The French animated film "Little Amelie" by directors Mailys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han won the grand prize at the 27th Bucheon International Animation Festival on Sunday. The victory came as the Academy Award-qualifying festival announced winners of its feature-length competition during the middle of its five-day run, which screens 155 films from 31 countries.
"Little Amelie," a watercolor-toned story about childhood empathy and growth that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, competed against nine other international feature films. The festival's feature competition also saw Japan's "Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise" win the audience award, while "Dandelion's Odyssey" earned the jury prize. The Franco-Belgian production "Dandelion's Odyssey" stands out for its unique blend of 260 days of time-lapse photography combined with 3D animation.
South Korea's "Pilgrims," adapted from Kim Cho-yeop's novel and featuring voices by actresses Park Ji-hu and Kim Hyang-gi, received the technology award. The festival will announce winners in the short film, graduation, TV, and commissioned categories on Tuesday, which marks the closing day. Notably, the winner of BIAF's short film grand prize automatically qualifies for Oscar consideration, making the festival Asia's only Academy Award-qualifying animation event.
The festival opened Friday at the Korea Manhwa Museum with two significant tributes. Producer Ron Dyens received recognition for his work on "Flow," the wordless Latvian animation about animals surviving a mysterious flood that won this year's Academy Award and Golden Globe for best animated feature. The festival also honored the late Hanseo University professor Jang Dong-ryul posthumously for his contributions as an early organizing member who helped transform what began as a student-run festival into an internationally recognized event.
The opening film was Yasuhiro Aoki's monumental "ChaO," which won the feature competition at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The ambitious production required nine years from conception to release and employed over 100,000 hand-drawn frames, showcasing the dedication and craftsmanship that defines traditional animation.
Artificial intelligence emerged as a major topic of discussion during Sunday afternoon's talk session at Bucheon's Webtoon Convergence Center. South Korean directors Yeon Sang-ho, known for "Train to Busan," and Hong Jun-pyo, director of "Chun Tae-il: A Flame That Lives On," explored different perspectives on AI's role in animation. Yeon, who created hit animated features including "The King of Pigs" and "The Fake" before transitioning to live-action films, positioned AI as a potential solution to pipeline problems that plague Korean animation, where specialized techniques often become obsolete between projects.
"We trained people for skills only our studio used. Ten years of experience that meant nothing elsewhere," Yeon said, reflecting on his break from animation after 2013's "The Fake." He drew comparisons between current industry anxieties and past resistance to digital tools, noting, "The same people who claimed tablets lacked pencil's soul are now panicking about AI."
Hong, who is currently working on the crowd-funded feature "Ggoma" about a bear that has escaped from a zoo, expressed cautious optimism while acknowledging concerns for colleagues who might be displaced by automation. His team uses AI to identify color-correction errors across thousands of frames, what he calls "passive usage" that frees artists from tedious work. However, the director admitted feeling conflicted about the technology's broader implications. "I see talented artists doing work that AI could handle, and it becomes difficult to suggest using it," he said.
Both directors discussed the technological breakthroughs that have transformed the industry over the years. They traced developments from Mirage software that enabled their early graduation works to current Blender tools that are now rendering the Seoul landscapes in "Ggoma," where "natural environments become characters themselves." Hong also praised BIAF's production support program for funding crucial pre-production phases "when nothing's visible yet but resources are desperately needed."
Their conversation touched on fundamental questions about defining animation as a medium. Yeon argued that traditional distinctions between live-action and animation may no longer be relevant, stating that "all film is symbolic play." Hong maintained that different mediums resonate with audiences in unique ways, particularly with children. However, both directors agreed that in an era dominated by algorithms, compelling content has become more important than visual polish. "My daughter doesn't care how we rendered the dinosaur," Yeon observed. "She wants to know what it's eating."
The weekend featured additional programming that highlighted the festival's global reach and industry focus. Sunday's master class with Pixar veteran Geefwee Boedoe drew over 200 participants. Boedoe, whose credits span from "Monsters, Inc." to "Zootopia," demonstrated sketch work and character design processes before answering questions about production workflows at major animation studios.
Networking opportunities throughout the weekend connected animators, producers, and distributors from around the world. The Animation Meet-up program at the Webtoon Convergence Center on Sunday evening provided a platform for industry professionals to discuss emerging trends and establish international partnerships that could shape future collaborations.
Saturday's programming showcased the festival's commitment to celebrating animation in various forms. The Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra performed animation soundtracks at the Bucheon Arts Center, followed by an outdoor screening of "King of Kings" at City Hall Plaza. The faith-based animated feature had previously grossed over $60 million in North America earlier this year, demonstrating the commercial potential of diverse animated content.
The festival continues through Tuesday, screening works across multiple venues throughout Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. With its unique position as Asia's only Academy Award-qualifying animation festival, BIAF serves as both a celebration of global animation artistry and a crucial industry gathering that shapes conversations about the medium's future.
