Ottawa Animation Festival Announces Seven Features In Competition

The Ottawa International Animation Festival(OIAF) is one of North America’s largest and longest running animation festivals. Since 1976 the festival has attracted animation lovers and luminaries from around the world to the Canadian Capital.

OIAF announced the seven animated feature films that have been selected for this year’s Official Competition. This year’s Features competition includes a strong showing of films that connect audiences through themes of personal growth and challenge.

“This year’s competition has seven under-the-radar features that will surely catch a few eyes and hearts”, says OIAF Artistic Director Chris Robinson. “From environmental dystopia (White Plastic Sky), immigration (No Dogs or Italians Allowed) and civil war (Nayola) to coming-of-age tales (When Adam Changes, Unicorn Boy, Chicken for Linda!) and some touching insight into the world of gaming environments (Knit’s Island), this year’s crop of feature competitors has something for everyone.”

The 2023 Features competition includes:

• Adam change lentement (When Adam Changes) (dir. Joël Vaudreuil, Canada)
• Interdit aux chiens et aux Italiens (No Dogs or Italians Allowed) (dir. Alain Ughetto, France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Portugal)
• Knit’s Island (dirs. Quentin L’helgoualc’h, Ekiem Barbier, Guilhem Causse, France)
• Linda Veut Du Poulet ! (Chicken for Linda!) (dirs. Chiara Malta, Sébastien Laudenbach, France, Italy)
• Müanyag Égbolt (White Plastic Sky) (dirs. Tibor Bánóczki, Sarolta Szabó, Hungary, Slovakia)
• Nayola (dir. José Miguel Ribeiro, Portugal, France, Belgium, Netherlands)
• Unicorn Boy (dir. Matt Kiel, United States)

Malta and Luadenback’s Chicken for Linda! was recently acquired by GKIDS for North American distribution at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where it took home two of the Festival’s top prizes. At the time of their selection for the OIAF, When Adam Changes, Chicken for Linda! and White Plastic Sky will make their Canadian premieres.

This year’s Ottawa International Animation Festival takes place from September 20- 24. Find out more on the festival website.