SMILE is an independent studio making animations, games and stories worth telling. Founded by award-winning animation director-producer Alek Wasilewski with a singular ethos – to create art as closest to the source as possible. No middlemen, no bloat, no committees to please. Creativity at its purest.
Our studio thrives on remote collaboration, having formed creative partnerships with some of the world’s finest talents to bring any creative vision to life at its best potential.
We animate, really like 2D hand-drawn animation but don’t limit to it. We develop videogames. We make music videos, animated trailers, commercials, short films. Work on animated series. We produce and co-produce. We craft narratives, storyboard, create artwork, be it standalone or as assets for film and games.
From inception of an idea to its final delivery, we do it all.
Selected awards and screenings
2024:
* Berlin Music Video Awards (Ghoultown – I Am The Undead)
2020:
* Anifilm (Coheed and Cambria – Toys)
* O!PLA Ogólnopolski Festiwal Polskiej Animacji – Second Prize (Coheed and Cambria – Toys)
2019:
* Digital Dragons – Best Indie Game (Tsioque)
* Pixel Heaven – Winner – Best Audio (Tsioque)
* Pixel Heaven – Nominee – Indie Grand Prix (Tsioque)
* Pixel Heaven – Nominee – Best Narrative (Tsioque)
* Pixel Heaven – Nominee – Retro Roots (Tsioque)
2018:
* Barcelona Games World – Games Startup Competition – Winner – Best PC Game (Tsioque)
2014:
* Big Cartoon Festival (LDF)
2013:
* Play Poland Film Festival (LDF)
* Shanghai International Film Festival (LDF)
* O!PLA Ogólnopolski Festiwal Polskiej Animacji – First Prize (LDF)
* Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival – Grand Prize (LDF)
* Trieste Film Festival (LDF)
2012:
* Newgrounds.com – Movie of the Year (LDF)
* Oslo Short Cuts 2012 International Short Film Festival (LDF)
* Monsters & Martians Science Fiction Film Festival (LDF)
* Animation Film Festival Animated Dreams (LDF)
* Computer Space International Computer Art Forum – Special Prize (LDF)
* International Animated Film Festival TINDIRINDIS 2012 (LDF)
* International Film Festival Ars Independent (LDF)
* Asolo Art Film Festival (LDF)
* 19. International Festival of Animated Film Stuttgart 2012 (LDF)
* SCI-FI LONDON Film Festival (LDF)
* 28 Festival du Cinema Européen de Lille (LDF)
* Ogólnopolski Festiwal Autorskich Filmów Animowanych OFAFA (LDF)
2011:
* Se-Ma-For Film Festival – Festival Director Award (LDF)
* 30 Koszaliński Festiwal Debiutów Filmowych “Młodzi i Film” (LDF)
* Ljubljana International Short Film Festival (LDF)
* 11. IFF T-Mobile Nowe Horyzonty (LDF)
2008:
* Portobello Film Festival London (Hanged Man’s Elegy)
* Fest Anča – International Animation Festival (Hanged Man’s Elegy)
* XIV CARTOON CLUB – Festival Internazionale dell’Animazione e del Fumetto, Rimini (Hanged Man’s Elegy)
* VII Torino Flash Festival (Hanged Man’s Elegy)
* Zinebi – Festival Internacional De Cine Documental Y Cortometraje De Bilbao (Polsupah)
* East End Film Festival (Hanged Man’s Elegy)
* European Independent Film Festival (ÉCU 2008) – Best Animated Film (Hanged Man’s Elegy)
* Skopje Film Festival (Smile!, Polsupah, Hanged Man’s Elegy, 1001 Tips…, A Christmas Special…)
* Amatfest – Festival Neprofesionálnych Filmov (Polsupah)
2007:
* Anima Mundi – International Animation Festival of Brazil (Hanged Man’s Elegy)
* Krakowski Festiwal Filmowy (Hanged Man’s Elegy)
* The Greatest Story Never Told (TGSNT) Digital Storytelling Competition – Finalist (Hanged Man’s Elegy)
* International Flash Film Festival FLIK 2007 (Smile!)
* International Film Festival OSKARIADA 2007 (Hanged Man’s Elegy)
2006:
* MostraMundo The Moving Image Festival – Web – Best Script (Polsupah)
* MostraMundo The Moving Image Festival – Web – Best Photography (Hanged Man’s Elegy)
* The Greatest Story Never Told (TGSNT) Digital Storytelling Competition – Finalist (Polsupah)
* Festival de Cine Fantástico (FANT) (Polsupah)
* International Film Festival OSKARIADA 2006, Warsaw (Smile!, Polsupah)
* Ogólnopolski Festiwal Autorskich Filmów Animowanych OFAFA (Polsupah, Hanged Man’s Elegy)
2005:
* Bradford Animation Festival (BAF) – Best Web Animation (Polsupah)
* Flesztival CG and Animation Festival – Grand Prix (Smile!)
* II Festiwal Animacji “REANIMACJA”, Łódź (Smile!, Polsupah)
* I Krajowy Ponury Festiwal Animacji, Katowice (Smile!, Polsupah)
Talks and Exhibitions
2020:
Digital Dragons Academy (Poland)
2018:
Barcelona Games World (Poland)
2017:
Animocje (Poland)
Digital Cultures (Poland)
2013:
Akcja Animacja (Poland)
2012:
Computer Space (Bulgaria)
2011:
“Wihajster” exhibition (Poland)
2004:
“Out Of Site: Industrial” exhibition (Australia)