ECA animators scoop three international awards

Students and graduates of Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) have won three awards at the KROK International Animated Film Festival 2012.

Will Anderson won the ‘Special Alexander Tatarskiy prize “The Plasticine Crow” - “Virtuoso Pilot”’ for his film, The Making of Longbird. The ‘Graduation film’ prize went to Ainslie Henderson with I Am Tom Moody, while Louis Hudson’s All Consuming Love (Man in a Cat) came first in the ‘First professional film, which was made after graduating from or out of educational institution’ category.

Jared Taylor, Programme Director of animation at ECA, said: “KROK is an international festival that is held in high regard by the animation industry. It receives submissions from the best-regarded animation courses in the UK, and from the best institutions and practising professionals in the world.

“This festival is an opportunity for the world’s disparate animation strands to be knitted together to form an appreciation of animation in all its diverse forms and methods. An award from KROK is a sign of the work’s international relevance and merit.

“To have three wins is exceptional. These were the only wins from the UK, and are a clear indicator of the fact that ECA students are punching way above their weight not only at a local and national level, but also globally.

“It would have been unusual to have three wins from Scotland, or three wins from the UK. To have three from one institution is remarkable.”

Previous winners of the Ukraine-based KROK awards include Igor Kovalyov, Run Wrake, and Koji Yamamura.