The Computer Animation Festival: a professional accolade
SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer GRAPHics and Interactive Techniques) is an international conference that brings together thousands of professionals, researchers, artists and studios from all over the world every year. Since its first edition in 1974, it has established itself as the world’s leading event dedicated to animation, visual effects and computer graphics.
At the heart of this event is the Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater. Held every year since 1999, it showcases the best international productions in categories ranging from advertising and cinema to special effects, real-time graphics, scientific visualisation and simulation. To be selected is to enter a showcase of excellence, on a par with the productions of the world’s leading studios.
Three student films in the running
This year, three short films from ESMA join the selection in the “short films” category, alongside productions from the world’s most renowned schools and studios:
Dawn, directed by Marie PRADEILLES, Lucas JONCKHEERE, Apolline ROYER, Noah MERCIER, Matthieu DEJOUX, Maxime FORESTIER, Lorys STORA, YuFang CHANG.
Trash, directed by Gregory BOUZID, Maxime CRANÇON, Robin DELAPORTE, Matteo DURAND, Romain FLEISCHER, Alexis LE RAL, Margaux LUTZ and Fanny VECCHIE.
Sleeping with the Fishes, directed by Nicolas KNOLL, Lucas WALLEZ, Manon SEVE, Camille COLONNA D’ISTRIA, Giulia GIGANTE, Justine GAULT, Noa LAVINO, and Marion ROBE.
Their selection marks a strong recognition of the artistic, narrative and technical work accomplished by these young directors, and testifies to the high standards and creativity they have demonstrated throughout their training.
A not-to-be-missed event in Vancouver
SIGGRAPH 2025 will be held from 10 to 14 August in Vancouver, Canada. For five days, the selected films will be screened in a unique setting, in front of an audience made up of animation film professionals, studios, producers, engineers and creators from all over the world.
For the film crews, it’s an exceptional opportunity to showcase their work, meet major players in the sector and, in some cases, take the next step towards an international professional career.
A source of pride for the school
These selections are part of an already solid history between ESMA and SIGGRAPH. Amir & Amira won the Jury Prize in 2015, followed by the Best Student Project for Je suis un caillou in 2021, and the Audience Choice Award for Mésozoïque Alternatif in 2022. Tea Time and Asteria were also shortlisted in 2016 and 2017 respectively, and Swing to the Moon won Best Student Project in 2023. This prestigious award once again confirms the artistic and technical quality of ESMA productions.
Isabelle Teissedre, ESMA’s Director of Education, said:
“The SIGGRAPH is one of the world’s most demanding events in our field. Seeing three films from the school included in the 2025 selection is extremely satisfying. It’s an accolade that not only recognises the talent of our students, but also raises ESMA’s profile on the international scene.
On the road to SIGGRAPH
The ESMA teaching and administrative teams would like to warmly congratulate the students selected for this outstanding achievement.
See you in August to discover the films screened at SIGGRAPH… and perhaps some new awards to come.