22nd ifva Animation Category Jury Meeting Transcript
Jury Members: Lo Che Ying (Lo), Welby Chung (Chung), Eddy Hui (Hui), Mandy Tsang (Tsang),Siuhak (Siuhak)
ifva representative: Kattie Fan (Fan)(Editor’s note: Chung joined the meeting at a later time.)
Fan:

Today, we will select one Gold, one Silver and one Special Mention winners from the nine
finalists. The Special Mention Award winner will not receive any prizes or money but will
get a certificate as encouragement. We can discuss the films one by one so that theparticipants understand what you think about their works. In the end we can nominate theaward winners. First let’s talk about The Only One.

Lo:The subject matter is quite special and the treatment is interesting, but the technique is justso-so. There are not too many special animation treatments. Everything is tied to thescreenplay, and on the whole it is quite special. However, at the press conference, thecreator stressed that the work has some deeper meaning, but it is not clearly expressed. Of
course, this kind of treatment can inspire reflection and questioning. I quite like this work.
At least it is interesting.

Hui:

I don’t see the deeper meaning. I try to follow the subtitles, which go by too fast, in orderto understand this work a little. It does not deserve Gold or Silver. It is quite immature, andthe pacing can be a little better.

Tsang:

It’s an interesting work that satirizes current affairs, but the craftsmanship and art style isa bit immature. I don’t see this as an award-winning work. The film touches on current
themes, and tries to use the past to comment on the present, which is interesting. That is
why it is among the finalists.

Siuhak:I agree. I notice that the subtitles say something about current affairs, but I cannot connect
them to the visuals, so I didn’t catch the meaning.

Fan:

The next work is Rubber’s Life.

Lo:This work is a bit too simple and is not expressed well.

Hui:

It is about childhood memories, but the execution is very student film-like. The basic
animation techniques are not done well. For example, the eraser-like quash and stretch
effect is not well-expressed. Due to the limitations of the character design, the secondary
action can be done better. For example, after being torn apart, the eraser should have arubbery texture, and there should be small pieces of eraser flying about. Many actions are
not brought out, and the creator only focuses on big actions. The treatment of other details
are done quite well, and the character design is quite interesting. As a minor work it is ok.

1Tsang:This work barely qualifies as a finalist, but one aspect that is worth encouraging is that it
takes personal emotions to make them resonate with audiences. The story centers round afamiliar object, an eraser, which is quite imaginative. In terms of technical skills, there isroom for improvement.

Siuhak:For a two-minute work, this is expected. The story seems forced. Why is the eraser sad? Itseems that you can substitute it for any other object. It can be a tea mug, for example.

Tsang:

It’s imagination.

Siuhak:I know.

Lo:The work should have more layers.

Siuhak:It needs to explain why it is an eraser. As a minor work, it is ok, it can be seen as an exercise.

Tsang:

Many of the entries are done in a team. This work only has one creator, which is a good
attempt.

Fan:

The next work is Come On Sun.

Lo:

It is a well-considered work which injects new ideas into a traditional story, such as
expressing the sun’s thoughts. In the past, we only focus on what humans think and tell thestory from human perspective. Some elements are quite endearing, but many more details
can be expressed, like some of the emotional nuances. Now the story is too simple anddirect, and the dialogue and personalities do not come across well. Of course, it is a familiar
story, so perhaps these elements are unnecessary. Aside from the main character, the othercharacters should have more scenes. I like the part where they “change into stars”.

Siuhak:I think the character design and execution are quite good. It looks like an illustrated book.

Hui:

I agree with Siuhak. The characters are nice to look at, and as an illustrated book it is quite
good, but this is an animation. In this work, most of the human beings have long legs andtheir feet are small. When the characters jump up and shout, there are problems. Secondly,
perhaps this is a budgetary issue, all the characters are men. If there are children characters,
the impact would be larger. If the small sun faints upon seeing children on the ground, thestory would have been more effective.

Lo:

This is a production-related problem.

