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FKuanDu International Animation Festival - KDIAF 2018

Opening on 28th October, 2018 at Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA), the 8th KuanDu International Animation Festival (KDIAF) will run for eight sparkling days until 4th November. On 3rd November, a closing awards ceremony will be held. KDIAF 2018 will certainly be a splendid feast of animation.

‘KuanDog Prize’, as the most eye catching event for each year’s KDIAF, we have received over 2,220 submissions from 89 countries this year, covering all sorts of artistic styles, media, and themes. The selection committee has announced the nominee film list on the official KDIAF website.

Known as the Pre-Oscar checking point, there were 83 works selected as nominees in the competition of KuanDog Prize, and 54 works as choice films to be screened. Such as, the Cyclists by Croatian director Veljko Popovic which has just won the Jury Distinction Award at Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2018; and Fest by German director Nikita Diakur which got the Golden Zagreb Award for Creativity and Innovative Artistic Achievement at Animafest Zagreb 2018. At the closing ceremony, the KuanDog Prize will be presented for Best International Animated Short Film, Best International Student Short Film, Taiwan Special Award, Tsai Han-I Taiwan Student Award, Honorable Mentioned, Best Original Score and Best Promising Score in Industry.

The feature-length animated films, as the most expecting event for the audiences, this year we have programmed four screenings. The opening film, Lajka, by Czech puppet animation master, Aurel Klimt, who engaged in seven years and two million euros to realise. It is a fun sci-fi story mixed history with fantasy among the scientists, alien creatures and the very first astronaut dog. The closing film, the biggest hit of puppet animation in 2018, Isle of Dogs, which won the Silver Bear of Best Director at 68th Berlin International Film Festival. The delicate Ukiyo-e artistic style plus fairy tale fantasy between human beings and dogs, received excellent reviews from all the online commentary platforms, which is a must in your pocket list.

Among the feature-length animated films, there are two specially selected for the audiences. First is the Taiwanese production On Happiness Road, winner of the Grand Prize at Taipei Film Festival 2018. Secondly, Toys in the Attic directed by Czech puppet animation master Jiří Barta and international co-production team. This comedy-thriller stop-motion animation won the Best Art Direction at Czech Lion Awards 2010.

In the International Animation Showcase, we have invited selection works from world-known film festivals and organisations: O!PLA Focus On Poland, British Animation Awards, Czech Anifilm and School of Visual Art SVA Animation & Computer Arts, which gained the diversity of our program this year. Moreover, the director of opening film Lajka, Aurel Klimt; the chief animator of closing film Isle of Dogs, Kim Keukeleire; the director of special screening Toys in the Attic, Jiří Barta; German animation artist, Raimund Krumme; the program director of Anifilm Festival, Pavel Horáček; and international film score master, Kim Cunio, are all arriving in Taipei soon to be the juries of final selection in KDIAF 2018. They will also hold master speeches and animation workshops. Besides, the director of Dreamland Image will share their production experience of special screening My Little Boys at Taiwan Animation Industry Forum. The director of Engine Studios, Vick Wang, will also give us a talk this year. A great chance to get closer contact with all the professionals that everyone should come and catch.

During the festival period, apart from the main venue at TNUA, we also organised touring screenings in cooperation with Fuzhong 15 Animation and Story Gallery in New Taipei City, Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei and Kaohsiung Film Archive. Animation lovers, KDAIF 2018 is ready to lead you an unforgettable journey!