ESMA 2025 3D Grand Prix: a year full of surprises!

A year of renewal

Every year, the Grand Prix 3D rewards the excellence and creativity of ESMA’s future animation talent. This year, the event has been enriched with new awards, several nominees in certain categories and a spotlight on every stage in the creation of an animated film, from script to soundtrack, animation and visual effects. This increase in the number of awards has made it possible to honour the richness and diversity of the work done by the students, and to give visibility to projects with very different aesthetics and universes.

86 jurors from around the world, increasingly prestigious studios

As usual, the ESMA 3D Grand Prix attracted an impressive panel of professionals. 86 jurors reviewed the 32 student projects presented this year, shared their feedback with the creators, and awarded the eagerly awaited prizes. The studios in attendance, from France and many countries around the world, included Illumination, The Mill, Mikros Animation, Sony Pictures Animation, Double Negative, Supamonks, TAT Productions, Rodeo FX, Fortiche, Epic Games, Nwave, Passion Pictures, and many more.

Their presence demonstrates not only the industry’s interest in young talent, but also the recognition of ESMA’s 3D Grand Prix as a must-attend event in animation training.

The 2025 winners

After several hours of intense screenings and shared emotions, followed by lengthy deliberations, the jury announced its verdict:

• Audience Award: Cursed

Directed by Marion BOITELLE, Leila BOUGUERCH, Myriam BRANDAO SERSERI, Margaux CROTTE-DECULTY, Ashe DANIEL, Andréa MAMESSIER-DEGRANGE, Nicolas PAOLI, Alisson PIGEROL, Marie SEVE

• Award for Best Soundtrack : Gone Wrong

created this year as a tribute to the late José Vicente. Directed by Anne-Linh JEROME, Ambre BUTEL, Juliette HOUËL, Roman SAUNIER, Adrian VILLEDA, Alisson COLOMBE, Ylan OULD SAADI, Maxime ARNOULD

• Best Visual Effects Award: L’Ombre du Kivu

Directed by Paul BEAUMOND, Maëlle DURIN, Benjamin GARANDEL, Charlotte OCCHIO, Mathilde PISCIONE, Blandine REBOURG, Timothée ROUSSEAU, Victor VERGER, Maicheng WANG, ahead of nominees Gone Wrong and Orchid Square

• Best Screenplay Award : The City of Silence

Directed by Marie CORNEMILLOT, Manon FINET, Alexia GARDE, Maïlys GIROUARD, Manon LAPORTE, Salomé PEREIRA, Clément PHILIPP, Margaux PLASSARD, Emma STASSI, Flavie VERICEL, opposite Wisdom Teeth and Cursed.

• Best Animation Award : Gran Tumaco Café

Directed by Aloïs BELIN, Marion FEVRIER, Kiara LACAMBRE, Mylène MOTTET-TARDIEU, Laurent POUTCH-CORBLIN, Benoît ROME, Clara ROUTELOUS, and Ilya ZEHANI, beating out the other two nominees, Cursed and Perfect Match.

• Jury’s Favorite Award : awarded to two films this year, namely : Voyous

Directed by Lucie BAGOT, Marion BARTH, Elisa BROUSTAL, Luna DUPAS, Xavier L’EVEQUE DE VILMORIN, Camille LEDENTU, Ninon REBOUX, Inès TRAN,

• As well as Where Love Lied

directed by Georges CHALMET, Evan GUINET-ELMI, Sizi HATEF, Joel KIDANGAN, Saksham KUMAR, Olivia LERICHE, Léo MAESTRACCI, Viet Ha NGUYEN, and Marcel VANDERWEYEN

• Best Comedy Award, specially created by jury president Dylan Sisson : Nordic Phone

Directed by Baptiste BRUNEL, Eliot COTTEZ, Romain DUBEC, Eva FORAY-MORIN, Jessica LALLEMENT, Tom LYONNET, Noé MEYER, Clément SERRE, Thomas TABARY, Paul VALLETTE

• And finally, the Best Film Award for 2025 goes to Gone Wrong, ahead of Cursed, which came in second place, and Where Love Lied, which took third place.

Each award was presented with enthusiasm, accompanied by warm words of encouragement that will undoubtedly remain engraved in the winners’ memories.

A springboard for tomorrow

Beyond the awards themselves, ESMA’s 3D Grand Prix is a real launch pad for recent graduates.

After the screenings, an entire day was devoted to the Job Fair, a special opportunity for young talents to meet with studios and take a concrete look at their professional future.

It was the perfect opportunity to answer questions from the jury, present their artistic approach, and even land their first contract. As a result, some students left with real professional opportunities, while others left with valuable feedback that will allow them to refine their approach and continue to progress.

The 2025 edition of the ESMA 3D Grand Prix will undoubtedly remain memorable: richer, more ambitious, and driven by collective enthusiasm, it brought together all the ingredients for resounding success.

A huge congratulations to the winners, the nominees, and above all to all the students who have shown, with generosity and passion, that the future of 3D animation looks more creative and promising than ever!