Hui:

It has to do with money and time, which we all understand. Also, the story is divided into
two parts, the human realm and the sun’s realm. However, there is a lack of connection
between the two. Why are the suns affected by the humans on earth? Would they not behappier having fun by themselves? They must have seen something to make them feel thisway, but what is it? Perhaps it is the plants and humans dying. There has to be a reason but
whatever it is, it should not make them not care about themselves or save their own kind.
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So if the sun saw something tragic on earth, it would be more convincing.
Tsang:

I agree with the above criticism, but I appreciate the challenging nature of the film.
Adapting from a traditional fable is difficult, and telling a story from a new perspective canmake for a good film. The scene design looks grand, and the use of shots is cinematic. Thisfilm has its merits, but is not among my top three.

Fan:

The next film is Chill and Shivering.

Lo:

This is a conventional drama, but the style is interesting. Even though there is not muchdialogue, it is effective.

Hui:

I think the dialogue is quite witty.

Lo:

The dialogue is well-written, and there is not too many extraneous lines. The style is nice
to watch and atmospheric, but at the same time does not go over-board. Overall all theelements such as music and action are appropriate. Even though it is not outstanding, it is
nicely handled, and the emotions are carried across well. Even though the story happens
in one night, it is well-structured and precise. This is a professional work that left an
impression with me.

Hui:

The story contains many different emotions but is not overly sentimental, which is hard toachieve. I quite like this, but it doesn’t quite deserve the Gold, because it is too much stuckin the middle. You can’t define what genre it is: is it a comedy, tragedy or black comedy?
None of the above. The film is professional, and the beats are precise. The dubbing andcredits are all very well done. The creator has to have plenty of experience. Among all theworks, this one is the most precise.

Tsang:

This film is creative, and resonates with Hong Kongers. The pace is handled well. When I
watched it the first time, I didn’t like the character design, which doesn’t match well withthe background. The actions of the mother are not too practiced and look like a 2D
animation. However, the whole work is cinematic and textured. If ifva aims to encourage
independent spirit, then this work deserves to be honored.

Siuhak:This is quite a good work, but as Tsang said, the character design and background haveproblems. It’s an aesthetics issue.

Hui:

I like the part where they have the finger nail pressing down. Such detail works.

Siuhak:I don’t like the ending. Why does the main character leave the keys and go away? I don’tunderstand.

Fan:

The next work is Obsession.

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Lo:

It is a representative work. The visuals are pretty and the concept simple, which carryacross the idea of “obsession”. On the whole, the actions are stiff. It is a satisfactory work,
but a minor one. It lacks drama and does not leave a lasting impression.

Hui:

Two aspects. I quite like this kind of art form. For an animation exercise, it is quite goodand well-done. But there is not much of a story, and no clear idea is expressed. If there isan award for animation ability, then this work would get high marks, but in terms ofcreativity and storytelling, I was quite disappointed in this work.

Tsang:

I agree. The story is weak, but the visuals draw you in. On the whole, this work is not very
impactful.

Siuhak:At the beginning, I found that small dot attractive, but the work soon loses its way.

Fan:

The next work is Where have the flowers gone?

Lo:

The production is good, but there are not many surprises.

Tsang:All the elements are appropriate, but it is not creative and innovative.

Hui:

Technically, it’s good. The story is a homage, but it’s not smartly done. Personally I foundit dull. There are no surprises, and nothing too outstanding.

Siuhak:

The font on the title credit is a bit ugly, which does not match the visuals. The city of pig
cages is pretty, and if the whole story took place there, it would be more interesting, likethe scene in the French film Playtime.

Lo:

The lead character turns out to be the pig, which is surprising. The creator could have usedsome a pig’s characteristics.

Tsang:

It is a very “good student” work. It has a bit of everything, which is a pity.

Lo:

The music is not bad.

Fan:

The next work is Swarm.

Hui:

Like Obsession, this is another representative wok. The action and character expression
cannot be faulted. The atmosphere is quite good, and the part with the insect eating ispowerful. However the story structure does not really push the work forward. The scenes
can be bigger and grander.

Siuhak:I quite like it. It looks like one of those overseas animation works I saw as a child. It does
not look like a local film.

Lo:

The treatment can be better.
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Hui:

For a student work, it is very impressive.

Lo:

It is not impactful enough. It can be a grander film.

Tsang:I am not that impressed with the story, it seems like that it is imitating some master’s work.
There are no problems with the artwork, but it is not creative enough.

Fan:

The next work is Eye Bags.

Hui:

Weird, interesting, powerful.

Tsang:

Like a Wong Kar Wai film.

