'The Shaman Sorceress' wins jury award at Annecy animation film festival

Ahn Jae-huun, artistic director of Studio Meditation With a Pencil, poses during an interview with The Korea Times at his office in Seoul, June 9. Ahn's film "The Shaman Sorceress" won the Feature Film Contrechamp Jury Distinction at Annecy International Animation Film Festival, France, Friday, local time. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

By Park Ji-won

Organizers of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival awarded the South Korean animated film "The Shaman Sorceress" a special jury award, Friday.

"The Feature Film Contrechamp Jury Distinction is awarded to The Shaman Sorceress by Jae-huun Ahn," said Marcel Jean, artistic director of the international festival in an official video, released that day (local time).

Seen are still cells of animated characters from "The Shaman Sorceress" on the sidelines of The Korea Times interview with its director Ahn Jae-huun, artistic director of Studio Meditation With a Pencil, at his office in Seoul, June 9. The animated film won the Feature Film Contrechamp Jury Distinction Award at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, France, Friday, local time. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

The feature film was based on a short novel written in 1936 by Nobel Prize nominee Kim Dong-ni. The festival's website reads, "There is a painting called The Shaman Sorceress left at my home by a mute girl and her father. This picture is worth a thousand words. Mohwa, a shaman, lives with her mute daughter Nang-Yi and her husband, and has practiced shamanism her entire life. One day her son Wook-Yi returns home after several years away, as a converted Christian. This sparks a conflict and drives the family into tragedy."

The film was one of 10 nominated in the Contrechamp competition category for feature films. Another South Korean animated film, "Beauty Water" by Cho Kyung-hun, was also on the list as well as "True North" on North Korea by Korean Japanese director Eiji Han Shimizu. The section was added after the 2019 festival replaced the previous competition category and was aimed to introduce unique full-length films.

"The world has enjoyed the festival in its respective countries and places due to the coronavirus crisis. However, we have demonstrated that we have power to not give up and overcome challenges by uniting with animated films. Let us applaud," Ahn Jae-hunn said in an online video. "The Shaman Sorceress is a musical with distinct Korean features. We look forward to seeing all of you in theaters and sincerely hope for the day when we will be able to remember every one of the visitors."

Poster for "The Shaman Sorceress"

Director Ahn is the first South Korean director to make it to the competition section of the Annecy Film Festival for the second time. He is known for creating pieces based on hand-drawing, coming up with some novel-base animated films and original series including "Green Days," which was also invited to the festival in 2011.

Meanwhile, South Korea's "Sura," directed by Jeong Hae-ji, won the Jury Distinction prize in the Graduation Short films section out of 44 films. Jeong, a student of the Korea National University of Arts, portrays a minor getting pregnant and an abortion in the animated short.

Launched in 1960 for animators, the festival has a solid reputation in the industry. This year's festival, running from June 15 to 30, is being held online due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

South Korea's "My Beautiful Girl, Mari" and "Oseam" won the best feature film prizes in the same festival in 2002 and 2004, respectively.

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