“Tahlequah the Whale: A Dance of Grief” is an award-winning animated short film from Meinart Animation Studio and writer & director Daniel Kreizberg. In the aftermath of her newborn baby’s sudden death, orca mother Tahlequah carries her daughter’s body across the Salish Sea in the incredible true story that captivated the world. More information about the movie: https://tahlequahthewhale.com/
**WINNER – “Special Mention” – 18º Animayo International Film Festival, Gran Canaria, Spain**
WINNER – “Honorable Mention” – 2023 Jackson Wild Media Awards, Jackson Hole, USA
WINNER – Canuto Prize for “Best Documentary for Children” – 18º DocsMX International Doc Festival, Mexico City, Mexico
WINNER – Student Jury Prize for “Best LFF for Future” film – 19º Lucca Film Festival, Lucca, Italy
WINNER – “Best Short by a First-Time Filmmaker” – 3º Next Generation Indie Film Awards, LA, USA
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – 32º St. Louis International Film Festival, St. Louis, USA**
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – 21º Tirana International Film Festival, Tirana, Albania**
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 42º Enkarzine Film Festival, Basque Country, Spain
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 25º Marseille International Music & Cinema Festival, Marseille, France
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 25º Ismailia International Film Festival, Ismailia, Egypt
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 5º Blue Water Film Festival, San Diego, USA
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 20º International Ocean Film Festival, San Francisco, USA
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 8º Blon Animation and Games Festival, Klaipėda, Lithuania
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 7º SANFICI-Santander Film Festival, Santander, Columbia
NOMINEE – 2023 Movie Music UK Awards – “Best Original Score for an Animated Film” – LA, USA
FINALIST (2x) – “Best Animated Short” & “Best Original Score” – 3º Next Gen. Indie Film Awards, LA, USA
SHORTLIST (2x) – “Animation” & “Changing the World Frame by Frame” – 2023 Young Director Awards, Cannes, France
**denotes an Oscar-qualifying film festival**
As one of the award-winning films at Animayo, Tahlequah was featured in the “Best of Animayo” tour, with screenings at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, and at the LightBox Expo at the historic Pasadena Civic Auditorium.