Winners Announced at RTÉjr Animation Dingle Awards 2024
Skwigly
This year’s Animation Dingle Festival has once again proven to be a resounding success! From early last year, we engaged the animation community, with over 700 registered animators answering the call and participating in the selection process, culminating in a weekend filled with creativity and inspiration in the beautiful setting of Dingle.
We extend our gratitude to our partners, Screen Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, whose steadfast support and collaboration again, brought this 12th edition of the festival to life.
Special recognition is due to our main sponsors RTÉjr, Bank of Ireland, and Disney and are most grateful for the support from Coimisiún na Meán, The IDA, Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet and The French Embassy of Ireland.
Together, with the unwavering support of our partners and sponsors, Animation Dingle continues to serve as a platform for nurturing and showcasing the exceptional talent and creativity of Ireland’s animation industry.
RTÉjr are so privileged to sponsor this year’s Animation Dingle Awards. The quality of work from this year’s nominees is absolutely jaw dropping. I am so excited to see what they all do next and all of us at RTÉjr wish them every success along their journey.
Suzanne Kelly, Group Head of Children’s & Young People’s Content at RTE from Dingle.
Dingle 2024 Award Winners
Young Animator of the Year (YAOTY) sponsored by Disney, the award went to Max Hendrikson from Mount Temple Comprehensive School.
Best Irish Student sponsored by RTÉjr:
Awarded to Every Other Weekend by James Naughton, IADT
Best International Student sponsored by CBBC:
Awarded to Stabat Mater by Hadrien Maton, Quentin Wittevrongel, Arnaud Mege, Coline Thelliez, William Defrance of Pôle 3D
Best Animation Award sponsored by MILKSHAKE!
Awarded to Golden Ties by Michelle Bardon, IADT
Best Stop Motion Award sponsored by Aardman Animations
Awarded to The Curse of Dracular by Jack Paterson, Norwich University of the Arts.
The Best Writer, jointly Sponsored by Animation Ireland and National Talent Academy for Animation
Awarded to Pinokidoki, directed by Jack Casserly from Technological University of the Shannon, Athlone
Best Design/ Art Direction awards sponsored by JAM Media
Awarded to Unseen – Alone in Space by Patrick Faulkner of University of Ulster
Best Music/ Sound Design sponsored by EGG Postproduction Studios
Awarded to Bluelight by Jean-Ellis Gbessia, IADT
The Best Director Award sponsored by Toon Boom
Awarded to The Sun is Bad by Rachel Mow from Savannah College of Art and Design
Best Irish Professional Short sponsored by the Kerry College
Awarded to Worry World by Jessica Patterson
Best International Professional Short sponsored by Nickelodeon
Return to Hairy Hill by Daniel Gies, Canada
The Big Pitcher Winner, Michael Berrill Doran with their project Ultra Cat, Mega Dog won a 3-month paid internship with Jam Media and will get to pitch at Cartoon Springboard later this year.
Best Sting sponsored by Monster Entertainment! went to – CH_001 An Phiast V014 by Theodore Goodwin, TUS Athlone
Winner of the Best Game Sting, sponsored by 2K was An Phiast Hover Racing by Rian Lambe, BCFE
Murakami Award 2024 sponsored by Brown Bag Films was presented to Michael Algar. Renowned animator producer Michael Algar was honoured at the festival for his exceptional contributions to the world of animation. The Murakami Award, named after the legendary Japanese animator Jimmy Teru Murakami (村上輝明 ) (1933-2014) a founding father of Irish animation, recognises individuals who have demonstrated unparalleled innovation, vision, and impact in the field of animation.
After 12 years of the festival, I continue to be inspired by the exceptional talent displayed by the young animators in Ireland. Every year, our awards showcase the incredible creativity, passion, and dedication of these emerging artists. It is heartwarming to see such talent flourishing in the animation community. We are committed to supporting and nurturing these young artists as they continue to push the boundaries of storytelling and animation both in Ireland and internationally.
Maurice Galway, Director of Animation Dingle
Across the Festival programme, there was fantastic participation from international studios, broadcasters and streamers from Ireland, UK, USA, France, South Africa, Canada and included: BBC, CBC, Disney, Netflix, Pixar, Nickelodeon, Milkshake!, Paramount, Industrial Brothers, Atomic Cartoons, Skybound Entertainment Animation, The Gotham Group, Aardman Animation, Magic Light Pictures, and Polygon Pictures, GFM Animation, Indie Sales, Ellipse Animation.
Irish studios were well represented at the festival including; Brown Bag films, Boulder media, Cartoon Saloon, Jam Media and so many more.