Simply about complex things: winners of the Cartoon Science Festival were awarded at the RUSSIA EXPO
The
awarding ceremony of the International Festival of Scientific Cartoons
"Cartoon Science" ("Mult Nauka") was held at the RUSSIA
EXPO. The winners were named in three nominations: "The Most Educational
Cartoon about Science", "The Most Inspiring Cartoon about
Science", "The Best Image of a Scientist Embodied in a Cartoon".
The jury considered 362 applications from more than 60 countries, 40 best works
were selected for the show.
The
International Festival of Scientific Cartoons "Cartoon Science"
("Mult Nauka") was held at the Exposition from March 29 to 31. The
guests of Pavilion No. 19 ATOM were welcomed with fascinating animated films
from all over the world, educational lectures, masterclasses by professional
animators, an exposition about the history of technologies in animation,
VR-cinema and a festive cartoon concert.
The
festival program included the best educational cartoons from famous
international projects and leading Russian studios. The audience could see both
festival works devoted to different sciences - from physics to philosophy, and
long-loved characters from "Fixies", "Kikoriki"
("Smeshariki") and "Umka". Also, a collection of rare
cartoons from the animation historian Georgy Borodin - "Animation
Futurology: Look from the USSR" - was prepared for the guests of the
festival.
"The
festival lasted only three days, but it was very intense. During this period we
had time to show the most interesting scientific cartoons, to communicate with
guests-educators, with representatives of the animation industry, had time to
work on masterclasses and demonstrated VR-program. Also, guests of the Pavilion
could see interesting things related to the history of animation and
cinematography. All this would not have been possible without the ATOM
Foundation for Assistance to the Development of Scientific, Educational and
Communication Initiatives. We thank the Foundation for this opportunity,"
said Dmitry Shlepnev, the festival's producer.
Maria
Uvarova, CEO of the Foundation for Assistance to the Development of Scientific,
Educational and Communication Initiatives ATOM, drew attention to the fact that
the festival enjoyed popularity among the guests of the Exposition.
"I
would like to thank the partners in organizing this festival, cartoonists from
more than 60 countries who sent us their works, and, of course, the guests who
came to us. For three days cartoon screenings alone were attended by about
three thousand people. I hope that in the future we will make this festival a
regular event. I think it is great when it is possible to "marry"
such seemingly distant things as animation and popularization of science. And
it is very pleasant that the festival attracted so many young visitors, among
whom there were probably future scientists," emphasized Maria Uvarova.
The jury of
"Cartoon Science" included Boris Mashkovtsev, director general of the
Soyuzmultfilm film studio, director and artist Alexei Alexeev and Dmitry
Chermoshentsev, senior researcher of the Quantum Optics group of the Russian
Quantum Center.
"It
was not easy to choose, but we had an excellent jury, which allowed us to come
to a result that satisfied everyone," said Boris Mashkovtsev, general
director of the Soyuzmultfilm film studio.
The winner
in the nomination "The Most Educational Cartoon about Science" was
the project "Fixies. DNA" directed by Ivan Pshonkin and Aeroplan
studio.
The work of
director Konstantin Golubkov and Ulet studio "Inventors. Shifter" was
recognized as the most inspirational science cartoon.
In the nomination "The Best Image of a Scientist Embodied in a Cartoon" the prize went to the work "Pen" by the director from Croatia Katrin Novakovic.
The jury diploma "For Explaining a Complex Phenomenon in Simple Language" was awarded to the cartoon "What Did Cyril and Methodius Really Do?" directed by Alexei Yermolaev, Maria Yermolaeva and Studio BFM, Slovo Center, Russia.
"It is
very pleasant that the topic of popularization of science and the profession of
scientist is now being seriously discussed. I hope that these cartoons will
encourage many kids to go into science," said Dmitry Chermoshentsev,
senior researcher in the Quantum Optics group of the Russian Quantum Center.
