A major accolade that recognises the richness of its 3D world, the quality of its production and the ambition of a collaborative project driven from start to finish by its creators.
An award from among nearly 3,000 films
The Student Academy Awards, organised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are one of the leading international competitions dedicated to student film and animation projects.
For its 53rd edition, nearly 3,000 films from 894 higher education institutions around the world were entered into the competition. COWS ultimately emerged victorious in the Animation category, winning the gold medal ahead of two other award-winning films, The Panic Inside and Gauze.
This award recognises the work of nine filmmakers who trained at ESMA: Nicolás Acevedo Ferraté, Valentin Brachet, Maxence Corriette, Tanguy Delepine, Eireen Failly, Jonathan Lally, Elio Molinaro, Yulia Nikitina and Alexandre Verspuce.
Creating a 3D world that is both captivating and unsettling
In COWS, the filmmakers play on a stark contrast: that of a world which at first appears ideal, before gradually revealing its true nature.
Alongside Moo Moo, a cow keen to leave her farm, the viewer discovers a futuristic setting that seems straight out of a dream. Contemporary architecture, machines, gleaming surfaces and a colourful atmosphere come together to create a particularly appealing next-generation farm.
Cows – ESMA 2025
But this almost utopian aesthetic masks a much bleaker reality.
As Moo Moo discovers how this new farm works, the visual world gradually shifts towards something more oppressive. Technology, initially associated with progress and comfort, becomes the instrument of a system of control embodied by the robot that runs the place.
This focus on atmosphere, settings and visual contrast plays a key role in the storytelling of COWS: the setting is not merely a backdrop for the story; it accompanies the character’s development and gradually reveals the hidden truths of this seemingly perfect world.
Moo Moo, a heroine in search of freedom
The story begins when Moo Moo, tired of her life on the farm, decides to set off in search of a new place that seems far more promising.
Across the road, she discovers a futuristic farm that, on the surface, seems to match her idea of a better life. But her enthusiasm soon gives way to disillusionment: behind this modern, cheerful façade lies a brutal system, where the animals are subjected to constant surveillance.
Moo Moo will then have to come to terms with this new environment and, above all, find a way to escape from it.
Her attempt to escape leads to a confrontation with the robot that runs the farm. Just when all seems lost, she finds a solution that is as spectacular as it is unexpected: a gigantic tsunami of milk finally enables her to make her escape and return to her original farm.
Through this adventure, COWS offers an original take on the quest for freedom and the search for an idealised elsewhere. Moo Moo eventually discovers that the happiness she was seeking can also be found where she no longer thought she would find it.
Cows – ESMA 2025
Nine talented individuals brought together around a single project
COWS is, above all, a collective endeavour.
The film was directed by Nicolás Acevedo Ferraté, Valentin Brachet, Maxence Corriette, Tanguy Delepine, Eireen Failly, Jonathan Lally, Elio Molinaro, Yulia Nikitina and Alexandre Verspuce.
A project of this scale relies on complementary skills and a shared vision: character design, environment creation, animation, direction, lighting and world-building all work together to give the film its identity.
This collective aspect is particularly evident in COWS, where the richness of the world imagined by the filmmakers is a constant feature of the narrative. The film enabled them to put into practice all the skills they had developed during their training and to bring them together within a single production.
Further recognition for ESMA’s 3D training programme
The gold medal won by COWS also serves as a fine tribute to the careers of its nine filmmakers at ESMA.
Through their final-year films, students are encouraged to develop projects from start to finish, from initial visual research right through to the completion of a finished film. COWS exemplifies this approach by combining art direction, storytelling, animation and the creation of a coherent 3D world.
The award won at the Student Academy Awards therefore highlights the work carried out by these young artists as they prepare to embark on their professional careers in the fields of animation and digital creation.
A gold medal that opens up new horizons
This win at the Student Academy Awards is not only a prestigious accolade for COWS; it also opens up a new opportunity for the film: as a winner, COWS is eligible to compete at the 99th Oscars® in the Animated Short Film category.
This eligibility does not mean that the film has, at this stage, been selected or nominated for the Oscars®, but it does allow COWS to continue its journey in the competition leading up to this prestigious ceremony.
Having been recognised amongst thousands of international student films, the film by Nicolás Acevedo Ferraté, Valentin Brachet, Maxence Corriette, Tanguy Delepine, Eireen Failly, Jonathan Lally, Elio Molinaro, Yulia Nikitina and Alexandre Verspuce is therefore continuing its journey.
A magnificent accolade for the nine directors of COWS, and further proof of the creative potential of the 3D generation trained at ESMA.