Finalist Films for Lightbox SEA Animation Awards 2024
Rating: PG13 : Consumer advisory: Some Disturbing Scenes 些许画面令人不适
Join us as we shine a spotlight on Southeast Asia’s brightest animation talent, honouring creativity and innovation at this year's inaugural awards.
What is the Lightbox SEA Animation Awards?
Animation Nation is proud to announce the launch of the inaugural Lightbox Southeast Asia (SEA) Animation Awards, in celebration of the festival’s 20th anniversary in 2024.
The Awards is the first of its kind to open to the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with the intention to recognise animation talents in the region.
See Film Screening details under Programme Schedule for Animation Nation 2024
Awards Announcement for Lightbox SEA Animation Awards 2024
Winner for Student Category
Head In The Clouds
Directed by: Kaylee Tan
A quirky student who daydreams with her head high in the clouds must creatively elude her strict math teacher to remain there.
Honorable Mention for Professional Category
Horologist
Directed by: Jared Lee
Obsessed with time, Sand found a way to sell time itself. While his rich customers stay young, they never question Sand's discovery and the source of their youth. Find out in 'Horologist'.
Finalist Films - Student Category
Head In The Clouds
Singapore/United States
Directed by: Kaylee Tan
A quirky student who daydreams with her head high in the clouds must creatively elude her strict math teacher to remain there.
Director Biography
Kaylee Tan was born and raised in Singapore before she relocated to Florida to pursue computer animation. She graduated with a BFA from Ringling College of Art and Design in 2023.
Her work experience includes working as the 3D Modeling Intern at Disney Creative Group (The Walt Disney Company), freelancing and interning as a CG Generalist at Hornet, 3D/visdev modeler for Hasbro and Disney Creative Group 3D sculpting workshops, and working as a Junior 3D environment artist at Bandai Namco Studios Singapore. She is also a recipient of the Women in Animation 2022-2023 Scholarship.
Cloudy
Singapore
Directed by: Joshua Pereira
While avoiding a conversation with his mum, Elliot encounters a peculiar little creature. Together, they embark on a little adventure!
Director Biography
A bunch of storytellers who loves telling silly and whimsical tales with a touch of heart!
Blessed Demon
Thailand
Directed by: Kitpasit Tinnachartarak, Peerapat Singtothong, Thanarote Khaopare
The scarred history of the Northeastern region of Thailand, in the years 2444-2445 B.E. (1901-1902 C.E.), a momentous uprising occurred in the city of Ubon, situated within the governance of the Siamese state. The Phi Bun rebels, wielding both power and spiritual beliefs, gathered people to resist the ruling authority. Consequently, the state had to confront the Phi Bun to eliminate the threat to Siam's security and restore goodness to the land.
Jelangkung: Seeking Answer
Indonesia
Directed by: Zuhair Bari' Fawwaz
Three brave children decide to summon spirits using the Jelangkung ritual. What they imagine is far from what actually happens. Unexpected and terrifying events unfold, and they must face the consequences and take responsibility for the outcomes. So, what drove them to dare to summon it?
Director Biography
Zuhair Bari' Fawwaz is 18 years old, a vocational high school student studying Animation and specializing in 3d Character at SMK RADEN UMAR SAID KUDUS. He has some experience to be a director in some projects that are done with his friends in SMK.
Chalawan
Thailand
Directed by: Khundet Sunny Phrueknopphadon
The monster named Chalawan lived with the beautiful woman he loved inside a cave. However, the arrival of a sorcerer named Kraithong, who aimed to subdue the monster, forced Chalawan to protect his beloved and eliminate this threat.
Director Biography
Khundet Sunny Phrueknopphadon is passionate about the field of animation, a recent graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Digital Media and Cinematic Arts Digital Media from Bangkok University. With a multifaceted skill set as a director, writer, and animator, With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for visual artistry.
Butterfly Business
Southeast Asia/United States
Directed by: Amanda Elizabeth Mai
An overworked office worker has the quirk of turning into a butterfly under stress. We watch him struggle to keep his insect side a secret as the pressure of his office life becomes so intense he can't take it anymore.
