BLON Festival Announces Animation and Video Game Award Winners
Taking place in Klaipėda from 10–13 September, this year’s BLON programme features more than 70 animated films alongside video games and virtual reality works, meetings with creators, workshops, and events for professionals working across animation, games and other creative industries. The festival has brought together artists and industry professionals from Lithuania and countries around the world.
“Backstreet Birds” Named Best Lithuanian Film
The main award in the Lithuanian Animation Competition went to Gertrūda Nemčauskaitė’s “Backstreet Birds” (Lithuania).
The Lithuanian competition was judged by animation producer Martin Vandas (Czech Republic), whose productions have received hundreds of festival awards and an Academy Award nomination; film critic and journalist Rafael Motamayor (Norway), who specialises in animation; and artist, book illustrator, comics creator and educator Viktorija Ežiukas (Lithuania).
“This year’s competition was strong from beginning to end, but our award goes to Penguin and Pigeon. In a very short time, the film manages to tell a clear and powerful story, while its excellent animation and sound create compelling characters and draw the audience into its world. It brings joy into the darkness of the cinema,” the jury said.
A Special Mention went to Birutė Sodeikaitė’s Blessed (Canada).
“We were unanimous in awarding our Special Mention to Blessed. It is a film with a strong central character, a meaningful message about breaking free from recurring patterns, and memorable stop-motion compositions,” the jury said.
“Ballface” Wins the International Competition
The award for Best Film in the International Animation Competition went to Laurence Thérien’s Ballface (United Kingdom, Canada). What initially appears to be a simple story explores the psychological abuse of children, with the jury highlighting the film’s precise and powerful handling of a difficult subject.
The competition was judged by Jana Kraft (Germany), coordinator of the animation competition at DOK Leipzig; animation producer Fabian Driehorst (Germany), a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the European Film Academy and the German Film Academy; and film journalist, Vilnius Short Film Festival programmer and FIPRESCI member Ieva Šukytė (Lithuania).
“The film that impressed us most appears simple at first, yet it made us laugh before hitting us like a slap in the face. It tells a story of psychological abuse against children with remarkable precision through its writing, performances and direction. The possibilities of clay animation are used to astonishing effect, turning a difficult subject into an almost physically tangible cinematic experience,” the jury commented.
A Special Mention went to Sandra Desmazières’ Water Girl (France, the Netherlands and other countries).
“We would like to recognise a film that transported us to a quiet seaside town. Spanning an entire human lifetime, the story is not only about changes in the environment and the graceful ageing of a community of female divers, but also about intimacy and the trials of tender love,” the jury said.
Complex Family Bonds Take Centre Stage in the Baltic Sea–Nordic Competition
Daria Kopiec’s The Pool or Death of a Goldfish (Poland) was named the winner of the Baltic Sea–Nordic Competition.
The programme was judged by Lithuanian-American artist, comics creator and animation writer Kaz Prapuolenis (USA); Aušra Juknevičienė (Lithuania), director of Klaipėda Puppet Theatre and organiser of the international puppet theatre festival Materia Magica; and Helsinki-based XR director and visual artist Menghui Huang (Finland).
“A powerful and emotionally layered film that transforms a complex mother-daughter relationship into a compelling visual metaphor. The distinctive visual treatment of the characters, together with the music and powerful performances, creates a unique atmosphere that reinforces both the film’s central idea and its emotional impact,” the jury said.
A Special Mention went to Kiana Naghshineh’s With Tapes and Toasts in the Car (Germany, France).
“A subtle and intimate film that stands out for its ability to turn seemingly ordinary moments into a deeply personal yet universal emotional experience. Its sensitive storytelling, distinctive visual language and nostalgic atmosphere create a genuine sense of connection that lingers long after the film ends,” the jury commented.
Ukrainian Competition Award Goes to “Kyiv Cake”
Mykyta Lyskov’s Kyiv Cake (Estonia, Ukraine) won the Ukrainian Animation Competition.
The films were judged by short-film distributor and executive producer Baptiste Salvan (France); Petrit Gora (Sweden), director of Stockholm’s REX Animation Film Festival; and curator Skaistė Marčienė (Lithuania), director of the Pranas Domšaitis Gallery at the Lithuanian National Museum of Art.
“Through excellent storytelling and an expressive visual language, the film gently yet powerfully brings together personal memory and history. It is a moving work that reminds us of the strength of home, identity, human warmth and, above all, resistance,” the jury said.
A Special Mention went to Olha Cherpak’s Are You Sleeping? (Poland).
“This is a work in which animation becomes more than an image – it becomes memory, insomnia, and a reflection of sleepless nights since 24 February 2022, allowing a personal story to grow into a collective one. The film stood out for the poetic richness of its ideas and its masterful visual language, transforming a deeply personal experience into something that resonates far beyond the screen,” the jury commented.
Young Audiences Reach a Unanimous Decision
For the second year, BLON presented its Young Audience Award. This year, the films in the international Young Audience Animation Competition were judged by fourth-grade pupils from Klaipėda Simon Dach Progymnasium, who chose Andrea Szelesová’s Eenie Meenie (Czech Republic, Slovakia) as their favourite.
The children were able to vote for more than one film, considering how engaging it was, its message, overall atmosphere and how it made them feel. When it came to the winner, however, their decision was unanimous.
“Every single child voted for Eenie Meenie. They loved the length, the characters and, of course, the humour – especially the snake’s kiss that made the boy fall to the ground,” teacher Deimantė said of their choice.
“Wednesdays” Wins the Aware Game Awards
Video game creators were also recognised at BLON, with Wednesdays, created by Pierre Corbinais (France), named the winner of this year’s Aware Game Awards.
The 2026 Aware Game Awards jury brought together professionals from five countries. The games were judged by narrative designer, game producer and Matajuegos co-founder Pablo F. Quarta (Argentina), whose collective won last year’s Aware Game Awards with Atuel; political scientist and video game enthusiast Mažvydas Jastramskis (Lithuania); Marie Janin (the Netherlands), an organiser at art space Sickhouse working across playful arts and digital culture; visual artist Marko Tadić (Croatia); and independent games industry consultant, coach, mediator and project manager Ruth Lemmen (Germany).
“Wednesdays is a game that deals with the difficult topic of child sexual abuse, a subject that often goes unspoken in our society despite how common it is. Drawing from the developers’ own autobiographical experiences and the real-life testimony of others, Wednesdays tells a nuanced and delicate story that is full of humanity and is easily accessible through the language of interactive comics. We are very grateful to have played it and proud to give it the Aware Game Awards,” the jury said.
Lithuanian Animation Creators Also Honoured
The Lithuanian Animation Association’s Animator of the Year Award was also presented during the festival. The winner is selected by a vote of all association members, and this year the votes were split equally between two creators. The association therefore decided to honour both: Urtė Oettinger for her work on the Lithuanian animated series BFF, and Tomas Juchnevič for his work in 3D animation.
Juchnevič’s work was also featured in this year’s BLON competition programme. Lost Colours, which he co-directed, competed in the Baltic Sea–Nordic Competition.
The international BLON Animation and Video Games Festival takes place in Klaipėda from 10–13 September. Its programme includes animation and video game premieres, virtual reality experiences, meetings with Lithuanian and international creators, workshops, discussions and industry events.
The festival is funded by Klaipėda City Municipality, the Lithuanian Film Centre and the Lithuanian Council for Culture.