Women in Animation has set Rebecca Sugar, Marko Dješka’s short film All Those Sensations in my Belly and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative as the recipients of the fifth annual WIA Diversity Awards, which are being presented as part of Spark Animation 2021.
The festival and conference kicked off yesterday and are running virtually this year through November 7, out of Vancouver, Canada. Awards were presented by WIA President Marge Dean in a taped presentation, which is now available for viewing online.
Sugar, who helmed Steven Universe as the first non-male solo show runner at Cartoon Network after several years writing, storyboarding and songwriting for Adventure Time, is being presented with the award for Individual Achievement. The artist is being recognized not only for her personal career achievements, but also for her fight for LGBTQIA+ content in children’s media over the last decade, and for a more inclusive environment both on screen and behind the scenes in the animation industry.
“Rebecca Sugar was a champion for gender justice long before that term even existed,” said Dean. “She has challenged the binary assumptions of gender in her work, in her communication with the world, and in how she lives her life. She is a uniquely amazing person who moves through the world as a living example of the very best of being human.”
Dješka’s animated documentary, All Those Sensations in My Belly—which tells the story of a real trans girl Matia transitioning from male gender to female, and struggling with finding a sincere, intimate relationship—is being honored with the juried award for Short Film, presented by the Spark Computer Graphics Society.
“The SPARK ANIMATION Festival Jury selected Marko Dješka’s All Those Sensations in my Belly for its powerful visualization of the struggles of self-discovery and finding one’s place in the world,” said Festival Director Marina Antunes.
Then, there’s the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which has been at the forefront of academic study and research surrounding representation, characterization and inclusion in the entertainment industry for more than a decade, and will be recognized with the award for Organizational Achievement.
“After years of great partnership, WIA could not be more thrilled to present the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative with the 2021 WIA Diversity Award for Organizational Achievement for their important work in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion,” said WIA Secretary Julie Ann Crommett, “and creating accountability measures not only in animation, but for the entertainment industry as a whole.”
The WIA Diversity Awards were established to recognize and honor individuals, films and organizations that have made a significant impact in expanding the diversity of voices in the art and industry of animation, either through their own creative work, by fostering the work of others, or by leading diversity initiatives that enrich the industry and society, as a whole.
“WIA Diversity Awards highlight some of the success stories on the journey to creating more balanced representation in the animation industry,” summarized Dean, “in hopes that such courageous and important work inspires others to open doors to more diversity among filmmakers and more authentic story-telling.”