The 12th Animasyros International Animation Festival was successfully completed on Sunday, September 22, ina festive closing ceremony which was held at the historic Apollon Theater of Hemoupolis, Syros. Just like every year, the ceremony was attended by festival’s goers, festival guests, artists as well as representatives of several organisations and the local authorities.
 
The evening kicked off with a concert by members from the Creative Center for Persons with Disabilities, of Hermoupolis, Syros. The group performed works by Erik Satie and Mikis Theodorakis, under the musical supervision of musician Stella Gialoglou and the participation of the instructors Moscha Kontorousi, Eleftheria Vitali, Dimitris Marangou and Carmela Vakondiou.
Right after, radio producer Mary Retsina, stepped onto the stage and welcomed the attendees, thanking at the same time the President of Animasyros Vassilis Karamitsanis for reserving her the “best seat at this year’s festival!” As she mentioned: “Animation films hold a very important part of our souls because they communicate with our inner child that has the answer to every question!”

After thanking the co-organizers of the Festival, namely the South Aegean Region, the Municipality of Syros - Hermoupolis the South Aegean Region and the Representation of the European Commission in Greece, as well as the National Centre of Audiovisual Media and Communication EKOME which supported Animasyros for the first time this year, Mary Retsina invited on stage the Vice Mayor of Syros for Culture and Tourism, Aliki Leontariti, who gave an emotional speech about Animasyros, “one of the finest and most internationally acclaimed animation festivals [...], a festival with social concerns and sensitivity which made clear from its very beginning that it would become bright, outstanding and determined to go very high!”. Ms. Leontariti concluded her speech by congratulating and thanking by heart the participating animators, co-organizers, collaborators, sponsors and volunteers who contributed to yet another successful festival.
 
Right after, the audience enjoyed six short animated films created during the six  educational workshops (animation workshops for children, adolescents, adults, seniors and persons with disabilities). All workshops participants were invited on stage and received a warm applause. You can watch all the workshop animated shorts on vimeo.

The Awards
The awards of Animasyros 12 were given during the closing ceremony. The Grand Prize of the International Competition section was awarded to Chintis Lundgren's film Toomas beneath the valley of the wildwolves (EE, HR, FR)“for its original treatment of sexual and social domination. When escaping conformism and economic struggle reshapes one's life in an unconventional way”, as mentioned byElise Jalladeau, president of the International JuryandGeneral Director of Thessaloniki International Film Festival.
 
The Honorary Mention of the International Competition section was awarded to Leeha Kim’s Mascot (KR), “a melancholic and powerful tale about social pressure and the permanent quest for recognition and love that is defining our contemporary society”.
 
The Best Student Competition Award was given to Fokion Xenos’ Heatwave (GR) “for the means through which it successfully portrays Greek society, as well as for its simplicity and efficiency of its technique. For the way the aforementioned technique and materials serve the film's narrative”, by the president of the Student Competition Jury Paschalis Paschali, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Design and Multimedia, University of Nicosia, as well as President of the Cyprus Animation Association & ASIFA chapter (International Animated Film Association).
 
At the same category, the Honorary Mention was granted to Mohamed Houhou’s The ostrich politic (FR)“for the clarity and ingenuity of handling its political message, as well as for the impeccable technique, which serves, without overshadowing, the goals of the narrative”.
 
At the TV Series & Commissioned Film sectionMaría Álvarez & Elisa Morais’s (Sois de Traca)film entitledThe art of change: climate change received the Grand Prize (UK) in its category. “Utilizing an ecological thematic about the species extermination, the film employs the animation pacing and silence to transmit a sad reality”, were the words of Elise Jalladeau.
 
The Honorary Mention was given to the music video Sad Heart (UK) by Karni & Saul,since “the perfect synchronization between sound and image resulted in an imaginative and intensemusic video”.
 
The Audience Award for Best Feature Film was given to the polish-spanish production Another Day of Life (PL, ES), by Raúl de la Fuente καιDamian Nenow.
 
Apart from the casual Competition section awards, festival Juries granted two more awards: The “Best Greek-Speaking Film Award” and the “European Values Award: #ThisIsEU”.

Theaward for“The Best Greek-Speaking Film”, instituted by the Greek Film Center and accompanied by a cash prize, was given to the film Good intentions, by Anna Mantzaris“for its original, full of subversions, screenplay, for the creation of a paradox and immersive universe, for the character portrayal of the guilt-ridden female protagonist”.
 
The European Values Award: #ThisIsEU was awarded for the first time this year by the Representation of the European Commission in Greece to the film The Plastic Godzilla of the Baltic Sea (FI), by the duo Ambulance (Reetta Neittaanmäki & Kaisa Penttilä)“for the aesthetic choices and the materials used, combined with the playful animation techniques and the humorous approach, which pushes the narrative forward”. The prize announcement was made by the representative of the Representation of the European Commission to Greece Mrs. Anna Efstathiou, who mentioned: “All the participating films were excellent and I am really pleased for this specific choice because it designates a vital issue for Europe and for the whole world: plastic pollution”.
 
Finally, Eleusis 2021 European Capital of Culture and Animasyros International Animation Festival co-organized the European Animation Competition “An animated EUphoria by Eleusis 2021 / European Capital of Culture – powered by Animasyros” to promote the message of Eleusis 2021 ECoC on a European and global level.  In the above context, 28 films from five EU countries were submitted running for 3 pecuniary prizes. The Jury of the competition consists of 9 members: 
 
Maria Anestopoulou- Director of Animasyros / Financial & Administrative Director at Greek National Opera, Kelly Diapouli - Artistic Director of Eleusis 2021 European Capital of Culture, Αnastasia Dimitra - Director of AKTO's Animation & Interactive Media Department / Treasurer of the Greek branch of ASIFA, Panagiotis Gkiokas - CEO of Mentor cultural management company, Marineta Kritikou - Multimedia Director at ERT New Media Department, Thanassis Milisis - Film director / Member of the Board of Directors of Eleusis 2021 European Capital of Culture, Maria Philippi - CEO of Eleusis 2021 European Capital of Culture, Dan Richards - Film director and A+C Studios Founder (UK), Dr. Panagiotis Stamatopoulos - Founder of Athens' Hispanic Film Festival / Animasyros 12 Programme Coordinator.
 
The results of the competition are:
1st Prize (1.500€): Transition to Euphoria, by Effie Papa.
2nd Prize (500€): Other, by Babis Alexiadis
3rd Prize (500€): Transition to Euphoria, by Alexandros Simopoulos and Josef Kloos
 
Director of Animasyros Maria Anestopoulou presented the awards.
 
The Jury of the International Competition section was comprised by Elise Jalladeau, General Director of Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Ricardo Blanco (animator, member of CINANIMA) and Carolina Sandvik (artist and animator). The Jury of the Student Competition section was composed this year by Paschalis Paschali, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Design and Multimedia, University of Nicosia, as well as President of ASIFA Cyprus, screenwriter and associate professor Panagiotis Iosifelis and director Lefteris Fylaktos.
 
The evening ended with a party in the courtyard of Apollon Theater, where festival organizers, collaborators, volunteers and friends renewed their appointment for September 2020 and Animasyros 13!