Animayo achieves a second category to qualify for the Oscars

Antonio Morales and Damián Perea, yesterday, during the announcement of this new category to qualify. / EFE

The Gran Canaria festival becomes the only one in the world that will do so with animation works in Spanish regardless of their nationality

The International Animation Festival
Animayo announced this Tuesday that it has become the
second europe animation festival qualifying with two of its categories to the preselection of the
Oscar awards and the only one in the world that does so with animation works in Spanish, whatever the nationality of the film.

As explained in a press conference by the director of Animayo,
Damian Pereathe Academy has communicated this fact to them by official letter that they have received during the recent celebration of the face-to-face phase of their
17th edition.

Thus, the winner as
Best Short Film in Spanish -Animation with Ñ, in the Palmares Oficial Animayo- obtains a direct pass to the pre-selection of the prizes
Oscar for best animated short film.

Already
since 2018the Gran Canaria animation festival qualified for the pre-selection of this category of the Oscars through the winners of the
Grand Prize of the Animayo International Jury.

Perea pointed out that this news is the result of responsibility, work and the fact that each year they receive
2,300 movies of which they select 10 that have characteristics
"very solid" And they come from all over the planet.

The way to follow

To achieve this achievement, Damián Perea explained that you have to send an application and, among the requirements, you must have a festival
with at least five years of experience and a prestigious international jury in each edition, as well as the number of films that reach us».

"We are among those who
more we receive and view. The Academy is looking for a festival that has a wide range and, for this, the Canary Islands are a bridge between Europe, Africa and America", said the director of Animayo, who also pointed out that the American Film Academy is also looking for
"avoid inbreeding" in the pre-selected ones and that, for this, Animayo is useful to them because it receives films that can come from Nigeria, through Africa or even Australia.

It is, Damián Perea abounded, the
first time that this qualification is awarded to a
Spanish-speaking festival.

Assessment of the Cabildo

For his part, the president of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria,
Anthony Morales, pointed out that Animayo is a proposal that has contributed "a great deal and in an extraordinary way" to the island's audiovisual sector in the
last 17 years because it is, in his opinion, a showcase for employment in the emerging audiovisual sector.

"It is without a doubt one of the events in the film industry that gives Gran Canaria the most visibility and also
is unique in Europe», said the president of Gran Canaria, who has valued the participation of society in the Festival, both during the screenings and in the phase in which some of the works are presented in the
schools and institutes.

According to Morales, Animayo has had a
“very important dynamizing effect” for the audiovisual sector on the island since 17 years ago «there were practically no companies dedicated to this sector and today there are more than 20».

Figures of the 17th edition

The contest enjoyed in the edition held until last weekend with a total attendance of
15,610 people.

A particularly promising figure when we consider that it is a return to absolute presence, marked by a clear interest in events such as master classes with
2,304 attendees; the 235 interviews of recruitment left by 53 candidates who aspire to join companies such as Skydance Animation, The SPA Studios or Platige Image; or the more than
€500,000 available in scholarships in first level educational institutions such as U-tad, UDEM and ESCAV. Furthermore, they were
1,716 participants in the contest international works, of which only
63 were elected.

the winners

The short film awarded with the Grand Jury Prize Animayo Gran Canaria 2022 was
and 'Prisoner Outside' by Igor Medvedev(Germany).

It is about a prisoner whose confinement and loneliness lead him to merge his imagination with the real world, an ability that he will take advantage of to try to escape from prison towards the longed-for freedom. An achievement that is accompanied by an award
3,000 euros. His biggest prize, however, is the direct pass to the
Shortlisted for the Oscars in the category of Best Animated Short Film.

For its part, the title recognized as Best Short Film in Spanish 'Animación con Ñ' was
'Leopold the bar', by Diego Porralwhich is also now in the running for the Oscar.