‘The Truth rejects you, Cornelius’ by Marc Torices and Khris Cembe won the Movistar Plus+ Short Film Project Award, while The RTVE Interactivo/Fallo de Sistema Awards went to ‘Neon Blood’ (Best Video Game Project), ‘Worldless’ (Most Innovative Video Game), and ‘Barraka’ (Weird Plus Video Game).
The 16th annual Weird Market closed its 2024 edition by announcing its list of winners, which includes animation projects in all formats and short films selected within the WFest festival. Nearly 600 registered attendees participated in the activities, presentations, and showroom for animation, video games and new media. This year marks the expansion of its professional section, with the Weird Invest conference aimed at presenting new financing models.
“The industry professionals and attendees highlight that each year the level of the works presented is higher, and the nature of the event allows them to make contacts and forge alliances, that is, to create industry,” says José Luis Farías, director of the event.
The Movistar Plus+ Short Film Project Award went to The Truth rejects you, Cornelius by Marc Torices and Khris Cembe. The project utilizes 2D and stop-motion to tell the story of Cornelius the dog and his relationship with Avalutsa the frog. The award involves the acquisition of the piece by Movistar Plus+ for 9,000 euros with broadcasting rights for a period of 2 years (with an unlimited number of screenings). In addition, the short film will be officially premiered in the 2025 or 2026 edition of Weird Market.
Another winning title was Catwalk by Lidia Luna, Toni Mortero and Omayra González. The trio won the Best Young Creator Series Project Award; they were awarded free registration for the next edition of Annecy’s Mifa.
In the video game section, three projects are awarded each year by RTVE. The winners of the RTVE Interactivo/Fallo de sistema awards in this edition were all from Spain: Neon Blood, by Chaoticbrain Studios (Best Video Game Project); Worldless, by Noname Studios, Coatsink (Most Innovative Video Game Project); and Barraka, by Zomorro Studio, Dojo System (Weird Plus Video Game Award).
The WFest short film festival, another of Weird Market’s sections, also announced its winners. The international jury chose Yegane Moghaddam’s Our Uniform as the best international short film. The Iranian animator’s film was one of five nominees at the 2024 Oscars.
In the European section, all four members of the jury decided in favor of the Finnish Nun or Never! by Heta Jäälinoja, while Buffet Paradise by Héctor Zafra and Santi Amézqueta won the top award in the domestic competition; this co-production with France held its world premiere at Weird Market after having won the Movistar+ Short Film Project Award two years ago.
Three special mentions were awarded, one in the international section for In the Shadow of the Cypress by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani (Iran), another in the European section for the Hungarian short 27 by Flóra Anna Buda, and in the domestic section for Cafuné by Carlos F. De Vigo and Lorena Ares.
The audience also picked its winners: in the domestic competition the winner was The Fence by Sam Ortí. In the international section, there was a tie between Wander to Wonder by Nina Gantz (Belgium, Netherlands, France, United Kingdom) and Nun or Never!.
Check out the complete list of winners here.
Source: Weird Market
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