Director Biography
Amanda Mai is an animator raised in Southeast Asia but now currently based in the US. She specializes in 3D character animation but is also capable of 2D animation and working within a 2D pipeline. She obtained an internship at Make Visual as a 2D/3D animator, and received the “Most Outstanding Junior” award for Ringling’s Computer Animation program in 2023. She grew up inspired by both Disney/Don Bluth style films and various anime movies, and is now heavily inspired by the indie animation scene (e.g. glitch productions). She has a drive to story tell and believes there is value to a piece of media as long as it’s impacted someone, in spite of what anyone else may think of it.
Oleander
Singapore
Directed by: Alvin Phua
An inebriated man wakes up groggily from his hangover, only to realise that he is trapped in his own car deep within a distant forest. Unbeknown to him, a mysterious figure lies in wait amidst the shadows.
Director Biography
Concept Artist & Character Animator
I Think I'm Going to Die
Singapore
Directed by: Ning Xuan Tan
A young girl finds her body afflicted by a mysterious condition. Panicked, she races through different worlds searching for a diagnosis.
This mixed media stop motion film moves between the mediums of sand, paper, collage, puppet, and clay.
Director Biography
Ning Xuan Tan, Audrey Yong and Meghan Poh are three recently graduated students from Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design, and Media. With a love for mixed media and stop motion, "I Think I'm Going To Die" is their final year project.
Whirl
Malaysia
Directed by: Shu En Wang
A young girl enjoys her playtime with a cherished plush companion, only to have her joy abruptly disrupted by the heated arguments of her parents. As the conflict escalated, the frightened girl was gripped by panic and hastily sought refuge from the tumultuous shouting. Little did she suspect that her chosen hiding place would become the gateway to an entirely unexpected adventure.
Finalist Films - Professional Category
The Lonely Lighthouse
Singapore
Directed by: Keion Ing
Forwards, backwards, wherever you may sway,
keep the Lighthouse in sight,
and you will never lose your way.
Director Biography
I am of French-Cambodian and Singaporean descent, I have had the privilege of serving as a firefighter for 2 years with the Singapore Civil Defence Force prior to studying at Imperial College London in engineering.
When I turned 20 years old, I decided to learn animation due to my passion for film. Self-taught using online tutorials on youtube and reaching out to artists at vfx studios to get their feedback, I am proud to have been able to apply my dedication and produce my own films.
Rose Rash
Thailand
Directed by: Thanut Rujitanont
O Nobly-Born, your breathing is about to cease. Listen with full attention, without being distracted. O Nobly-Born, go forward, you have been in a swoon. The film was inspired by the book titled “Tibetan Book of the Dead” (1927).
Director Biography
Thanut Rujitanont was born in 1993 in Bangkok, Thailand. He does animation as a thinking process and a daily chore, in the forms of text and moving images, to contemplate his fields of interest. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in animation at Griffith Film School in Brisbane, Australia. He graduated from RE:ANIMA European Joint Master in Animation from Finland, Belgium and Portugal in 2023. He holds his bachelor's degree in film and digital media at KMITL in Bangkok, Thailand in 2016.
Lullaby
Indonesia
Directed by: Mama Ocon
In order to fulfil her dream of becoming a musician, a cat from the countryside named Ocon must face the fears and anxieties of performing in front of the glamorous city people.
Director Biography
Mama Ocon is the pseudonym of a NFT artist, 2D animator, and filmmaker based in Bandung, Indonesia, whose works focus on themes such as daily routine. Cats, cheerful stuff, and slapstick comedies are Mama Ocon's visual language to capture the moments of the daily life itself.
Horologist
Malaysia
Directed by: Jared Lee
Obsessed with time, Sand found a way to sell time itself. While his rich customers stay young, they never question Sand's discovery and the source of their youth. Find out in 'Horologist'.
