We're delighted to have sponsored the Best Animation award for Limerick School of Art and Design's 2025 Graduate Show & Awards Ceremony which took place on Saturday, 31st May!

Our Animation Director, Gary Ronaldson, was incredibly impressed by the standard of work from this year's graduates.

“I was blown away by the quality and polish of the 8 movies from the students. It's a far cry from when I had to work on an end of year movie, where the only goal was to finish. Simply staggering work all around. Each one was original and done on its own terms, with a distinctive look and feel and it was so refreshing to see the talent on display.

I won't lie, it wasn't easy to choose a winner. There would potentially be arguments for each one due to the originality of the shorts. Really looking forward to what all the students do in their respective career paths.”

—Gary Ronaldson, Animation Director, Brown Bag Films Dublin

This years Best Animation award recipient goes to the short 'ESC' by Ciara O’Neill! Animation and Motion Design Lecturer, Jennifer O’Riordan, presented the winning animation award to Ciara on behalf of Brown Bag Films.

Gary had this to say about the selected short:

“This short stood out to me due to its originality, its strong graphic style and relatable plot. We all have experienced that repetitive mundane.

Really clever use of the stop-motion cut-out style that felt organic and well observed. The character design was appealing and the understanding of how to be clever with the economy of cut-outs and how this effects animation, helped the storytelling and overall aesthetic.

I loved the fact that it wasn't afraid to get dark and retain some humour. Simple and strong plot with a LOVELY aesthetic and strong sense of filmmaking.”

He also noted honorable mentions go out to “Landfill”, “Vuela” and “PHOBOSPLUNKER”. A huge congratulations to all the students on their fantastic work!

Be sure to check out the Student Shorts from LSAD's Animation & Motion Design students below:

ESC by Ciara O'Neill - Best Animation Award Winner

ESC is a stop-motion animated short that explores the concept of Escapism, corrupt work systems and what it takes to be free from a mundane working life.

Follow Carl, an office worker whose fantasy for freedom becomes a reality. Under most unusual circumstances, he is given the opportunity to escape his relentless nine to five, but at great cost.

In his pursuit for freedom Carl will uncover dark secrets about himself and society. In order to liberate himself, he must undergo horrific changes and in doing so will be forced to confront his identity and role.

ESC challenges the ideals of freedom set by society, and the corrupt conglomerates that oppress their employees. It champions the power of the individual, but warns of the nightmarish toll of going against the norm. Carl is just another ordinary employee toeing the line and conforming to office life, but at any moment there is something inside him capable of rebelling against the oppressive system… But how far is too far?

'Veula' by Florangela Condori

May your homesick tears water the seeds of your dreams.

‘Vuela’ (Fly) is a heartfelt story about dreams, resilience, and the courage it takes to leave home in the pursuit of your dreams. This short animated film follows a young girl and her dream of soaring through the skies. Along the way, she discovers the challenges of chasing her aspirations, and with her mother’s unwavering support, she learns that dreaming big and being brave, are the keys to making those dreams a reality.

Rooted in the emotional journey of immigration, the film weaves personal voice recordings and soft visuals into a story about love, sacrifice, and the strength it takes to grow beyond the familiar. Vuela is a tribute to the bonds that hold us, the dreams that pull us forward, and the courage to carry both.

Vuela is a soaring reminder that love and courage make all things possible, and that the ones we carry in our hearts are always with us, helping us fly.

'Common Ground' by Lauren Hannon

‘Common Ground’ provides a unique insight into the Irish kitchen table conversation; a moment that is relatable to us all and yet not truly treasured for the resource that it is. It is a chance to connect with the ones we love and to share with them our histories and experiences. Away from the distractions of the modern world, the kitchen table acts as a stage for friends and family to talk to one another.

Members of my own family discuss their lives living in rural Ireland. From bogs, backyard poultry and family farms, these stories echo each other. Though some things have changed, not everything has. As generations grow up, they pass on ways of living that bend to the current times. This film acts not only as a digital time capsule for me and my family, but for Irish people as a whole. Continuing to ask questions and being curious will only further our understanding of how Ireland used to be, how things have changed and how things can change in the future.

