OIAF 2025 Poster by Torill Kove Takes Flight

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) has revealed its 2025 poster, designed by Academy Award-winning Canadian director, animator and illustrator Torill Kove. Each year, a different animator is selected to design the OIAF poster, resulting in a unique piece of art that reflects that animator’s craft. This year’s poster takes inspiration from the Festival’s iconic image, the owl.

“Last spring, Chris [Robinson] asked me if I would create the OIAF poster and signal film for 2025. I thought, ‘Sure, that’s ages from now and will involve drawing at least one owl  —and I love owls!’ I happily accepted the job and mentally filed it under ‘later,’” says Kove. “Only a few months later, Chris messaged me to ask if I had made any progress on the poster and if I had anything to show. I didn’t, but I felt I should present something. So, I sketched a grumpy owl sitting in a tree. Why grumpy? I’m not sure — it’s a common expression for owls, though I understand it doesn’t necessarily reflect their actual mood.”

“When I began working on the poster for real, I had grown fond of the grumpy owl,” Kove adds. “Since he looked a little lonely, I added some small stick figure owls that appear to be flying off the phenakistoscope. And orange is my favorite color.”

Born in Norway and having lived most of her life in Montreal, Canada, Kove discovered a passion for animation that led to several Academy Award nominations. Her first nomination was in 2000 for My Grandmother Ironed the King’s Shirts (1999), which was inspired by the story of her grandmother who had ironed the shirts of Norway’s King Haakon VII.

In 2007, Kove’s The Danish Poet (2006) became her second Oscar nomination and first win the Animated Short Film category at the 79th Academy Awards. Her later short Me and My Moulton (2014) was nominated for the 87th Academy Awards.

Kove’s films have screened worldwide at several prestigious festivals, including the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and OIAF. Her most recent animated short film, Maybe Elephants (2024), screened at OIAF 2024 in competition. The film was included in TIFF’s annual Canada’s Top Ten list for 2024.

“Torill’s artwork brings a breath of fresh air to our festival poster, with a simplicity and brightness that sets it apart from the more layered and abstract designs we’ve traditionally embraced,” says OIAF Artistic Director Chris Robinson. “After years of wild, wacky imagery, we wanted to try something more straightforward and direct, and Torill’s work captures that spirit perfectly. It’s a bold and beautiful new direction for OIAF, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it.”

Kove’s OIAF design will join the works of past artists Lei Lei (2024), Matthew Rankin (2023), Angela Stempel and Amanda Bonaiuto (2021), Gary Baseman (2007), Gary Panter (2005) and Dave Cooper (2001), among others.

This year’s OIAF runs from September 24 to September 28. Visit the animationfestival.ca for more information about this year’s festival.