Continuing and expanding on our tradition of generosity towards our public and the animators who make our festival possible, we proudly present three brand spanking new categories: Best Design, Best Political Animation and the Boomerang e-card Competition. The new KLIK! Awards, named "Son of Godzilla", for the Open and Student Competition are custom designed for the festival by famous Dutch sculptor Joost van den Toorn.

Joost van den Toorn’s work has evoked mixed reactions ever since his first exhibition in 1982. Besides his admirers, there are those who consider his work offensive. Soon after van den Toorn’s debut exhibition, his work was sought after by well-known museums and commissions for works in the public space followed. Van den Toorn’s work has been called postmodern: he challenges the boundaries between low art and popular culture, those aspects that are considered in bad taste or crass. His bronze and ceramic sculptures simultaneously refer to traditional art by the usage of durable materials and the traditional looking pedestals on which his sculptures are placed. References to seemingly cheerful mass-produced toys are combined with references to the Second World War and religion, nothing is as innocent as it seems. This juxtaposition provokes the spectator and stimulates the consciousness of the limits of our capacity to interpret images. The sculptures share a narrative feel, as if the spectator is looking at a scene out of an extended storyline.

 
Best film: Open Competition

Our highly skilled jury, consisting of Dennis Nyback, Gerrit van Dijk and headed by Phil Mulloy will cast their discerning eyes on the films in our Open Competition and after careful consideration and discussions, they will pick a winning film. The award will be presented to the winner on Saturday night.

2009 Winner: Little Face – Matthew Walker – UK

2009 Honourable Mention: Chainsaw Maid – Takena Nagao – Japan

Best film: Student Competition

Aspiring animators from around the globe have sent their films to KLIK! in the hope they'll win the first prize, eternal glory and subsequent fame! And YOU can make a difference! By voting for your favourite film every time you go to a screening of the Student Competition, you can help a film maker of your choice one step closer to animated immortality!

That's change we can believe in!

2009 Winner: Chump & Clump – Stephan Sacher, Michael Herm – Germany

2009 Second Place: Il Naturalista – Giulia Barbera, Gianluca lo Presti, Federico Parodi, Michele Tozzi – Italy

2009 Third Place: Terp – Sander Kamermans – The Netherlands

 
 
Mopti Award

KLIK! is still heavily committed to our personal good cause: the Mopti Foundation in Mali helps the local population by digging wells and planting vegetable gardens. During the festival we're raising money for this good cause with our Mopti-chicky bank and a tombola.

We've also sent a special program of animation to Mopti, where it will be screened for a rapturous audience which will select the winning film. That film will receive our prestigious Mopti-award as an incentive for the future.

2009 Winner: Pigeon Impossible – Lucas Martell – USA

Political Animation Award

Animation can be a very powerful medium to address thorny issues with style and wit. Whether it's a current important issue or an ideological position, animation has been used as both propaganda or hard-hitting satire of the powers that be throughout its existence. We've selected a program of politically motivated animated films and our capable jury, consisting of Phil Mulloy, Gerrit van Dijk and Dennis Nyback will select the winning film. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony on Saturday night.

2009 Winner: El Empleo – Santiago Grasso – Argentina

2009 Honourable Mention: Good Stuff – Niina Suominen – Finland

 
 
Boomerang e-card Competition

We held an online competition through our good friends at Boomerang that resulted in a throng of animated e-cards.

After a careful selection, we picked eight finalists who'll compete for the first prize: immortal fame and 500 smackaroos! The eight film makers will all be present so the winner will be able to receive his prize in person and bask in the rays of the spotlight, perhaps as a precursor to many more awards to come! And if you see something you like, you can send them through the Boomerang website.

2009 Winner: You Rock My World – Job Kind – The Netherlands

www.boomerang.nl/nieuws/winnaars-animatie-opdracht-bekend/

Best Design in Animation

Besides a carefully crafted narrative, pitch-perfect foley artistry and technically superb animation, some animated films stand out because of their fantastic design. The characters or mise-en-scene may stick with you for a very long time. To honour the powerful influence design has on animation, we've instated this award. We've selected a group of films that impressed us with their design and our capable jury of Phil Mulloy, Dennis Nyback and Gerrit van Dijk will select the winning film and present the award on Saturday night.

2009 Winner: The Black Dog's Progress – Stephen Irwin – UK

2009 Honourable Mention: The Royal Nightmare – Alex Budovsky – USA

 
KLIK! 2007-2384