On January 23 as part of the Nordic and Baltic Oscar Contender Series, Scandinavia House, the Scandinavian Film Festival of Los Angeles, and with the BalticFilmExpo@SFFLA is proud to present a Virtual Film Talk with director Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen on the Norwegian/Latvian film My Favorite War, moderated by School of Visual Arts Chair of BFA Animation Hsiang Chin Moe.

Based on director’s Ilze Burkovska-Jacobsen’s childhood memories of creating her own escape route from the totalitarian regime that was Soviet Latvia, My Favorite War aims its anti-war and pro-democracy message at a global, adult audience using cut-out animation and documentary elements. On discovering the remains of a German soldier in her sandbox, the heroine wonders what is buried beneath state propaganda, and sets off on a voyage of discovery.

Burkovska-Jacobsen will discuss the making of the film as well as the story behind it, followed by a Q&A.

The film will take place as as a Zoom webinar; please register at the link above. Share questions in the chat or send them to us in advance at info@amscan.org.

Purchase a session ticket to the film here.

Living in Norway since the early ‘90s, Burkovska-Jacobsen and the team behind My Favorite War won an International Emmy in the Kids: Digital category for her animation series My Body Belongs to Me (2017). My Favorite War is submitted to the Academy Awards’ Animated Feature Film category. As the winner from Annecy’s Contrechamp competition, it has also submitted to the Annie Awards organized by the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood.

Other prizes include the French critics’ award in Annecy (France), a Special Distinction Award in Buncheon International Film Festival (Korea), the Grand Prix at the New Chitose Airport Animation Festival (Japan) and Best Animation Director and Best Animated Film in Latvia, which boasts a very strong animation industry dating back five decades. Last year’s Contrechamp winner was the Latvian animation feature Away.