used for contest submissions in previous years.
The awards are bestowed on the creators of outstanding films that fall into a handful of categories ranging from, best student entry, best design, best animation (incidentally this festival is the only one, animation or otherwise, that recognizes such a category), best concept, best direction, and best soundtrack. Often there are additional awards for unusual or special films that tend to rise above the category designations.
Each year there are encouraging surprises in the student classification that never ceases to amaze the seasoned professionals gathered for the event. This particular festival attracted a healthy amount of entries and the winning entries indicate only the most polished of the films, yet do not take away from excellent efforts that were apparent in the work of many of the films of up and coming young animators.
Overall the 13th ASIFA-East Festival winners seemed to stress the element of design over any other aspect of the animation medium. Many of the submissions contained some aspect of style and technique that made them interesting, rather than any great pyrotechnics in the area of animation itself.
The Movie Channel and MTV received a special award for encouraging the creative use of animation in the many and humorous promos that were made for that outlet. Several of the city’s animation companies contributed to the list of entries in this area, but the jury felt that the award should go to the company that requested the films simply for the wonderful and varied work that their commitment inspired.
Every festival brings forth one film that stands away from the rest. This year’s top winner was Michael Sporn’s rendition of the Rosemary Wells children’s book, "Morris’s Disappearing Bag." The film developed the designs of the author’s illustrations and Sporn skillfully put the whole thing together with music, narration and animated effects to retain the charm of the original.
Following is the list of awards just as they were issued on the night of the event.
Student Films
3rd Prize: Gary Schwartz, ‘“‘Animus.”’
2nd Prize: Doug Heil and Bob Nagel, ‘‘The Story of the Cat.””
Ist Prize: Sylvie Fefer, ‘‘Brushstrokes.’’
Honorable Mention For Design
Flip Johnson, ‘‘The Roar From Within.”
Tom Gutherly IV, ‘‘Circle Game.”’
Caren Aque, ‘‘Vis-a-Vis.”
Nancy Gold, ‘‘Chalk Test.’’
Special Award
David Burd, ‘‘The Movie Channel and MTV I.D.’s.’”
Sound Track
3rd Prize: Telequest, Inc., “How Things Work: Who Put The Picture On My TV.”
2nd Prize: Peter Wallach Enterprises, ‘‘Doin’ What The Crowd Does.”
Ist Prize: Steve Eagle, ‘Currents Caprice.”
Concept
3rd Prize: Jerry Lieberman Productions, Inc., ‘‘Mildew Munchers.’’
2nd Prize: Emily Hubley, ‘‘Delivery Man.”’
Ist Prize: 8th Frame Camera Service, ‘‘Set The Date.”
Design
3rd Prize: Perpetual Animation, Inc., ‘‘New Jersey State Bank.””
2nd Prize: Sinking Ship Productions, ‘‘Warm Bread.”’
Ist Prize: Steve Eagle, ‘Currents Caprice.’’
Animation
3rd Prize: Perpetual Animation, Inc., ‘‘Riunite-Saxon,’’ Animator, Vinnie Bell.
2nd Prize: Michael Sporn Animation, Inc., “Stones Don’t Grow,”’ Animator, Lou Scarboro.
Ist Prize: R.O. Blechman, Inc., ‘‘Caveman,’’ Animator, Tissa David.
Direction
3rd Prize: Perpetual Animation, Inc., ‘“‘Hitachi Signal Trucker.”’
2nd Prize: Grossman Brothers, ‘‘Hot Living Room.’’
Ist Prize: R.O. Blechman, Inc., ‘‘Caveman.’’
Best Picture of the Show
Michael Sporn Animation, Inc., ‘‘Morris’s Disappearing Bag.’’
Based on the book of the same.name by Rosemary Wells and illustrated by the author.
Musical track by Ernest Troost.
Animation by Michael Sporn.
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