Congratulations to Team Cereal Studio, students of the School of Digital Media and Cinematic Arts, whose first animated short, "QA'A," won the Thai Best Animation 2026 award at the Phulae International Animation Festival 2026. The competition received more than 2,029 entries from 85 countries around the world.
The festival is held under a community capacity-building project aimed at developing the area into a city of art. It gives emerging animators from around the world an opportunity to present their work to the public, and serves as a platform for developing Thailand's animation talent to international standards.
Cereal Studio Team Members
- Phunnarryn Sahavattarnakorn (Elle), Producer / Modeler / Editor
- Atirat Bunchot (Cake), Director / Concept Artist / Modeler / Texture Artist / Animator
- Varisa Nanjanthuek (Earn), Script Writer / Concept Artist / Modeler / Texture Artist / Editor
- Benyapa Ngammuean (Bow), Script Writer / Concept Artist / Previsual Artist / Animator
- Kewalin Ariyadech (Kam), Script Writer / Concept Artist / Modeler / Previsual Artist / Animator / VFX Artist
- Penpitcha Tanant (Cat), Concept Artist / Visual Development Artist / Previsual Artist / VFX Artist
- Thunyaporn Kaewsang (Lyn), Storyboard Artist / Rigger / Previsual Artist / Animator
- Attapol Dolmin (James), Storyboard Artist / Concept Artist / Modeler / Previsual Artist / Animator / 3D SLR Artist
- Titipong Limratchatkul (Tae), Storyboard Artist / Modeler / Previsual Artist / Animator / 3D SLR Artist
- Phumrapee Somtha (Lotter), Modeler / Rigger / Previsual Artist / Animator / Technical Artist
- Kongburin Sakphisit (Klong), Previsual Artist / Animator / 3D SLR Artist / Technical Artist / VFX Artist / Compositor / Colorist / Editor
- Pawarit Tuanphusa (Yeen), Concept Artist / Modeler / Previsual Artist / Animator / 3D SLR Artist / VFX Artist
- Nitikorn Phoseesin (Mickey), Sound Designer / Foley Artist / Mixing and Mastering
- Harid Aleeishok (Rich), Music Composer / Mixing and Mastering
Synopsis of "QA'A"
The animation tells the story of an old man who hires a young soldier to guide him to the deepest part of a pyramid so that he can end his own life, promising to give the soldier all of his treasure in return. The two must pass through numerous traps inside the pyramid until they reach the final chamber and encounter the Sphinx. The story then takes a twist: the young soldier is tricked into becoming the Sphinx's replacement, in exchange for the old man being restored to youth. The work reflects human greed and serves as a reminder not to place too much trust in others.
The story was inspired by the team's fondness for Egyptian culture, combined with a fantasy world and action. After the whole team voted, the result was a story that blends culture, a fantasy world, and treasure hunting.
Challenges in Creating the Work
A team representative said the greatest challenge was solving problems on the spot. Animation takes a long time to produce, while the submission deadline was approaching, so the team had to adjust the work to submit on time while keeping the story clear. In addition, some parts of the work were things no member had done before, so they had to research intensively, especially in learning various software programs and solving problems immediately as obstacles arose.
What Made the Work Stand Out
A team representative said, "We guess it was probably the content of the story. Many groups focused on beautiful visuals, but our team focused on storytelling that audiences can easily understand and follow along with as they watch."
Advice for Those Interested in Submitting Work
"If you don't know where to start, just begin doing it, and you'll figure out what to do next. Make the work fun first, so you feel motivated to do it, and then push the work as far as it can go."
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