Spain, Brazil, and Portugal boast the highest number of finalist entries
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 19 Mar. (Europa Press) –
A total of 26 entries featuring the participation of ten Ibero-American nations will contend in the eighth edition of the Quirino Animation Awards. The winners will be revealed on May 10 at a ceremony in the city of San Cristóbal de la Laguna.
Established in 2018 to promote animation across the 23 countries in the Ibero-American region, the Quirino Awards are primarily sponsored by the Cabildo de Tenerife through Turismo de Tenerife.
Spain leads with 12 nominations, followed by Brazil with eight, Portugal with five, and Chile with three. Argentina and Mexico each have two nominations, while Cuba, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay complete the finalists’ list with one nomination each, according to a council press release.
Lope Afonso, the vice president and tourism advisor of the Cabildo, remarked on the “opportunity” the Quirino Awards represent for the island, celebrating the talent generated in the past year within animation production.
“These awards also serve as a boost for cultural and economic activity and innovation. We continue to make strides toward the revitalisation and diversification of Tenerife’s economy. Collective effort remains essential,” he added.
About the awards
From 263 submissions, the finalist entries compete for honours in seven principal categories (feature film, series, short film, school short film, commissioned work, video game animation, and music video), as well as in one or more of the three technical categories (visual development, animation design, and sound design and original music).
Spanish animation reaffirms its “leadership” in the region, receiving all nominations for feature and short films. In contrast, Chile, Portugal, and Argentina lead the series, short film, and music video categories, each with two candidates. Brazil has garnered five nominations across the three technical categories.
The jury responsible for selecting the winners includes American producer Ben Kalina from the Titmouse studio, Spanish researcher and programmer Carolina López Caballero, and Helena Nylander, the Children’s Acquisition Executive at the Swedish public broadcaster SVT.
The panel also features Brazilian animator, screenwriter, and animation director Daniel Bruson, along with Leyla Formoso, the executive director of the French distributor and production company Prime Entertainment Group.
The finalists by category
The three entries vying for best feature film are from Spain. Directed by Pedro Solís and Juan Jesús García “Galo”, “Buffalo Kids” is an adventure film set in the far-reaching American West and became the second highest-grossing Spanish film in 2024.
Co-directed by Javier Mariscal and Fernando Trueba, “They Shot the Piano Player” is an animated thriller that investigates the disappearance of Brazilian pianist Tenorio Jr. during the Argentine military dictatorship.
The finalist list is completed by “Black Butterflies”, an animated documentary by Canarian director David Baute that follows the forced migration of three women due to the climate crisis. It was awarded the Goya for best animated film last February.
In the best series category, two titles are competing for top recognition. After winning the trophy in this category for the last two editions of the Quirino, the preschool musical series “Jasmine & Jambo” aims to clinch the award once more with its third season, also produced by Catalan Teidees Audiovisuals and directed by Cortés Sílvia.
The Brazilian series “Irmão do Jorel” by Juliano Enrico, winner of best series in 2019, is back as a finalist with its fifth season, produced by Copa Studio in collaboration with Warner Bros Discovery.
Two Chilean entries complete the finalists’ list in this category: “First – Season 1”, directed by Bambú Orellana and Paloma Mora, produced by Typpo Creative Lab in co-production with the Valencian TV on Producciones and Admirable Films, and “Wow Lisa – Season 1”, directed by Antonia Herrera and María Elisa Soto-Aguilar with Punkrobot production.
Portuguese animation leads the best short film category with two finalists. Directed by André Carrilho and produced by Blablabla Media, “Os Velhinhos” has been selected for over 75 festivals globally, while “Percebs”, directed by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves, produced by BAP Animation Studios in collaboration with French Ikki Films, received the glass award for best short film at Annecy 2024.
Completing the finalists list is “Los Carpanychos”, directed by Alfredo Soderguit and produced by Uruguayan Palermo Studios in collaboration with French Autour de Minuit and the Chilean film.