Siuhak:It feels like a Lily Lau film, and has the absurdity of a Au Yeung Ying Chai work.

Lo:

The text is well-written.

Hui:

The story is among the most outstanding. The artwork is ugly but nice to watch. It is rougharound the edges, and is not as detailed as the other works. I appreciate this film, and I
think ifva should recognize this kind of works.

Siuhak:

The roughness is unique to Hong Kong. The creator cleverly turns a weak point into hisstrength. This is typical of Hong Kong, and that’s why I like it.

Hui:Compared with The Only One, this is just as rough around the edges, but this work has
better aesthetics.

Tsang:The entrant is my student. I personally like this work the best. The design of the gold fishis clever. As a work done by a single individual, it is outstanding on the whole. It has many
textures, like Lion Rock, umbrella, etc., but it is not shocking for its own sake.

Fan:

I suggest discussing Resettlement Memory first, and then let Chung share his views on all
the works at once.

Lo:

This is a good work and atmospheric. It turns some Hong Kong elements into another kindof expression, which is rare. It transforms everyday observations into something else andexpresses them slowly. Even though there is no dialogue, its treatment of the theme of“finding” and restructuring of memory is quite special, and expresses many feelings well.
Pictorially, the work is quite meaningful, and the music is good. It takes the audience intoa world of memories, and is a good work.

Hui:

I can’t fault this piece. Among the nine works, this one uses symbols the best, and is brightand successful. It is not very realistic and does not have a solid story, but neverthelessallows you to understand its meaning. This is hard to achieve, but the creator did it. He
uses music throughout the film, which matches with the story and pictures. Among thefinalist works, this one is among the top three. I appreciate the creator’s style because he5

attempts something new. Mixing different media into an animation is difficult because thedifferent ambiance is hard to harmonize, and the creator did it well. It deserves a GoldAward.
Tsang:The mix-media treatment is better than Chill and Shivering, and the texture and artwork
are good. The story is well-treated. This is an artistic work.

Siuhak:I agree. The bus is pretty.

Tsang:In terms of character design, there are liquid-shaped objects with nice textures.

Siuhak:This is that kind of work ifva should have. It reminds me of the “world animation” section
at the film festival.

Chung:

I like the artwork in Chill and Shivering. It is an interesting film with many local elements.
I also like Obsession because its artwork has a hand-made feel. However, I don’t knowwhat its story is trying to say. Eye Bags is a very distinctive film but I feel it has too muchdialogue, which supports the visuals. The visuals are good too, and the editing andanimation are done well. Resettlement Memory should be seen on the big screen.

Fan:

Now you can start nominating award-winners.

Siuhak:I choose Resettlement Memory and Eye Bags. I think you all feel the same.

Tsang:

I find it hard to choose between the two. They each have merits.

Siuhak:Both films have local elements, but I prefer Resettlement Memory because it is more rare.

Lo:

It has no dialogue, so even foreign audiences can understand it.

Tsang:One is done by a company, and the other by an individual. It depends on what you prefer.

Lo:

I think as a work, Eye Bags is quite perfect, and you can’t ask more of it in terms oftechnique. Resettlement Memory has deeper meanings.

Fan:

Is anyone opposed to Resettlement Memory getting Gold? Or do you have othernominations for Gold?

Tsang:

I think Eye Bags deserves either Gold or Silver.

Chung:Can we have two Gold Awards?

Lo:

I think we can decide on a Gold and Silver between the two.

Siuhak:Resettlement Memory should get Gold.
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Lo:

Resettlement Memory is of international standard. The dialogue in Eye Bags is toooverwhelming.

Fan:

So Resettlement Memory gets Gold, Eye Bags gets Silver. How about Special Mention?

Lo:

Chill and Shivering is good on the whole, both in terms of subject matter and production.

Hiu:

I agree. Other works have merit, but not quite deserving of Special Mention.

Fan:

If you all agree, the Gold Award goes to Resettlement Memory, Silver Award goes to Eye
Bags, and Chill and Shivering gets Special Mention.

Animation Category
Gold Award
Resettlement Memory
Lee Kwok-wai
Silver Award
Eye Bags
Ho Wai-kwan
Special Mention
Chill and Shivering
Vincent Yip and Kwok Wai-chung Philip7