30/05/2024 - The short films directed by Iranian duo Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani and by Guatemala's Pablo León thus have direct access to the Oscars pre-selection in their category

The 19th edition of Animayo Gran Canaria, International Film Festival of Animation, Visual Effects and Video Games, has this week announced its list of award winners, the starting signal for Animayo Itinerante, a journey around the world to places like Los Angeles, Madrid, Barcelona, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, India, Brussels, Italy, Prague, Chicago, Belgrade, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Korea, Mexico and Portugal.

Animayo is the first and only animation competition in Spain to be designated as a Qualifying Festival by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Oscars. Therefore, the works awarded with the Animayo International Grand Jury Award and Best Spanish-speaking Country Short Film: Animación con Ñ (for countries where Spanish is the official language) get put directly on the coveted Oscar short-film shortlist in the category of Best Animated Short Film. In addition, the Grand Jury Award receives €3,000 and an honorary trophy.

During the on-site format of Animayo Gran Canaria 2024, held in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria from 8-11 May, the film festival opened the doors of Hollywood to the Iranian film In the Shadow of the Cypress by writer-directors Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani, winner of the Grand Award from the International Jury, chaired by the USA's John Musker. This 2D short film exposes the after-effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and the complicated family relationships involved in suffering the psychological consequences of war.

The Animayo winner of the Best Spanish-speaking Country Short Film: Animación con Ñ is also in the running for an Oscar. This year it went to Remember Us, scripted and directed by Guatemala's Pablo León and also in 2D: a Colombian-US production that follows a journalist who documents the experiences of three people who lived through the tragic Salvadoran Civil War in the 1980s, exploring themes such as the loss of childhood, violence against women and the indigenous population.

And for the fifth consecutive year, the Official International Competition Section Mi Primer Festival was included, with the 3D short film LUKi & the Lights by Toby Cochran (USA/Netherlands) being awarded after the vote of children aged five and over and young people who attended the screening of a selection of international animated short films where social values were promoted. The Animayo Gran Canaria 2024 Audience Award went to the 2D short film El ombligo de la luna by Sara António, Julia Grupińska, Bokang Koatja, Tian Westraad and Ezequiel Garibay, students of Gobelins School (France).

A total of 18 awards and two Special Mentions were awarded, as detailed below:

List of official winners

International Jury

Grand Jury Award
In the Shadow of the Cypress - Hossein Molayemi, Shirin Sohani (Iran)

Best 2D
In the Shadow of the Cypress - Hossein Molayemi, Shirin Sohani

Best 3D
Ruthless Blade - Zhang Bo, Nicolas Nemiri (China)

Best Stop Motion
A Rapariga de olhos grandes e o Rapaz de pernas compridas - Maria Hespanhol (Portugal)

Best Scriptwriting
Orage - Benoît Michelet (France)

Best Art Direction
Summer 96 - Mathilde Bédouet (France)

Best Student Short Film
El ombligo de la luna - Sara António, Julia Grupińska, Bokang Koatja, Tian Westraad, Ezequiel Garibay (Gobelins School, France)

Best Comedy
Todo bien - Diana Acién Manzorro (Spain)

Best VFX (Visual Effects)
Beauty - Aitana Belda, Aroa Celdrán, Carmen Castrelo, Carla Martinez, Lewis Sánchez (Spain)

Best Independent Short Film
To Bird or Not to Bird - Martín Romero (Spain)

Best New Talent
O Estado de Alma - Sara Naves (Portugal/Spain)

Best Social Awareness Short Film
Raja - Louisa Maria Würden, Franziska von Holst (Germany)

International Jury - Best Spanish-speaking Country Short Film category: Animación con Ñ
Remember Us - Pablo León (Colombia/Guatemala/USA)

Special Mention of the Spanish Jury for Best Social Awareness
Daisy - Aditi Dixit, Shecid Domínguez Aguilera, Joffrey Atienza Zamora (Spain)

Special Mention of the Spanish Jury for Best Art Direction
Beauty - Aitana Belda, Aroa Celdrán, Carmen Castrelo, Carla Martinez, Lewis Sánchez

International Jury in the Video Games Cinematic, Commissioned and Music Videos category

Best Advert/Commissioned
G’day, the short film - Michael Gracey (Australia)

Best Music Video
Colmillo (Tainy, J Balvin, Young Miko, Jowell & Randy) - Pau Carreté (Spain)

Best Video Game Cinematic
Magic: The Gathering, Dawn of the Phyrexian Invasion - Axis Studios, Wizards of the Coast (UK)

Audience Awards

Children & Youth Audience Award - Mi Primer Festival
LUKi & the Lights - Toby Cochran (USA/Netherlands)

Adult Audience Award
El ombligo de la luna - Sara António, Julia Grupińska, Bokang Koatja, Tian Westraad, Ezequiel Garibay

(Translated from Spanish)