Singaporean Animation The Violinist Makes History at Annecy 2026, Celebrating Deep Ties to NTU ADM

SINGAPORE — June 2026 — In a historic milestone for Singapore’s media and creative landscape, the animated feature film The Violinist has won the coveted Cristal Award for Best Feature Film at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The film was also honoured with the SACEM Award for Best Original Soundtrack, cementing its position as a monumental achievement in global cinema.

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival is universally regarded as the absolute pinnacle of the animation world. Established in 1960, it functions precisely as the "Cannes Film Festival" or the "Academy Awards" of animation. Winning the Cristal Award for Best Feature Film is the highest honour a feature-length animated film can achieve globally. It places The Violinist alongside the most celebrated cinematic masterpieces in history and marks a major leap forward for Singapore's cultural output on the global stage.

There is a profound connection to Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media (NTU ADM), spanning institutional partnership, industry guidance and frontline artistic talent. Director Ervin Han, serves as an active member of the ADM Industry Advisory Committee (IAC), ensuring that NTU's curriculum directly aligns with the rapidly evolving standards of the global media landscape.

Furthermore, NTU ADM has been chosen as an official educational partner on the film.

The film was co-shaped by ADM talent, with alumnus Jasper Liu (Class of 2016) serving as layout artist, translating the director’s vision into the film’s framing and cinematic composition, while alumna Angelina Tan (Class of 2024) worked as production coordinator and was part of the crew attending Annecy.

The success of The Violinist is a testament to the ecosystem integration and showcases the immense value of closing the loop between academia and the creative industries. By involving industry leaders in university governance, embedding current students and alumni into major features and establishing formal institutional partnerships, NTU ADM continues to foster an ecosystem where world-class creative work can flourish.

About the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM) at NTU

Founded in 2005, the School of Art, Design and Media at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, is a premier institution for tertiary media education in Asia. Offering specialised pathways in Animation, Filmmaking, Game Design, Visual Communication/Photography and Transversal Design, ADM merges studio-based artistry with cutting-edge technological innovation, preparing the next generation of creative leaders for the global stage.