The Rookies Awards: a springboard into the industry
Held annually, the Rookies Awards are one of the major international events for students and emerging artists looking to showcase their work to professionals in the fields of animation, visual effects, video games and concept art.
The projects submitted are assessed by industry professionals, which lends the awards a special significance. For students, being named among the winners of the Rookies Awards represents genuine recognition of their creativity, technical expertise and ability to see an ambitious project through to completion.
In the Film of the Year – 3D Animation category, two ESMA productions stood out in particular this year: *Parhelia* and *Voyous*.
Parhelia: a ‘Highly Commended’ award
With its distinctive visual style, Parhelia caught the attention of the Rookies Awards jury and has been awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ mention.
This award recognises the work carried out by a team of eight students: Pénélope CARLIER, Sarah ELIE-LECOMTE, Nils FAGNERE, Axel HUET, Grégoire JARRY, Alice PAYEN, Flore QUITTET and Gaël TENDRON.
From the conception of the universe to the 3D production, this award highlights the care taken at every stage of production and the team’s ability to deliver a film that meets the standards expected by animation professionals.
‘Voyous’, international recognition for its young filmmakers
The jury also recognised *Voyous*, which was also awarded a ‘Highly Commended’ mention in the Film of the Year – 3D Animation category.
A well-deserved honour for Lucie BAGOT, Marion BARTH, Elisa BROUSTAL, Luna DUPAS, Xavier L’EVEQUE DE VILMORIN, Camille LEDENTU, Ninon REBOUX and Inès TRAN, the film’s eight directors.
Through this production, the team showcases the full potential of the young creators trained at ESMA, combining artistic direction, storytelling and mastery of 3D animation techniques. This award recognises their dedication and the collaborative effort put into the film’s production.
Well done to the teams at Voyous and Parhelia for this recognition amongst the international productions featured at the Rookies Awards!
Two films, the same commitment to excellence
The inclusion of *Parhelia* and *Voyous* amongst the films honoured at the 2026 Rookies Awards illustrates the richness of the projects produced by ESMA students and the diversity of the worlds they are capable of creating.
Beyond the award itself, these results highlight a demanding production process that draws on a wide range of skills: writing, direction, design, modelling, texturing, animation, lighting, rendering and post-production.
These two awards thus encourage a new generation of designers to pursue their ambitions and measure their work against the expectations of the international industry.
Coming soon to ESMA Movies
Parhelia and Voyous will soon be available to a wider audience on the ESMA Movies YouTube channel.
Here’s your chance to discover these two graduation films and the worlds created by their teams very soon!