“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 – Best Kids Film, 53º Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival – Potsdam, Germany
WINNER – 8x Telly Awards (1x GOLD, 6x SILVER & 1x BRONZE), 45º Telly Awards – USA
WINNER – Honorable Mention, 2023 Jackson Wild Media Awards – Jackson Hole, USA
WINNER – Special Mention, 24º Festival International de Cortometrajes Cine a la Calle – Barranquilla, Colombia
WINNER – Animation Award, 20º International Ocean Film Festival – San Francisco, USA
**WINNER – Special Mention, 18º Animayo International Film Festival – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain**
WINNER – Canuto Prize, Best Documentary for Children, 18º DocsMX International Documentary Festival – Mexico City, Mexico
WINNER – Grand Jury Prize, Best Animated Film, 5º Blue Water Film Festival – San Diego, USA
WINNER – Student Jury Prize, Best LFF for Future, 19º Lucca Film Festival – Lucca, Italy
WINNER – Best Short by a First-Time Filmmaker, 3º Next Generation Indie Film Awards – Los Angeles, USA
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 43º Breckenridge Film Festival – Breckenridge, USA
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 42º Enkarzine Film Festival – Zalla, Spain
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – 32º St. Louis International Film Festival – St. Louis, USA**
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 27º Gran Paradiso Film Festival – Cogne, Italy
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 25º Marseille International Music & Cinema Festival – Marseille, France
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 25º Ismailia International Film Festival – Ismailia, Egypt
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 23º NaturVision Film Festival – Ludwigsburg, Germany
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 22º Wildlife Vaasa International Nature Film Festival – Vaasa, Finland
**OFFICIAL SELECTION – 21º Tirana International Film Festival – Tirana, Albania**
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 10º Korea International Ocean Film Festival – Busan, South Korea
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 8º Valencia International Human Rights Film Festival – Valencia, Spain
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 8º Blon Animation and Games Festival – Klaipėda, Lithuania
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 7º SANFICI-Santander Film Festival – Santander, Columbia
OFFICIAL SELECTION – 2º Animal Nature Future Film Festival – London, UK
NOMINEE – Audience Award, 18º Green Screen International Wildlife Film Festival – Eckernförde, Germany
NOMINEE – Best Original Score for an Animated Film, 2023 Movie Music UK Awards
NOMINEE – Best Original Score for a Short Film, 11º Reel Music Awards
SHORTLIST – 2023 Young Director Awards – Cannes, France
SHORTLIST – 2024 1.4 Awards – London, UK

**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.