30.08.2021

Thank you for TAFF 2021!

With the traditional ‘Audience favorites’ and ‘Winners’ -screenings, this year’s TAFF, the 5th edition of the festival, came to an end last night. Although organizing TAFF was quite a rollercoaster this year, we managed to create a safe, collective and joyful event in the end!

What we missed in this year’s festive side events, we luckily gained from our extensive and diverse program. This year’s films were exceptionally high quality and we got to enjoy the world-class animation as much with our souls as we did with our eyes. We got to see many touching, charming and amusing films that will tickle our minds even after the festival.Our warmest thank you to all the wonderful animators and filmmakers whose work we were honored to show.

TAFF 2021’s Grand Prix went to Soetkin Verstegen’s stunning Freeze Frame that creates a study of animation, and film, as an artform within it’s freezing narrative. Read more about all the winner films here.

We’d like to thank our judges, the board of Turun elokuvatapahtumat ry, staff and all of our volunteers as well as Rajupaja Oy, Scene – Turku European Film City, Kirjakahvila Turku, AB Dance Company and Finnish Animation Guild for their cooperation.
Thank you Arts Promotion Center Finland, Cultural Committee of Turku, Finnish Cultural Foundation and Pro Manillasäätiö for financial support.
And of course we’d love to thank all of our wonderful festivalgoers, you are what makes TAFF the festival it is!

See you all next year!

28.08.2021

The winners of TAFF 2021 are awarded!

The best films of Turku Animated Film Festival 2021 have been chosen! Altogether six films were awarded; each affected the viewers and judges in a special way.

Grand Prix

Freeze Frame – Soetkin Verstegen

“A spectacular film about film. Deep and beautiful piece, that illuminates our understanding of the world and the meaning of life frame by frame.” 

National Competition

Plunger (Karhupumppu) – Lauri Ketonen, Konsta Verta

“The film is at the same time of this world and detached from it. It creates a space-like place where inventive animation tells a lot with less and the sound milieu takes the viewer to the core of events. The film tells the story of breaking the routines in an identifiable manner and asks the fundamental question: is my life crap or am I the crap in my life?”

Best professional film

Precious – Paul Mas

“A touching portrayal of a little child’s desire to belong and the realities of life that the child is forced to absorb. Wonderful, functional character design.”

Best student film

Hide ‘n Seek – Barbora Halířová

“Insightful, magnificent animating and clever narration. The film is a wild merriment of metaphors where children’s game of hide and seek is a masquerade of a whole lifetime.”  

Tough Eye Award

Night Bus – Joe Hsieh

“Dramaturgically strong, suspenseful film noir, that powers through all the way to its cathartic end.”

TAFF Junior Award

Gon, the Little Fox – Takeshi Yashiro

“Impressively controlled storytelling in a visually dazzling world, where the masterfully crafted and designed puppets bring the tragic and touching story to life.”

Audience Award

Precious – Paul Mas

 

22.07.2021

TAFF is looking for volunteers!

Our volunteer application is now open! We warmly welcome you to be a part of the festival 25.-29.8. You don’t have to have any specific education or previous experience, we’ll brief you to all the jobs. Check out the different job descriptions below.

We provide you with an awesome, communal experience, free entrance to the screenings outside your shifts, food & beverages and an afterparty at the end of the festival. You’ll also get a reference letter if you wish so.

Our aim is to have a relaxed, cosy & safe event for everyone, our visitors and our volunteers.  We wish to get your work input for approximately 10-12 hours, rest of the time you are free to enjoy the festival atmosphere. You can also let us know in the application form if you’d like to be in the same shift with a friend.

 

THE APPLICATION FORM

Please note that with this form TAFF (Turun elokuvatapahtumat ry) gathers information about volunteer applicants. The information is only accessible to festival employees and is kept only for as long as necessary. Information is not given out to third parties. 

 

After you have filled in the application form, we’ll be in touch in 3 weekdays. If you have any questions, please drop us an email at info@taff.fi.

 

Job descriptions:

 

• Set up  / close down / cleaning / decorating:

Setting up the venue, bringing the festival atmosphere with decorations.

 

• Technique:

Making sure the films are running smoothly

 

• Runner:

Runner does whatever is needed at the moment

 

• ​​Ticket sales / info:

Selling tickets and merchandise, answering questions and providing customer service

 

• Screening presenter / door manager:

Checking tickets at the door, making sure everything is in order at the venue, presenting the screening

 

• Distribution:

Handing out marketing materials around the city before the festival in August.

 

• Driver:

Driving things and people around the city. B-licence needed.

05.07.2021

Invite Portaali-screening to you

The Ääriö Association, which organizes the Video Art Festival Turku, and the Turku Film Events Association, which organizes the Turku Animated Film Festival, will join forces in the summer of 2021 with portable Portaali- outdoor screenings. The screenings are free of charge and take place in a backyard, a park or anywhere outdoors in the Turku-area. Through the portal, the viewer can immerse themselves in a whole new world through video and animation art in a safe and communal environment. Portaali is a gateway to new dimensions and the themes of the shows reflect escapism, fantasy and diving into imaginative places.

Anyone can apply for the screening via the form below. The application is open 5.–19. July 2021. We will notify all applicants about the selections by 30.7. The selection emphasizes open, accessible and safe venues that are spread widely throughout Turku. The host of the screening takes care of inviting their close circle to the screening and providing a required number of seats for them. Portaali comes with projection and sound equipment, a screen and the 70-minute programme of video art and animation. Outdoor screenings will take place on 19.–22.8. after sunset and the person ordering the show must have a permit to use the space, for example from a housing association. Current hygiene and safety guidelines must be followed in the event.

Ääriö ry is a non-profit association from Turku aiming to promote the visibility of audiovisual art. The association organizes various contemporary art events, most notably Video Art Festival Turku (VAFT), which is held once a year.

Turku Film Events Association’s Turku Animated Film Festival, more commonly known as TAFF, will be held for the fifth time in the Finnish animation capital Turku at the end of August. TAFF was founded to promote animated film culture both in Finland and internationally.

In 2021, Turku celebrates the tenth anniversary of the city’s year as the European Capital of Culture. Portaali is part of the anniversary program.

 

APPLICATION FORM

Please note that with this form Ääriö ry and Turun elokuvatapahtumat ry gather information about applicants for the Portal-screenings. The information is only accesible to festival (VAFT and TAFF) employees and is kept only for as long as necessary.

Questions?

About applying:

Annu Suvanto, producer (TAFF)

annu@taff.fi

050 364 3683

 

Media inquiries:

Rose Pietola, festival director (VAFT)

videoartfestivalturku@gmail.com

 

Kimmo Sillanmikko, festival director (TAFF)

kimmo@taff.fi