'Reverie' by Liwa Hayes

Reverie' follows the journey of a lone girl, from her creation, path through the different seasons of life, until her form of waking. Her physical journey through this dream world also reflects a deeper journey of self-discovery and belongin Dreams are a means to explore one’s inner world, as Carl Jung observed, “the dream is the small hidden door in the deepest and most intimate sanctum of the soul”. Dreams are universal, we lose ourselves in the worlds our mind and thoughts manifest for us. Traversing different paths and routes in these new yet familiar places. However, just as quickly as we slip from waking to dreaming, the spell breaks and we find ourselves back to “reality” again. Through misty memories the next morning, do you ever wonder where your dreams come from?

'Landfall' by Áine Morris

The sun is setting on the people of the sky. Clouds have not been seen in weeks. Water is scarce. Their history is buried far beyond their reach and their future is closing in.

Fate calls upon the young captain of a skyship when a mysterious relic falls into her hands. Summoned to the forgotten lands below, she must walk the bones of the old world and uncover its hidden truths before the sands of time slip through her fingers. The past is watching her. The sky depends on her.

Time, responsibility, and generational impact intertwine in a young woman’s quest to rewrite her people’s ending.

Inspired by formative childhood films, ‘Landfall’ unites the charming nostalgia of 2D animation and the whimsical mystique of old fantasy. The fragmented hero’s journey of the film knits together the past and present, confronting the cycles of history and reflecting on humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

'PHOBOSPLUNKER' by Bee Mulvihill

“Yeah, it’s spaghetti time!”

Follow Deimos, the hungry inventor, who must traverse the inside of her own mind to track down the source of her sudden wormy hallucinations. These horrors threaten the fabric of her mind, and her appetite.

Deimos doesn’t ask for much in life, all she needs is peace and quiet, and a delicious plate of spaghetti, salted to perfection.

But suddenly after consuming a strange looking spaghetti noodle, her mind is invaded by nightmarish visions of worms! Worms slithering on the walls, worms oozing in her skin, worms everywhere.

One thing’s for sure there’s something wrong with her head, something wormy.

Phobosplunker humours upon feelings of paranoia and losing sense of who you are. It laughs in the face of danger as some-times unconventional problems, deserve extremely over-the-top solutions.

A surreal genre-bending animated short that combines music production, motion design, and animation with the influences of Invader Zim, Adventure Time, and a love for parasitology.

'Astray' by Zachary O'Connor

‘Astray’ explores the fragility of life, memory, and the silent struggles of being overlooked. The story follows a stray cat navigating the streets of Japan, whose spirit is knocked loose after a harmful encounter. From there, he is led by a mysterious spirit bird through a torii gate and into an ethereal realm, where he is confronted by the memories of his past.

These memories unfold like stepping stones: a cardboard box, a warm home, the death of a loved one and the cold reality of life alone on the streets. As the cat journeys through this reflective space, he faces physical manifestations of his pain and loss. It is only through acceptance that he finds peace, and with it, a final choice: to move on into the afterlife, or return to the world of the living.

Astray’s goal is to evoke empathy for the unseen lives around us and to tell a story that resonates with anyone who has felt lost, abandoned, or broken. At its heart, this piece is about the power of memory, the pain of letting go, and the quiet hope that can exist even in the darkest places.

Can a stray soul find the will to live?

'Stepping on My Own Foot' by Aoife Rhatigan

A nameless being ascends an endless staircase as a series of vignettes of both dreams and reality unfold beside him. Each memory shaping his climb and culminating in a surreal meditation on life, death and birth.

‘Stepping on My Own Foot’ is a visual and emotional exploration of the human journey, presented through a blend of symbolism, abstraction, and deeply personal yet universal imagery. The protagonist, a formless being, serves as a reflective surface, inviting viewers to imprint their own memories, emotions, and interpretations onto the narrative. The staircase symbolizes the persistent climb of daily life, while the surrounding vignettes act as echoes of lived experience, dreams, anxieties and desires. This barrage of memories and experiences culminate in the exasperated being eventually giving into the spectre of death, a bird, the same creature which brought him into this life.

Influenced by absurdism and stream-of-consciousness storytelling, the film resists conventional narrative structure to instead evokesfeeling and introspection. The surreal visuals and nonlinear rhythm allow the audience to navigate between the conscious and subconscious, emphasizing how every step forward in life is shaped by the weight, or lightness, of memory. The film ultimately asks: how do our inner lives influence the paths we walk?

You can view more from this year's LSAD Graduate showcase here: LSAD Graduates Animation and Motion Design, Class of 2025