Celebrating the pageant’s twentieth anniversary, Animayo Gran Canaria has firmly established itself as a worldwide middle in animation, visible results, and video video games. Based by filmmaker Damián Perea, the pageant has change into a cultural cornerstone in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the capital metropolis of Gran Canaria, certainly one of Spain’s Canary Islands situated off the coast of northwestern Africa.
The in-person pageant ran Could 7-10; the web portion extends till October.
With over 380,000 residents and a wealthy mix of pure magnificence and Spanish heritage, Gran Canaria gives a surprising backdrop for this worldwide pageant. For Perea, who was born and raised on the island, this yr’s milestone holds particular that means. “This newest version was designed to encourage, inspire, educate, and nurture the unimaginable expertise of the island the place I used to be born and raised — la isla de mi vida, right here in Gran Canaria,” he says.
To commemorate its two-decade journey, Animayo Gran Canaria featured the world unique of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ exhibition “Whimsy & Surprise.” The showcase celebrated the inventive contributions of seven girls whose artistic work has formed Disney’s storytelling legacy. Amongst them: Mary Blair, a famed determine in animation historical past, alongside modern abilities Lorelay Bové, Lisa Keene, Brittney Lee, Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay, Josie Trinidad, and Fawn Veerasunthorn. “This exhibition was probably the most inspiring highlights of our in-person section anniversary version,” Perea provides.
Over the previous 20 years, Animayo’s competitors has seen exceptional development. “This yr, we obtained over 2,000 quick movies from 84 international locations. Fifty-four distinctive works from 19 nationalities competed within the Official Part,” says Perea. “Two of our awards — Worldwide Jury Animated Brief Movie Class and Worldwide Jury Spanish-Language Animated Brief Movie Class — “Animación con Ñ” — are Oscar-qualifying classes.”
Featured animation strategies included 3D, 2D, stop-motion, rotoscopy, VFX, and hand-crafted strategies. Colleges and studios resembling Gobelins, CalArts, Filmakademie, SVA, Ringling, and U-TAD had been among the many 153 establishments represented, solidifying Animayo as a worldwide platform for rising expertise.
Perea, who left a profitable promoting profession to pursue his ardour for animation, has change into synonymous with the pageant. As a filmmaker, he was nominated for a Goya Award for Podría Ser Peor (It May Be Worse), the primary stop-motion quick movie produced within the Canary Islands. His most up-to-date co-production, Cafuné, earned the Goya Award for finest animated quick movie this yr.
Perea instructed the Golden Globes, “Gran Canaria and the broader Canary Islands are gaining worldwide recognition as a artistic epicenter for animation, visible results, and digital storytelling,” he notes, citing the area’s rising assist for the audiovisual sector.
Reflecting this cultural renaissance, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has formally submitted its candidacy for European Capital of Tradition 2031, beneath the banner of “Revolt of Geography.”
Training and expertise growth have all the time been on the coronary heart of Animayo’s mission. “From the start, we’ve centered on nurturing younger expertise,” Perea explains. “We train youngsters to develop a number of expertise by means of audiovisual arts, giving them a basis for future success.”
Many of those younger creatives go on to earn scholarships. This yr alone, the Animayo Expertise Scholarship program grants over €600,000 in scholarships to Spanish and worldwide universities just like the SVA in New York — and the creatives are sometimes recruited by studios attending the pageant in quest of rising expertise.
Trying again on the final twenty years, Perea says, “We started with a single visitor — our godfather, indie animation icon Invoice Plympton — and at the moment we host greater than 50 worldwide professionals who lead workshops, masterclasses, panels, and expertise recruitment classes.”
All the pieces Perea has achieved has helped rework Animayo Gran Canaria into a hit story — one which continues to encourage, educate, and elevate voices in animation throughout the globe.