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Friday, March 16, 2007

Astronauts (2005)


Considering this year's under-graduates are getting ready to journey to the prestigious Annecy International Animated Film Festival, it seemed only proper to celebrate last years' success, Astronauts. Matthew Walker, who graduated from Newport in 2005, championed an international selection to win Best Graduation Film 2006 at last year's event. Well done Matthew!



Matthew's graduation film has enjoyed a worldwide reception and and has been recognised for its excellence!

Awards

Winner Best Graduation Film at Annecy Animation Festival 2006
Winner Best Animated Short at Melbourne International Animation Festival 2006
Winner Best Student Film at the British Animation Awards 2006
Winner Best Animation at the Ffresh Student Awards 2006
Winner Best First Film at the Castelli Animati Film Festival 2005
Winner Best Screenplay at the Lineout Can Film Festival 2005
Winner Best Film at the Rough Cut Film Festival 2005
South Wales Regional Winner Best Undergraduate Animation at the Royal Television Awards 2005
Honourable Mention for Animation at the Curtas Vila do Conde International Film Festival 2006
Winner Best Film and Best Script at the International Film School Wales (IFSW) Finest Films Awards
Short listed for BBC Talent New Animator Award 2005
Runner-up at Rushes Soho Shorts Awards, Animated Shorts Category 2006

"Astronauts (Matthew Walker) has a lovely tactile feel to its CG, like the characters and all their surroundings are made out of foam rubber. Beautifully timed visual and verbal gags, and a neatly understated punchline: it's the sort of comedy short that should get Pixar taking notice."
Screenings

Rough Cut Film Festival 2005, 11 October, London, UK
Animacor 2005, 25 – 30 October, Cordoba, Spain
Can Film Festival 2005, 28 – 30 October, Leicester, UK
PISAF 2005, 4 – 11 November, Korea
Brief Encounters 2005, 23 – 27 November, Bristol, UK
Anchorage Film Festival 2005
Bang! Short Film Festival 2005
Cardiff Screen Festival 2005
Animated Exeter 2005, 13 – 26 February, Exeter, UK
Con-Can Film Festival (passed for preliminary screening) 2006, 24 February, Japan
Annecy 2006, 5 – 9 June, France
Hiroshima Animation Festival 2006, 23 – 28 August, Japan
DOK Liepzig 2006, Germany
Ottawa 2006, Canada
CICDAF 2006, China
CURTAS Vila do Conde 2006, Portugal
Taiwan International Animation Festival 2006, China
International Film Festival Catalunya 2006, Spain
Showcomotion 2006, UK
Signals International Short Film Festival 2006, UK
Commonwealth Film Festival 2006, UK
Uppsala Kortfilmfestival 2006, Sweden
Norwich International Animation Festival 2006, UK
International Kurz Film Festival 2006, Germany
International Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen 2006, Germany

"…For its understated comedy about human nature – whether it be in the Stone Age or the Space Age: Give him a “push”!"
Castelli Animati Judges response to film, 2005
Matthew Walker is currently working as a Director at ArthurCox in Bristol.

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