Estonian short animation ‘Birds Gone’ earns two Emile Awards nominations

Anu-Laura Tuttelberg’s short puppet animation “Birds Gone” has received two nominations for the European Emile Awards: best experimental short film and best background and character design.

The awards ceremony will take place on Oct. 28 during the Etiuda&Anima Film Festival in Kraków, Poland. The Emile Awards, established by the European Animation Association, recognize both feature-length and short films, as well as the work of animators, artists and sound designers. Short films also compete for an award honoring experimentation.

“Birds Gone” is the second film in Tuttelberg’s seasons trilogy. Its porcelain characters, familiar from the first film, “Winter in the Rainforest,” move through a northern winter landscape. The 11-minute film, described as a winter poem about the fragility and continuity of life, was animated outdoors over three winters on Estonia’s northern coast and in northern Norway.

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I am very happy that ‘Birds Gone’ has been nominated for best experimental short film and best background and character design at the Emile Awards. This is major recognition for me and our team, and it gives us the strength and motivation to complete the trilogy’s third film.

Tuttelberg said she was very happy about the nominations and viewed them as major recognition for herself and her team. She said they gave her the strength and motivation to finish the trilogy’s third film.

The film premiered in August 2024 in the short-film competition at the Locarno Film Festival. It has since screened at 112 festivals worldwide, winning 16 awards and receiving six special mentions. It most recently won best animated film at the Bracciano Film Festival in Italy. It also won the Golden Dove, the top prize at DOK Leipzig, which made it eligible to compete for an Oscar in the animated short film category during the previous awards season.

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I am pleased that an Estonian film is once again among the nominees, and in two categories no less.