Director's Biography
Jared Lee is a filmmaker based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Jared runs a production house called Grim Film which focuses on commercials and shorts. Inspired by his family history, the people around him and Japanese manga has shaped the way he tells his story. “The Long Distance Relationship” (short film) in 2011 won Best Drama at the Soul 4 Reel Film Festival. He also directed a pilot, "The Last 7” in 2017, which was selected by several web festivals and won Best Pilot at the Vancouver Web Festival. Jared found the joy of filmmaking while looking for an output to his ideas back in college. His dream is to improve his craft and to eventually see the ideas he can’t afford to make now on screen.
2024 Lightbox SEA Animation Award Judges
Shuzo John Shiota
President and CEO, Polygon Pictures Inc
Raised in the United States and a graduate of the Sophia University Faculty of Law, Department ofInternational Legal Studies. After joining the Nippon Steel Corporation in 1991, Shiota went on to participate in the launch of Dream Pictures Studio in 1997.
He moved to Polygon two years later and in 2003 assumed the position of President and CEO. As studio head Shiota has spearheaded efforts to cultivate Polygon's overseas presence, helping the studio to become a leading developer of TV series and content targeted at the foreign market.
Shiota has also served as a judge at major Japanese and international film festivals including Prix Ars Electronica (AUS), SIGGRAPH (U.S.) and the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (France). In 2008, he was selected as one of the "25 Toon Titans of Asia'' by popular industry publication Animation Magazine. He also presided as conference chair for SIGGRAPH Asia in December 2021, and in 2022 received a Special Achievement Award at the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival.
His hobbies include playing in a band.
Usman Riaz
Co-Founder of Mano Animation Studios
Usman Riaz is the Co-Founder of Mano Animation Studios, Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animation studio. A multifaceted talent, Usman has made significant strides in various creative fields. A recipient of a full scholarship at Berklee College of Music, Usman’s musical journey is marked by his albums ‘Flashes & Sparks’ and ‘Circus in the Sky,’ both released with EMI Pakistan.
His prowess extends to filmmaking, having written, directed, and scored notable short films like ‘RUCKUS’ and ‘The Waves,’ with the latter being an Official Selection at the 2013 New York City Independent Film Festival.
His ambitious project, ‘The Glassworker,’ showcases his storytelling and animation skills, promising to be a significant addition to his portfolio. Under Usman’s leadership, Mano Animation Studios has become a beacon of cultural storytelling and artistic excellence. The release not only marks a significant moment in Pakistani cinema but also elevates traditional animation on the global stage, showcasing its enduring charm over transient CGI trends. Usman Riaz’s artistic contributions continue to inspire a new generation of creators and storytellers worldwide.
Dayne Cowan
CEO at Kraken Kollective
Dayne Cowan is a veteran film and TV professional renowned for his expertise in visual effects and post-production spanning over three decades. His leadership and commitment to excellence have solidified his reputation as a visionary in the industry. Beginning his career in 1994, Dayne has consistently pioneered innovative visual storytelling. At Amazon MGM Studios, he spearheaded post-production for Local Original Movies in Southeast Asia, significantly expanding regional content creation.
Subsequently founding Kraken Kollective, Dayne established a global network to manage visual effects and post-production projects, emphasizing new technologies and workflows. His career highlights include pivotal roles at Dneg, Framestore, and Cinesite in London, contributing to major films like "Batman Begins," "The Dark Knight," and "Harry Potter."
Based in Asia for the past 13 years, Dayne has collaborated extensively across China, Singapore, and other countries, leading projects for Netflix, Apple+, and Amazon Studios. Committed to industry advancement, he remains active in the Visual Effects Society, exemplifying his dedication to innovation and talent development.
Josune Hahnheiser
Producer at Black Forest Films
Josune Hahnheiser is Producer and Head of Development of Black Forest Films, a company that stands for high quality international films. The company’s work is characterized by award-winning international productions that are regularly presented at renowned international film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin and others, covering a wide range of genres and budgets. Recently, Paz Encina’s hybrid film EAMI won the Tiger Award at the Rotterdam Film Festival and by Fabian Hernández’s debut A MALE premiered at the prestigious Director's Fortnight in Cannes. Josune Hahnheiser also works as a script consultant, where she collaborates closely with the acclaimed writer/director Emily Atef (“Competition” Berlin Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard, 7 German Film Awards), with whom she is also co-writing a feature film.
