The SIGGRAPH 2025 Computer Animation Festival has concluded successfully, but its splendor continues to resonate! As a top-tier event in the field of computer graphics and interactive techniques, SIGGRAPH has long served as an exceptional platform for global animation creators, visual effects artists, scientists, and industry pioneers to gather and exchange ideas. This year’s event was grandly held at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, Canada, from August 10 to 14, attracting widespread attention.
SIGGRAPH 2025
Since its debut in 1974, SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Graphics and Interactive Techniques) has celebrated a glorious 52-year journey. It has witnessed the evolution of computer graphics from an emerging field to a profoundly influential industry, encompassing animation, visual effects, games, scientific visualization, and more. As a key component of SIGGRAPH, the Computer Animation Festival has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as a qualifying event for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film since 1999. Its “Best in Show” short films are eligible to compete for the Oscar, which is undoubtedly the highest recognition of the quality and innovation of animated works.
This year’s SIGGRAPH 2025 Computer Animation Festival once again brought together the world’s top creative and technological achievements. Through stunning screenings at the Electronic Theater and Animation Theater, it showcased outstanding accomplishments in computer animation, visual effects, advertising, film, real-time graphics, and scientific visualization to the audience.
Award-Winning Masterpieces
Leveraging its Oscar-qualifying status for “Best in Show” short films, the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival honored four top-tier works with awards, highlighting its prominent position and influence in the animation industry. These works not only demonstrate the creators’ extraordinary achievements in creativity and technological innovation but also deliver profound artistic experiences to the audience through unique perspectives and emotional expressions.
Electronic Theater Audience Choice Award
Wednesdays with Gramps – “Emotional Resonance Beyond Words”
Winner of the Electronic Theater Audience Choice Award, Wednesdays with Gramps is a collaborative work by Chris Copeland, Justin Copeland, and Shabrayia Cleaver. The short film tells the story of a teenage boy who visits his grandfather in a nursing home. Amid seemingly ordinary daily interactions, the boy gradually discovers numerous commonalities with his grandfather. Without a single line of dialogue, the film conveys the cross-generational connection, communication, and resonance between people through delicate visuals and emotional expressions, evoking the warmth and power of family love.
Best in Show
Trash – “Speed and Passion in the Battle for Survival”
The Best in Show award goes to Trash, a collaboration between creators including Maxime Crançon, Fanny Vecchie, Margaux Lutz, and École Supérieure Des Métiers Artistiques (ESMA). In a dark alley, a skinny mouse and a pigeon engage in a thrilling chase over a small piece of pizza. From the top to the bottom of the street, the chase is filled with intense speed and breathtaking scenes, showcasing the fierce confrontation driven by survival instincts. It takes the audience on a visual and emotional rollercoaster in just a few minutes.
Best Student Project
The Mooning – Unveiling the “Truth” Behind the Moon Landing
The Mooning, which won the Best Student Project award, is a joint effort by Mason Klesch, Vivian Osness, and Ringling College of Art and Design. This animation humorously and uniquely reveals the “truth” behind the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing through a mockumentary format. With vivid imagination and creativity, it reinterprets a historical event, inviting the audience to reflect on the boundary between reality and fiction while laughing. It demonstrates the bold creativity of student creators and their distinctive perspective on classic topics.
Jury’s Choice
Jour de vent – “A Fantasy Journey When the Wind Blows”
The Jury’s Choice award is presented to Jour de vent (Wind Day), created by Martin Chailloux, Ai Kim Crespin, Elise Golfouse, and others in collaboration with École des Nouvelles Images (ENSI). When a gust of wind blows through a park, people begin to float into the air. With simple yet poetic visuals, the film tells a seemingly straightforward yet whimsical story. Through its unique visual style and imaginative plot, it immerses the audience in a dreamlike world, allowing them to experience the freedom and wonder brought by the wind.
Special Event
30th Anniversary Celebration of Toy Story
SIGGRAPH 2025 also hosted a remarkable special event – the 30th Anniversary Commemorative Screening of Toy Story. As the world’s first full-length computer-animated feature film, Toy Story not only ushered in a new era of animated movies but also became a classic in the hearts of countless people with its innovative technology, touching story, and unique artistic style. Co-organized by the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival and ACM SIGGRAPH Pioneers, this commemorative event took place at the Vancouver Convention Centre at 12:30 PM on August 10.
The event featured a keynote speech by Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar and a pioneer in the field of computer graphics. He shared the breakthroughs, challenges, and successes during the creation of Toy Story, leading the audience to revisit the stories behind the film and its profound impact on the animation industry.
After the speech, the audience enjoyed a Q&A session, trivia games, and a lucky draw, concluding with a special screening of Toy Story. It allowed the audience to relive the wonderful memories that marked the beginning of the CG revolution and a magical era.
The SIGGRAPH 2025 Computer Animation Festival has come to a successful end, but its brilliance continues to inspire. Here, we witnessed how creators from around the world perfectly integrate technology and art to produce stunning visual works. These works not only let us feel the charm of technology but also reveal the infinite possibilities of human emotions and creativity.
With the successful conclusion of SIGGRAPH 2025, we are already looking forward to the grand opening of SIGGRAPH Asia 2025 in Hong Kong! We believe that there, we will witness more remarkable creative and technological breakthroughs. Let’s anticipate it together!