Torill Kove<\/strong>. Each year, a different animator is selected to design the OIAF poster, resulting in a unique piece of art that reflects that animator\u2019s craft. This year\u2019s poster takes inspiration from the Festival\u2019s iconic image, the owl.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.skwigly.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Torill-Koves-Ottawa-International-Animation-Festival-2025-Poster-Takes-Flight-472x600.jpg\")
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\u201cLast spring, Chris asked me if I would create the OIAF poster and signal film for 2025. I thought, \u2018Sure, that\u2019s ages from now and will involve drawing at least one owl\u2014and I love owls!\u2019\u00a0 I happily accepted the job and mentally filed it under \u2018later\u2019,\u201d says Kove. \u201cOnly a few months later, Chris messaged me to ask if I had made any progress on the poster and if I had anything to show. I didn\u2019t, but I felt I should present something. So, I sketched a grumpy owl sitting in a tree. Why grumpy? I\u2019m not sure\u2014it\u2019s a common expression for owls, though I understand it doesn\u2019t necessarily reflect their actual mood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kove continues, \u201cWhen I began working on the poster for real, I had grown fond of the grumpy owl. Since he looked a little lonely, I added some small stick figure owls that appear to be flying off the phenakistoscope. And orange is my favourite colour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Born in Norway and having lived most of her life in Montreal, Canada, Kove discovered a passion for animation that led to several\u00a0Academy Award\u00ae<\/strong>\u00a0nominations. Her first nomination was in 2000 for\u00a0My Grandmother Ironed the King\u2019s Shirts<\/i>\u00a0(1999), which was inspired by the story of her grandmother who had ironed the shirts of Norway\u2019s King Haakon VII.<\/p>\nIn 2007, Kove\u2019s\u00a0The Danish Poet<\/i>\u00a0(2006) would go on to be nominated and win the Animated Short Film category at the 79th\u00a0Academy Awards<\/strong>. In addition to\u00a0My Grandmother Ironed the King\u2019s Shirts<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0The Danish Poet<\/i>, Kove\u2019s\u00a0Me and My Moulton<\/i>\u00a0(2014) was nominated for the 87th Academy Awards. Her films have screened worldwide at several prestigious festivals, including the\u00a0Annecy International Animation Film Festival<\/strong>,\u00a0Toronto International Film Festival\u00a0<\/strong>(TIFF), and OIAF.<\/p>\nKove\u2019s most recent animated short film, Maybe Elephants<\/i>\u00a0(2024),<\/i>\u00a0screened at OIAF 2024 in competition. The film was included in TIFF\u2019s annual\u00a0Canada\u2019s Top Ten<\/strong>\u00a0list for 2024.<\/p>\n\nTorill\u2019s artwork brings a breath of fresh air to our festival poster, with a simplicity and brightness that sets it apart from the more layered and abstract designs we\u2019ve traditionally embraced. After years of wild, wacky imagery, we wanted to try something more straightforward and direct, and Torill\u2019s work captures that spirit perfectly. It\u2019s a bold and beautiful new direction for OIAF, and we couldn\u2019t be more excited to share it.<\/p>\n
Chris Robinson, OIAF Artistic Director\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nKove\u2019s OIAF design will join the works of past artists\u00a0Lei Lei<\/strong>\u00a0(2024),\u00a0Matthew Rankin<\/strong>\u00a0(2023),\u00a0Angela Stempel<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Amanda Bonaiuto<\/strong>\u00a0(2021),\u00a0Gary Baseman<\/strong>\u00a0(2007),\u00a0Gary Panter<\/strong>\u00a0(2005), and\u00a0Dave Cooper<\/strong>\u00a0(2001), among others.<\/p>\n
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