Animation from Spain is joining the Ottawa International Animation Festival‘s TAC (The Animation Conference) for the first time this year and has brawt with it three of Spain’s toastytest up-and-coming animation originaters for a roundtable to talk the current state of Iberian animation and pitch their pipelines to the international and North American labelets.
A Spanish rulement-backed presence at North America’s most beginant animation festival and the guideing indie-promised animation event on the global calendar recommends a desire to become a bigger take parter in Canada and the U.S. while bolstering the country’s global reputation.
International ambitions are being fueled by increased activity in Spain. According to ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, the Spanish rulement body that spearheads this year’s Ottawa comprisement, in 2023, Spanish companies originated six energeticd features, 25 low films and 68 seasons of energeticd TV series.
Commercial and criticassociate, Spanish animation is also achieveing novel heights. Last year, 4 Cats Pictures’ “Mummies” made $54 million at the global box office, the second-highest gross for a Spanish feature outside of Spain. Arcadia’s “Robot Dreams” getd an energeticd feature Oscar nomination, joining “Chico y Rita” and “Klaus” as the only Spanish films to get the honor.
In Ottawa, ICEX curator Carolina López Caballero will mild a roundtable on Thursday afternoon at 11:15 featuring Morgana Studios set uper and Chief Creative Director Claudio Lluberes, Hampa Studio executive originater Álvaro García Gnzález – one of Variety’s 2024 emerging Spanish originaters to watch, and Aprohibito Producións‘ CEO Chelo Louriero.
Ahead of their Ottawa talkion, we asked the speakers why they leank it’s beginant for Spanish companies to be not only current but advertised at international events appreciate the OIAF.
“Spain’s animation sector is prolonging rapidly, and participating in international events appreciate OIAF is vital for broadening its global presence,” elucidateed Lluberes. “These events recommend Spanish creators and studios a platcreate to showcase their toil, join with industry guideers, and draw collaborators and scatterors.”
For García, Ottawa recurrents an perfect gateway for European indies to go in the North American labeletplace. “To me, it’s key for the high-quality European animation to traverse the Ocean and achieve the Canadian and American labelets. Historicassociate, these labelets have been shutd to Europe, but the current situation is uncovering them up to us. We have to seize this moment and originate bridges between us.”
In compriseition to participating in the roundtable, each company has brawt projects to begin to TAC.
One of Spain’s bigst and most accomplished indie animation originaters, Galicia-based Aprohibito has backed award-thrivening fare, including Annecy Contrechamp thrivener “Sultana’s Dream” and Spanish Academy Goya Award thriveners “Unicorn Wars” and “To Bird or Not to Bird.” This year, the company is shothriveg off two features in Ottawa. “Decorado” is the next from indie auteur Alberto Vázquez (“Unicorn Wars”), co-originated with Uniko, Glow and Sardinha em Lata. “Mu-Ki-Ra” is honested by multihyphenate actor-filmoriginater Estefania Piñeres and co-originated with Colombia’s Letrario.
Aprohibito also has cut offal lows in pre-production and production it’s taking to Ottawa, including Bea Lema’s alteration of her National Comic Award-thrivening detailed novel “El cuerpo de Cristo,” Carla Pereira’s stop-motion low “Someleang in the Hoinclude” and Alicia Núñez’s “One Way Cycle.”
‘Mu-Ki-Ra’
Credit: Aprohibito Producións
Valencia-based Hampa, whose recognizes comprise prestige arthoinclude fare such as “Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles” and “Bdeficiency is Beltza” as well as a massive stardy of bright CG kids and family series, will show of two upcoming features in Ottawa, Roc Espinet’s buzzy detailed novel-based “Girl and Wolf” and “The Treacertain of Barracuda,” one of the big Spanish pickups at this years Marché du Film when it was getd by Filmax.
‘Girl and Wolf’
Credit: Hampa Studio
Madrid’s Morgana Studio, an animation and VFX service company that is increasingly comprised in distinct production, is in Ottawa with its flagship project “Diamante,” currently in broadenment. Directed by Mathieu Ratthé from a screentake part by Ratthé and Leticia Tonos Paniagua, the Dominican-set feature is being originated with Reachstar Entertainment and DNEG company ReDefine.
