“The caliber of submissions this year was truly phenomenal, which made the jury’s job especially difficult,” said Jill Smolin, SIGGRAPH 2008 Conference Entertainment Director. “The winners truly showcase what is possible today and provide a glimpse into what artists can achieve in the future. Really, the only limitation is the imagination.”
Award and prize winners were chosen from hundreds of submissions from around the globe, presented by both professional studios and students alike. An expert panel of jury members selected the winners for exemplary use of computer-generated imagery, animation, and storytelling. SIGGRAPH Computer Graphics Award Recipient Ken Perlin and a host of industry presenters recognized the nominees and winners in a fun, lively awards ceremony.
The winners are:
Best of Show Winner
Oktapodi
Gobelins, l'école de l’image, France
Gobelins’ third-year students direct this animated short about two octopi in their comical escape from the grasps of a stubborn and determined restaurant cook.
Best Student Piece Winner
893
Supinfocom, France
These students combine story and style in this tale of honor, tradition, and imagination.
Jury Award Winner
Mauvais Role
École Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle, France
This is a tale that shows that you can achieve whatever you want, regardless of the opinions that surround you. Watch as a monster constantly cast in games, finds his perfect job in a game that you’d never choose for him.
Best Well Told Fable Prize
Our Wonderful Nature
Hochschule für Film und Fernsehen
"Konrad Wolf" Potsdam-Babelsberg
This documentary uses time stretching, film camera work, and creative sound design to tell the story of water shrews in the wild.
Competition screening audiences were able to vote for their favorite selection to win the esteemed Audience Prize. The attendee voters selected the winner to be Oktapodi, the animated short that also won Best of Show.
In 2008, the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival expanded into a full-scale film festival that incorporated competition and invited screenings, production studio nights, and discussion panels with filmmakers/artists/producers. It was open to the public for the first time and attracted thousands of Computer Animation Festival attendees.
Since 1999, the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival has been an official qualifying festival for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences "Best Animated Short Film" award. No fewer than fifteen films from the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for the Academy Award® for Best Animated Short.
About SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH 2008 brings an estimated 30,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from six continents to Los Angeles, California, USA for the industry's most respected technical and creative programs focusing on research, science, art, animation, gaming, interactivity, education, and the web from Monday, 11 August through Friday, 15 August 2008 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Celebrating its 35th year, SIGGRAPH 2008 includes a three-day exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and interactive marketplace from 12-14 August 2008. More than 230 international exhibiting companies are in attendance. Registration for the conference and exhibition is open to the public. More details are available at www.siggraph.org/s2008
About ACM
ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery,
www.acm.org,
is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society,
uniting educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue,
share resources, and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the
computing profession's collective voice through strong leadership,
promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical
excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by
providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and
professional networking.
