Braided
缠
Title: Braided
Director: Chenxi Zhang
Sound & Score: Squash & Biscuit
Runtime: 6 mins 19 sec
Language: Mandarin
Production Year: 2023
Production Country: United States, China
Mom always braided my hair so tautly that it carved a distinct path atop my head.
But one day, she cut off the carefully braided hair.
As I took my first steps forward alone, my stride faltered.
Along the path on my head,
I touched our unbreakable inner attachment,
and the journey of female growth we were both unprepared to face.
Awards
22nd IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival, Bulgaria 2025
- Best Student Animated Film -
Student International Film Festival, Croatia 2025
- Best Animated Film -
Siam International Animation Festival, Thailand 2025
- Jury Award -
2th ASIFA Student Award, France 2025
- Nomination Award -
6th TOPU International Animation Week / 13th China Independent Animation Film Forum, China 2025
- Best Experimental Animation -
6th NOWNESS Short Film Talent Awards, China 2024
- Best Creative Award -
Big Cartoon Festival, Russia 2024
- Best student Animated Film -
ANIMA Córdoba International Animation Festival, Argentina 2024
- Special Nomination of the International Jury -
18th FIRST International Film Festival, China 2024
- Short Film of the Year in First Frame category
KuanDu International Animation Festival, China 2024
- Honorable Mention -
4th Wazi Youth Film Festival, China 2024
- Best Short Award & Best Personal Narrative Award -
60th Golden Horse Film Awards, China, 2023
- Nomination for Best Animation Short -
5th Feinaki Beijing Animation Week, China 2023
- Jury's Special Nomination for Feinaki Award -
Los Angeles Animation Festival, United States 2023
- Best Student 2D Animation Award -
19th Athens Animfest, Spain 2024
- Distinction Award in the Student category -
Official Selections & Screening
28th PÖFF Black Nights Film Festival, Estonia 2024
34th Animafest Zagreb, Croatia 2024
35th Palm Springs International ShortFest, United States 2024
FamilyLens International Film Festival, China 2025
18th Fest Anča International Animation Festival, Slovakia 2025
24th MONSTRA - Lisbon Animation Festival, Portugal 2025
48th CINANIMA International Animated Film Festival, Portugal 2024
Anifilm – International Festival of Animated Films, Czech Republic 2024
22nd South Taiwan Film Festival, China 2024
26th Seoul International Women's Film Festival, Korea 2024
Aichi International Women's Film Festival, Japan 2024
Mint Chinese Film Festival, United Kingdom 2024
3rd Wuhan Bailin Film Festival, China 2024
KinoProba Film Festival, Russia 2024
23rd Countryside Animafest Cyprus, Cyprus 2024
LINOLEUM Animation Festival, Ukraine 2024
14th Supertoon Festival, Croatia 2024
Animac International Animation Film Festival, Spain 2024
TRICKY WOMEN/TRICKY REALITIES, Austria 2024
Documentarist 17th Istanbul Documentary Days, Turkey 2024
15th edition of the Anibar International Animation Festival, Kosova 2024
17th International Animated Film Festival Animator, Poland 2024
22nd The world festival of animated film – IMAGINARIA, Italy 2024
18th Big Cartoon Festival, Russia 2024
10th Taichung International Animation Festival, China 2024
International Animated Film Festival Animocje, Poland 2024
11th Insomnia International Animation Film Festival, Russia 2024
4th Wazi Youth Film Festival, China 2024
16th Cyber Sousa Awards, China 2024
24th Animation Academy Awards, China 2024
15th Macau International Short Film Festival, China 2024
Manchester Animation Festival, United Kingdom 2023
Seoul Indie-AniFest 2023, Korea 2023
Cartoon Underground Independent Animation Festival, Singapore 2023
GIRAF 19 International Animation Festival, Canada 2023
Special Screening
22nd Animateka International Animated Film Festival - Jurilicious I, Slovenija 2025
KRUPA ART FOUNDATION, Poland 2025
15th StopTrik International Film Festival, Slovenia 2025
Suzdal Animation Festival - New Generation of Indie-animation in China, Russia 2025
Mulan International Film Festival, Lili vs. Leviathan programme, Canada 2024
Festival Allers-Retours Cinéma d'Auteur Chinois, Coming of Age programme, France 2024
China International Design Museum & China Academy of Art & Jilin Animation Institute - The Scholarly Heritage & Cultural Spirit of Chinese Animation, China 2025
15th Beijing International Film Festival - Feinaki Animation Week Special Screening – Section B: The Warmth at Your Fingertips, China 2025
FIRST International Film Festival & Berlinale & The Feuerle Collection (TFC) – Traces of the Future, German 2025
Goethe-Institut China & Nanjing University of the Arts – Between Families: Sino-German Family Film Screening, China 2025
Chiang Mai·Nowhere Bookstore - Chinese Director Short Film Collection: Public Brain and Burning Ties, Thailand 2024
Beijing UCCA Lab – A Thousand Cities, Myriad Visions: CG Digital Art Exhibition, China 2024
Sinan Mansons & Fuxing Park - RPDC Design Week, Fenaki Special Sreening, China 2024
REDCAT Experimental Animation Showcase, USA 2023
