Our Uniform

Our Uniform, winner of the Animayo Gran Canaria 2023 Jury Grand Prize with direct entry to the Oscar® Awards Preselection in the Best Animated Short Film category, due to Animayo being the only Spanish animation festival declared a «Qualifying Festival» by the Hollywood Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has been nominated for Best Animated Short at the Oscars® 2024.

See Trailer here.

This was announced by the Hollywood Academy in the early hours of this Tuesday, Spanish time, unveiling the nominees for the 2024 Oscar® Awards in various categories, a source of immense joy and pride for the Animayo Festival upon learning that their endorsement of Our Uniform has resulted in it becoming one of the 5 films nominated in its category. According to Animayo's director, Damián Perea: "To take an Animayo winning work, first to the Oscar® Shortlist, and then to have it nominated, is something that comforts and rewards, in some way, the work of the entire Festival programming team, because it not only increases the visibility and global prestige of Animayo, but also draws more attention to the event, generating interest from filmmakers, sponsors, and audiences." He also highlights "the quality and selection criteria that we have once again demonstrated, which will potentially attract more outstanding films and talents in the future. It is an important validation for us, positively influencing our international reputation."

Indeed, Animayo once again demonstrates the magic that characterizes it, namely its commitment to quality and talent in the film and animation sector. A leading festival for many years, it has stood out for excellence through its awards. Its history includes the selection of several works for the Oscar® Preselection and Shortlist, emphasizing its commitment to quality and talent in the film and animation sector, including: Late Afternoon, produced by Nuria González-Blanco and directed by Louise Bagnall, won the top award at Animayo Gran Canaria 2018 and was nominated for an Oscar®. Of Irish nationality, it is a 2D animation dealing with Alzheimer's disease in a different way. The short film Kapaemahu was on the Oscar® shortlist for 2021 after winning the Animayo 2020 Jury Grand Prize. Kapaemahu, (USA, 2020), a collaboration between Native Hawaiian educator and cultural practitioner Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu with Emmy® and GLAAD award-winning filmmakers Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, under the 2D animation direction of Oscar®-nominee Daniel Sousa. And in 2022, the Australian work An Ostrich Told Me the World is Fake and I Think I Believe It, directed by Lachlan Pendragon, received a “Special Mention from Animayo for Best Stop Motion” and was nominated for the 95th Oscar® Awards.

     

Originating from over 80 countries worldwide, more than 2,000 works of 2D animation, 3D animation, visual effects, experimental film, advertising pieces, animation spots, music videos, video game cinematics, and virtual reality were screened at Animayo 2023. Our Uniform, by Iranian Yegane Moghaddam, and Amarradas, by Spanish Carmen Córdoba González, were the two major winners of the Animayo 2023 Awards. All represented under the quality and prestige criteria of the 2023 International Jury Animayo in the animated short film category, consisting of director, producer, and animator Andreas Deja (jury president), Jan Bubenicek (director, animator, and writer), Denisa Grimmová (stop motion, 2D and 3D director), Albert Barba (animation director), and Laura MacMahon (Senior 3D Animator).

Our Uniform is a mixed-technique short film, 07:23 minutes long, in which, with an original script by Moghaddam, “a young Iranian woman reminisces about her school days through the wrinkles and seams of her old uniform.” Its strong social undertone is the key element of its work, immersing us in a unique and peculiar way in the use of the uniform as a means to standardize a population. The Jury was captivated not only by the theme but also by its unique technique, using fabric as a base to create a universe of color and textures. In fact, it was also recognized with the Best Mixed Technique Award.

The 5 films nominated for Best Animated Short, listed alphabetically by title, are:
Letter to a Pig - Tal Kantor, Amit R. Gicelter
Ninety-Five Senses - Jerusha Hess, Jared Hess

Our Uniform - Yegane Moghaddam
Pachyderme - Stephanie Clément, Marc Rius

War is Over! Inspired by the music of John & Oko - Dace Mullins, Brad Booker

Finally, it will be during the 96th edition of the Oscars® Awards ceremony, to be held in Los Angeles on March 10th, when we will find out if Our uniform wins the coveted award.