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12th Animation Division Excellence Award

KUDAN

Animated short film [Japan]

KIMURA Taku

Outline

A father cannot hear his son talking to him. After putting on a mask that was in a parcel delivered to their home, the father slips into another dimension and turns into a cow standing in a dark forest. This is a 3DCG animation in which a father reestablishes communication with his son after saving him from danger, as they come and go between reality and another dimension.

Reason for Award

This is a story about a father who does not communicate with his son, but whose words are retrieved after the two of them escape from a danger closing in on the father, who has slipped into a mysterious parallel world. The work is pure entertainment, with its well-constructed settings, story and direction. The visualization is brilliant, contrasting the normal everyday world, depicted with a warm touch, and a parallel universe. In the dark and surrealistic parallel world, a scary Death-like monster appears along with other strange, comical characters. The father turns into a “kudan,” a creature with a human head and the body of a cow that wanders around the parallel world. The creature is scary and repulsive but still somehow lovable. The timing of movement is pleasant and the way the excitement of the story develops is attractive and compelling. This is a short animation work that anybody can enjoy. I would like to express my great admiration for the aspirations and ability of the staff.