22nd IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival, Bulgaria 2025
- Best Student Animated Film -
Student International Film Festival, Croatia 2025
- Best Animated Film -
Siam International Animation Festival, Thailand 2025
- Jury Award -
2th ASIFA Student Award, France 2025
- Nomination Award -
6th TOPU International Animation Week / 13th China Independent Animation Film Forum, China 2025
- Best Experimental Animation -
6th NOWNESS Short Film Talent Awards, China 2024
- Best Creative Award -
Big Cartoon Festival, Russia 2024
- Best student Animated Film -
ANIMA Córdoba International Animation Festival, Argentina 2024
- Special Nomination of the International Jury -
18th FIRST International Film Festival, China 2024
- Short Film of the Year in First Frame category
KuanDu International Animation Festival, China 2024
- Honorable Mention -
4th Wazi Youth Film Festival, China 2024
- Best Short Award & Best Personal Narrative Award -
60th Golden Horse Film Awards, China, 2023
- Nomination for Best Animation Short -
5th Feinaki Beijing Animation Week, China 2023
- Jury's Special Nomination for Feinaki Award -
Los Angeles Animation Festival, United States 2023
- Best Student 2D Animation Award -
19th Athens Animfest, Spain 2024
- Distinction Award in the Student category -
Official Selections & Screening
28th PÖFF Black Nights Film Festival, Estonia 2024
34th Animafest Zagreb, Croatia 2024
35th Palm Springs International ShortFest, United States 2024
FamilyLens International Film Festival, China 2025
18th Fest Anča International Animation Festival, Slovakia 2025
24th MONSTRA - Lisbon Animation Festival, Portugal 2025
48th CINANIMA International Animated Film Festival, Portugal 2024
Anifilm – International Festival of Animated Films, Czech Republic 2024
22nd South Taiwan Film Festival, China 2024
26th Seoul International Women's Film Festival, Korea 2024
Aichi International Women's Film Festival, Japan 2024
Mint Chinese Film Festival, United Kingdom 2024
3rd Wuhan Bailin Film Festival, China 2024
KinoProba Film Festival, Russia 2024
23rd Countryside Animafest Cyprus, Cyprus 2024
LINOLEUM Animation Festival, Ukraine 2024
14th Supertoon Festival, Croatia 2024
Animac International Animation Film Festival, Spain 2024
TRICKY WOMEN/TRICKY REALITIES, Austria 2024
Documentarist 17th Istanbul Documentary Days, Turkey 2024
15th edition of the Anibar International Animation Festival, Kosova 2024
17th International Animated Film Festival Animator, Poland 2024
22nd The world festival of animated film – IMAGINARIA, Italy 2024
18th Big Cartoon Festival, Russia 2024
10th Taichung International Animation Festival, China 2024
International Animated Film Festival Animocje, Poland 2024
11th Insomnia International Animation Film Festival, Russia 2024
4th Wazi Youth Film Festival, China 2024
16th Cyber Sousa Awards, China 2024
24th Animation Academy Awards, China 2024
15th Macau International Short Film Festival, China 2024
Manchester Animation Festival, United Kingdom 2023
Seoul Indie-AniFest 2023, Korea 2023
Cartoon Underground Independent Animation Festival, Singapore 2023
GIRAF 19 International Animation Festival, Canada 2023
Special Screening
22nd Animateka International Animated Film Festival - Jurilicious I, Slovenija 2025
KRUPA ART FOUNDATION, Poland 2025
15th StopTrik International Film Festival, Slovenia 2025
Suzdal Animation Festival - New Generation of Indie-animation in China, Russia 2025
Mulan International Film Festival, Lili vs. Leviathan programme, Canada 2024
Festival Allers-Retours Cinéma d'Auteur Chinois, Coming of Age programme, France 2024
China International Design Museum & China Academy of Art & Jilin Animation Institute - The Scholarly Heritage & Cultural Spirit of Chinese Animation, China 2025
15th Beijing International Film Festival - Feinaki Animation Week Special Screening – Section B: The Warmth at Your Fingertips, China 2025
FIRST International Film Festival & Berlinale & The Feuerle Collection (TFC) – Traces of the Future, German 2025
Goethe-Institut China & Nanjing University of the Arts – Between Families: Sino-German Family Film Screening, China 2025
Chiang Mai·Nowhere Bookstore - Chinese Director Short Film Collection: Public Brain and Burning Ties, Thailand 2024
Beijing UCCA Lab – A Thousand Cities, Myriad Visions: CG Digital Art Exhibition, China 2024
Sinan Mansons & Fuxing Park - RPDC Design Week, Fenaki Special Sreening, China 2024
REDCAT Experimental Animation Showcase, USA 2023
Credits
Sound Desgin & Score:
Squash & Biscuit
Director Assistant:
AA Cheng, Emi Sun
International Sales:
(rights exclude Mainland China)
Inwave Films
Clean up & Coloring:
Ruilin Fan, Yuxi Wang,Yuxin Tian, Haiqing Qi, Monica Moura, Yindan Lai, Emily Yue, Moon Wang, Yameng Deng, Eaven Harrington, Rika Nakayama
Special Thanks:
Kangmin Kim, Pia Borg, Jamie Wolfe, Lilli Carre, Mi Chai, Lei Lei, Maureen Selwood, Alejandra Molina Rios, Zhen Li, My MFA 3's, CalArts Student Union
Shidong Zhang & Mengning Tong
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