* The finalists for the 2024 DRAWTASTIC Animation Festival ‘Golden Pencil Award’ are officially out
* The festival is designed to celebrate and showcase both young and professional short filmmakers globally
* There is a particular emphasis on honoring traditionally hand-drawn animation by sharing their work through film screenings
* The reveal of the winners was published in Skwigly Animation Magazine
Celebrating the Art of Animation: The ‘Golden Pencil Award’
Young Talent and Veteran Animators Shine Bright in 2024 Festival
The Beauty of Hand-Drawn Animation Recognized
Alrighty then, hold on to your comfy animation-loving pants everyone! The DRAWTASTIC Animation Festival has done it again. As we say in animation circles, it’s like somebody shoved a marble in our paint tubes! The finalists for the coveted ‘Golden Pencil Award’ were just announced, and boy, are they a sight to behold. We’re talking about flicks that range from everything from stick figures effortlessly pirouetting to detailed, surrealistic landscapes that will leave your retinas begging for more.
If you underestimated the power of good ole’ fashioned, hand-drawn animation before, now is the time to put those preconceived notions in the trash. DRAWTASTIC is here to shed light on the extraordinary work of youthful boundary-pushers and seasoned pros alike, all united in their love for this old-school animation style. And with this year’s crop of finalists, it looks like the spirit of hand-drawn animation is in good – and super talented – hands.
My personal hot take? Barring the invention of some kind of 4D animation that can literally pop off the screen and smack you with its awesomeness, there’s nothing quite like the charm, depth, and warmth of hand-drawn animation. So cheers to the ‘Golden Pencil Award’ winners! You’ve not only drawn your way to recognition but also sketched a vibrant, enduring legacy in the world of animation. Stay drawn-tastic!
Unveiling the standouts of the 2024 DRAWTASTIC Animation Festival – Celebrating ’Golden Pencil Award’ masterpieces. This remarkable Festival is committed to recognizing, glorifying, and promoting the creativity of budding and professional animators world over – particularly fond of traditional hand-drawn animation. The honor-winning animations are featured free on the innovative ‘DRAWtastic!’ application.
In its 14th successful year, the festival – formerly known as “The 2D OR NOT 2D ANIMATION FESTIVAL”, has evolved to embrace and advocate hand-drawn Animation resisting the dominance of AI and computer‐generated animation. The festival, encapsulated under DRAWTASTIC, embraces all forms of animation, except purely AI ones, ensuring a rich and diverse range of honored films for 2024 spectators.
The top-tier animations at the DRAWTASTIC Animation Festival are honored with the prestigious ‘Golden Pencil Award’ while others of merit are featured as “Finalist” films in our one-hour screening event. Further, we’ve introduced a ‘Junior Golden Pencil Award’ category to inspire and showcase high school level or younger animators.
The ‘DRAWtastic!’ app, a masterstroke of seasoned animator and author Tony White, not only hosts the current festival event of winning films but also includes award-winning animations from previous years – all for FREE. The DRAWtastic! app also offers an affordable suite of animation and 2D art-related courses tailored for beginners to seasoned professionals. The revenue from sales is intended to fund the app and the festival, thereby supporting our budding animators in the future.
2D Animation enthusiasts can delve into the offerings of DRAWTASTIC and download the DRAWtastic! app on their devices at: www.drawtastic.org
Aspiring animators can register their creations for the 2025 DRAWTASTIC Animation Festival at: filmfreeway.com/DRAWTASTIC2025
Winners of the 2024 Golden Pencil Award
- ‘Who Do We Appreciate’ by Director Chad Stewart. (Best 2D Animation category.)
- ‘Macaroni and Cheese-Fish Stew’ by Director Tiffany Zhang. (Junior Golden Pencil Award category.)
- ‘Sprout’ by Director Addison Fujimoto. (Best Student Animation category.)
- ‘Pixels.com Logo Raising’ by Director Jason Doll. (Best Advertising category.)
- ‘Nomad’ by Director Amir Vafael. (Best Music-based Animation category.)
Also, the 2024 screening features an additional set of 11 ‘Finalist’ animations!
Original article: https://www.skwigly.co.uk/drawtastic-animation-festival-announce-2024-golden-pencil-award-winners/