Ars Electronica Animation Festival 2020

In collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Hagenberg Campus

Like so many other art and culture events, the 2020 Ars Electronica Animation Festival is faced with a great challenge due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As every year, the entries in the Computer Animation category of the Prix Ars Electronica serve as the foundation for the screening program. This year’s 930 submissions once again provide an excellent basis for a survey of current digital filmmaking from the fields of art, science, research, and animation-film schools. All entries were reviewed in a pre-jury round by Victoria Absmann, Juergen Hagler, and Nana Thurner, and some 250 works were prepared for the jury session. In the course of the jury meetings, held for the first time completely virtually, a reduced selection was assessed online by the jury, who then – on a quite unusual jury weekend – determined the recipients of the Golden Nica, two Awards of Distinction, and twelve Honorary Mentions. This year’s jury was made up of Peter Burr (US), Birgitta Hosea (SW/UK), Mathilde Lavenne (FR), Erick Oh (KR/US), and Mimi Son (KR).