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Congratulations to Caireen Ferguson, aged 19, from Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland, whose film Frog Flight has won Best Animation - 12 and Over (sponsored by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, UK) at the 2024 Into Film Awards. The award was presented by actors Joanne Froggatt and Tobie Donovan.
Frog Flight is a touching, dialogue-free animation that sees a young frog deciding he wants to fly like a bird, but when all of his attempts to take wing end in failure, it's up to his father to decide whether to help make his son's risky dream come true or not.
"It's beyond belief", said Caireen upon learning of her nomination. "It feels like I am in a dream! Film, specifically animation, has been a life-long source of happiness and inspiration to me. It has helped shape me into who I am today, so being given this opportunity to share my own film with others is indescribable."
Inspired by the work of filmmaker Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, Ratatouille), Caireen employed his rule of 'character over action', where a sequence must not just show an action, but also convey how the character feels about it. Caireen intended to create an emotive film which explores the sense of adventure of a young boy and the bond created between him and his father as they reach for the sky together.
It feels like I am in a dream! Animation has been a life-long source of happiness and inspiration to me. It has helped shape me into who I am today, so being given this opportunity to share my own film with others is indescribable.
Caireen Ferguson, aged 19, filmmaker of 'Frog Flight'
For Frog Flight, Caireen explains, she first looked to Pixar for inspiration. "Pixar often use simple yet slightly nonsensical ideas for their films. I sat and thought to myself, 'What if a frog wanted to fly like a bird?', and I took it from there. Designing my characters and the world to go with them was an eye-opening experience, as I slowly watched my idea transfer from paper into reality.
With more time, I would have strived for more fluid animation, and deeper research into character movement. However, taking the time constraints into account, I am intensely proud of what I was able to produce."
Frog Flight is Caireen's first full length animated narrative sequence, for which she also won joint best animated A2 sequence at the 2023 CCEA Showcase Awards. She is now studying animation at university.
