EUROPEAN ANIMATION AWARD EMILE FOR ESTONIAN ANIMATED FILM “EEVA”
Morten Tšinakov and Lucija Mrzljak’s animated film Eeva won the Emile Award for Best Background & Character Design in the Short Film category at the 2024 European Animation Awards ceremony.
On the evening of Monday, September 23, the European Animation Awards were presented at the Emile 2024 Award Ceremony in Greece, where the creators of Eeva had another reason to celebrate.
Established in 2017, the Emile Award, presented by the European Animation Awards Association, recognizes the achievements of talented and independent filmmakers in the field of animation. Kerdi Oengo, producer at the Estonian studio Nukufilm and a member of the association’s council, said: “Unlike the European Film Academy Awards, Emile focuses specifically on animated films, allowing for a broader recognition of the animation genre and the opportunity to award not just directors, but also other members of the creative team, both in feature-length and short animations. Additionally, we present the Lotte Reiniger Lifetime Achievement Award in animation. Due to the Covid pandemic, the awards could not be presented for a couple of years. The association’s new council, which I am a part of, aims to revive the Emile Award with this ceremony and establish a long-term tradition.”
Kerdi Oengo on Eeva’s award: “Visuals are important in all types of films, but in animation, the artistic design of the visual environment and characters is central to a film’s success. The Emile Award for Best Character Design and Backgrounds highlights and values these aspects in animated films.”
Morten Tšinakov and Lucija Mrzljak’s stylish and refined funeral-themed film Eeva made its festival debut at the 73rd Berlinale in February 2023, becoming the first Estonian film to be selected for the short film competition at one of the world’s largest and most important film festivals, the Berlinale. Eeva has participated in nearly a hundred festivals and won awards at about a quarter of them, including at the prestigious Annecy and Zagreb festivals (two of the most important festivals recognized by the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA, alongside Ottawa and Hiroshima) and the Nashville Film Festival. In December 2023, Eeva reached the shortlist for the 96th Oscars (together with Priit Tender’s Dog Apartment) in the short animation category.
Lucija Mrzljak: “Receiving the Emile Award is a great honor for us. I would like to thank my co-director Morten and our producers Kalev and Draško for their unwavering support. A big thank you to everyone who stood by us throughout the film’s journey. This recent recognition inspires us for our future work.”
Eeva is the third collaboration between Morten Tšinakov and Lucija Mrzljak, following Demonstration of Brilliance in Four Acts (2018) and The Stork (2020). All of these films were produced at the Estonian studio Eesti Joonisfilm.
The screenwriter for Eeva is Morten Tšinakov, with directors and artists Morten Tšinakov and Lucija Mrzljak, and producers Kalev Tamm and Draško Ivezić. Eeva was produced at the studios Eesti Joonisfilm and Adriatic Animation, with production supported by the Estonian Film Institute, Croatian Audiovisual Centre and the Estonian Cultural Endowment.
Film info: https://joonisfilm.ee/en/films/eeva-2/
Eeva Trailer: https://vimeo.com/724469078