The cartoon Father of Chicken by filmmaker Pham Ngoc Tuan. — VNS Photo

HA NOI (VNS) — Animation filmmaker Pham Ngoc Tuan has won the first prize at the short animated cartoon making contest launched by the South Korean Cultural Centre.

His cartoon, entitled Bo Cua Ga Con (Father of Chicken), is a story of a lonely dog and his happy chicken family neighbour. They are separated by a fence and do not enjoy a good relationship. After the dog catches an egg and becomes the father of a newly-hatched chicken, the relations get much better.

"The cartoon convinced the jury board since it depicted paternal love and funny situations," said the centre director, Park Nark-jong, at the contest award ceremony held in Ha Noi yesterday.

Tuan is a veteran animation filmmaker and also a deputy-director of the Viet Nam Animation Centre, one of the four studios in the entire nation taking part in the contest.

"I don't think about the award. I sent my latest cartoon to the contest to introduce it. I also want to see the cartoons made by other young filmmakers," said Tuan. The ten-minute cartoon film was produced in eight months as part of the Viet Nam Animation Centre's annual plan.

The second and the third awards went to Lu and Robot by Co Lo Ry Studio and Chiec Banh Tinh Ban (Friendship Cake) by Phan Ngoc Thuy Duong – a second-year student of HCM Architecture College.

The three award-winning animation films also received support from the Korean Gangwon Information & Multimedia Corporation (GIMC) yesterday and today to improve their films.

These will be shown at the Chuncheon Anitown Festival, the most popular international animation festival in Korea, in September.

"It will be a good opportunity to introduce Vietnamese cartoons at the Chuncheon Anitown Festival. I will take advantage of this opportunity to share my filmmaking experience and appraise Vietnamese cartoons," said Tuan.

The first, second and third place winners will win prizes worth VND30 million (roughly US$1,500) offered by the cultural centre, VND20 million ($) offered by the GIMC and VND20 million offered by the Viet Nam Department of Cinematography, respectively.

The contest launched in June attracted 22 cartoons from four studios including the State-owned Viet Nam Animation Centre, and from independent filmmakers.

The top award winner, Father of Chicken, is among eight cartoon films to be screened at the second Viet Nam – Korea Animation Festival, to be held from 13-16 August at Ha Noi's Au Co Theatre.

Three shows will be held at 3pm, 5pm and 7pm on Saturday and Sunday. One more screening will begin at 9.30am on Sunday. — VNS