The 2020 Taiwan’s International Children’s Film Festival (TICFF) has announced its list of award winners on June 29th. The Best Dramatic Feature is awarded to Romy’s Salon, a heartwarming film portraying the bond between a little girl and her hairdresser grandmother who is struggling with the early stages of Alzheimer’s. French short Imaginafriend combines live-action and animation to illustrate the relationship between a little boy and his imaginary friend, wins Best Dramatic Short. For Best Animated Short, The Kite outstands in portraying the issue of dealing with life and death between generations with unique stop-motion techniques. Best Animated Feature goes to Louis & Luca—Mission to the Moon, a humorous story depicting human ambition to conquer the moon; and lessons to be learnt from it. Telling the stories of World War II from children’s perspective, Kids of Courage—Anton earns Best TV/Web Program with its powerful message and distinctive production. Last but not least, Best Taiwan Award, the award that intends to encourage local film productions, is presented to Tail End of the Year. The nostalgic short illustrates traditional Chinese New Year and is also the winner of Special Jury Prize in 2018 Kaohsiung International Short Film Competition.
Director of PTS International Department, also the curator of the TICFF, Guo Wuan-Ling, indicates that 748 film productions from across 82 countries are competing for the top prize in each of the six categories this year. The jurors nominated 28 entries which then proceeded to the final selection where the winners are determined through online voting. Comparing to previous productions, the jurors consider this year’s submissions with deeper meanings and contain stronger cultural features. The films are ambitious in dealing with taboos and weighty social issues, depicting the courage and free minds of young protagonists when facing difficulties and restraints. The submissions this year also reflect the potential of children’s capability in comprehending contents with heavier and more complicated issues.
The Complete List of 2020 TICFF Winners is as follows:
- Best Dramatic Feature: Romy's Salon | The Netherlands
- Best Dramatic Short: Imaginafriend | France
- Best Animated Short: The Kite | Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia
- Best Animated Feature: Louis & Luca - Mission to the Moon | Norway
- Best TV/Web Program: Kids of Courage – Anton | Germany
- Best Taiwan Award: Tail End of the Year | Taiwan
The 2020 TICFF Jury members: http://www.ticff.org.tw/en/competition/Jury
