Trash: Student BAFTA Winner – Animation Success
- The French animation school ESMA (École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques) and the creative team behind the animated short film Trash are celebrating a major victory.
- Organizers selected winners from over 1,000 submissions representing 154 schools across 39 countries.
- Trash, a six-minute short, showcases a distinctive visual style.
ESMA’s animated short film, “Trash,” has clinched the prestigious BAFTA Student Film Award for Animation! Learn how the film, depicting a chase through a decaying city, earned this honor. The creative use of animation and visual effects in “Trash” highlights the power of
student film talent supported by institutions like ESMA. Wiht the BAFTA win in hand, the future looks exceptionally bright.This success story, covered by News Directory 3, adds to a growing list of accolades, recognizing excellence in filmmaking. Discover the next steps for “Trash” and its creators.
ESMA Film “Trash” Wins BAFTA Student Film Award for Animation
Updated June 18, 2025
The French animation school ESMA (École Supérieure des Métiers Artistiques) and the creative team behind the animated short film Trash are celebrating a major victory. The film received the 2025 BAFTA Student Film Award for Animation, presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts at a Los Angeles ceremony on June 13.
This year marked the 21st annual Student BAFTAs. Organizers selected winners from over 1,000 submissions representing 154 schools across 39 countries. The complete list of winners is available on the BAFTA website.
Trash, a six-minute short, showcases a distinctive visual style. Gregory Bouzid, Maxime Crançon, Robin Delaporte, Matteo Durand, Romain Fleischer, Alexis Le Ral, Margaux Lutz, and Fanny Vecchie directed the film in collaboration with ESMA. The story follows a frantic chase between a rat and a pigeon through the crumbling alleys of a decaying city. The film’s success highlights the importance of animation and visual effects in modern storytelling, and the role of schools like ESMA in fostering student film talent.
The Student BAFTA joins a growing list of awards for Trash. previous accolades include the Jury Prize for Best Animated Short at Cinequest, Best of Fest at the Melbourne International Animation Festival, and Best Student Short Film at Animayo 2025. King Features awarded the filmmakers $2,500 in honor of Linda Kahn, a BAFTA board member and children’s TV veteran who passed away in 2021.
“We are truly honored by this recognition from BAFTA, and deeply grateful to ESMA for their ongoing support. This award is a meaningful reflection of the entire team’s hard work and dedication,” said co-director Vecchie.
Isabelle Teissedre, Pedagogical Director at ESMA, added, “Receiving a BAFTA is an exceptional honor.This recognition marks a significant milestone and encourages us to continue our mission: to guide our students and nurture our teaching approach based on authenticity, promoting stories that are sincere, bold and heartfelt. We are proud of our students!”
Trash competed against A Sparrow’s Song from Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and The Shyness of Trees from Gobelins in France for the Animation prize.
The Student BAFTAs also recognise achievements in Games and Immersive projects.This year, Atan from Breda University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands and Free Will from the University of Southern California tied for the Games category win. Elective from ISART digital in France was also a finalist. The immersive prize went to Pieces from The Steve Tisch School of Film & TV Tel Aviv University, Israel. A Perfect day from University College London and The Cuban Freedom Flights from the University of Miami were finalists.
ESMA offers courses in 3D animation and visual effects at campuses across France and in Montreal, Canada. More facts is available at esma-3d.fr.
What’s next
With the BAFTA win, Trash is poised to gain even more recognition on the film festival circuit. The filmmakers are likely to pursue further projects, building on the skills and experience gained at ESMA.