Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised May 23, 2026

A Bear Named Wojtek

A Bear Named Wojtek is a 2023 Scottish-Polish animated short film directed by Iain Gardner. The 28-minute animated film about the true story of Wojtek, the war bear, has been selected in various international film festivals, including the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and the Manchester Animation Film Festival. It also won a British Animation Award for Best Long Form Animation as well as a Venice TV Award for Best Animation. The film was first broadcast on BBC Alba on the 8th May 2024. It was shortlisted for the Best Animated Short Film category at the 97th Academy Awards.

Last revised
May 23, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
565 w
Citations
17
Source
Wikipedia ↗
A Bear Named Wojtek
Directed byIain Gardner
Written byWojciech Lepianka
Produced by
Starring
Edited by
  • Rachel Roberts
  • Will Winfield
Music byNormand Roger
Production
companies
Release dates
  • 10 August 2023 (2023-08-10) (Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival, United States)
1
Running time
28 minutes
Countries
LanguageEnglish

A Bear Named Wojtek is a 2023 Scottish-Polish animated short film directed by Iain Gardner.2 The 28-minute animated film about the true story3 of Wojtek, the war bear, has been selected in various international film festivals, including the Annecy International Animation Film Festival4 and the Manchester Animation Film Festival.5 It also won a British Animation Award for Best Long Form Animation6 as well as a Venice TV Award for Best Animation. The film was first broadcast on BBC Alba on the 8th May 2024.7 It was shortlisted for the Best Animated Short Film category at the 97th Academy Awards.8

Plot

A Bear Named Wojtek brings to life the extraordinary true story of a Syrian brown bear adopted by Polish soldiers during World War II. This half-hour animated short follows Wojtek from the Persian Desert to the Battle of Monte Cassino, where he becomes both a soldier and a symbol of resilience. As the soldiers forge an unbreakable bond with Wojtek, the film explores themes of friendship, identity, and the search for belonging in times of upheaval.

Awards

Year Festivals Award/Category Status
2023 Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival Best Animated Short9 Nominated
Manchester Animation Film Festival British Animated Short Film Award10 Nominated
2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival Competition - Best Television Film11 Nominated
Venice TV Awards Best Animation12 Won
Animasyros TV & Commissioned Films Competition Section13 Nominated
British Animation Award Best Long Form Animation14 Won
Portland Festival of Cinema Animation & Technology Best Score in a Short Animation15 Won
Spokane International Film Festival Audience Award for Best Animated Short16 Won
Animayo International Film Festival of Animation International Film17 Nominated
References

References

  1. "'A Bear Named Wojtek' Trailer Brings Incredible True Story to Attention". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  2. Scotland, Screen (2024-05-08). "BBC ALBA shares the epic journey of A Bear Named Wojtek in exclusive VE Day premiere". Screen Scotland. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  3. "'A Bear Named Wojtek' trailer brings heartfelt true story to life -". www.animationxpress.com. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  4. Zahed, Ramin. "'A Bear Named Wojtek' Director Iain Gardner Discusses His Lovingly Crafted Annecy-Selected Project". www.animationmagazine.net. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  5. "A Bear Named Wojtek". Manchester Animation Festival. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  6. "A Bear Named Wojtek / Mog's Christmas". British Animation Awards. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  7. "BBC ALBA - Mathan Leis an Ainm Wojtek/A Bear named Wojtek". BBC. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  8. https://deadline.com/2024/12/oscar-shortlists-2025-1236205248/
  9. "Illuminated Film Shares 'A Bear Named Wojtek' Trailer". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  10. "British Animated Short Film Award". Manchester Animation Festival. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  11. "Film d'animation catégorie Films de télévision : Un ours nommé Wojtek | Annecy Festival". www.annecyfestival.com (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  12. "Winners 2024". Venice TV Award (in German). Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  13. "ANIMASYROS powered by PPC 2024 – Official Selection". animasyros.gr. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  14. "2024 Archives". British Animation Awards. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  15. "Awards - Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology". 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  16. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  17. "Animayo | Summit, Conference and International Film Festival of Animation, Visual Effects and Video Games". www.animayo.com. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
External links