The 2000 Ottawa International Animation Festival has drawn to a close. The event, which marked its 25th year, took place Sept. 19-24 at the National Arts Centre, World Exchange Cinemas, National Archives of Canada, Budge Crawley Cinema and Arts Court. More than 1,000 industry attendees participated in the various screenings and workshops.

Three Canadian entries won international prizes: Understanding the Law: the Worm by Diane Obomsawin for best educational production, POW’s Live the Life You Love by Kris Lefcoe and Harvey Glazer for best music video, and Le Chapeau/The Hat by Michele Cournoyer, which took the Special Jury Prize. When the Day Breaks by Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis won the Frederick Back Award for best Canadian film.

Grand Prizes went to Andreas Hykade’s Ring of Fire (Germany) in the independent film category, Paul Fierlinger’s Drawn from Life Series (u.s.) for commissioned film, and Chris Lanier’s Romanov Episode 8 Shadow Split (u.s.) for best Internet film.

Among the other winners were the Dutch/u.k. Father & Daughter by Michael Dudok De Wit for independent film and Your Choice by Japan’s Koji Yamamura as best film for children. Among the six media prize winners was the u.s.’s Flying Nansen by Igor Kovalyov, winner of The Cartoon Network Award for best animation. *

-www.awn.com/ottawa