23/04/2025 - Numerous international figures from the world of animation, video games and special effects will meet again to share their experiences with the new generation

Director of Animayo, Damián Perea, at the presentation of this year's edition

The 20th edition of Animayo Gran Canaria, taking place from 7 to 10 May, will feature more than 40 guests, including experts, artists and creators from studios, production companies and schools. They will all share their expertise through 14 masterclasses on directing, production, character design and VFX; five practical workshops focused on learning skills and abilities in storyboarding, concept art, dubbing and video games; 15 educational talks, two panel discussions, three author presentations, as well as school and talent stands and 18 hours of portfolio reviews and signing sessions with participating companies from the industry.

The event will also welcome distinguished guests, including American Sherry Gunther Shugerman, executive producer of The Simpsons, Family Guy and Rugrats; Lorelay Bové, Spanish visual development artist at Walt Disney Animation Studios, known for her work on Zootopia, Wreck it Ralph! and Tangled; Vanitha Rangaraju, Skydance Animation vice president of production operations and visual effects supervisor on Shrek, Madagascar and The Boss Baby; Bruce Anderson, Skydance Animation production manager, behind hits such as Lilo & Stitch, Pocahontas and Spellbound; Canadian Aaron Gilman of Steamroller Studios, a key executive director at the intersection of animation and visual effects on Avatar, Godzilla and Pacific Rim: Uprising; and American Terrence Masson, with more than 30 years of production experience, contributing to titles like The Empire Strikes Back, Interview with the Vampire and Titanic.

According to the director of Animayo Gran Canaria, Damián Perea, these star guests are here “to teach and motivate the new generation of animators”. These include Rémy Terreaux from France, animation supervisor at Fortiche Production and involved in projects such as Arcane, Emmy for Best Animated Series; Jordi Solanes, who has worked in Spain and London; Polish Magdalena Rudnicka, who is part of Platige Image, where she has coordinated visual effects on The Witcher, Shadow & Bone and Time Bandits; Yvon Jardel, from Rodeo FX (Canada), responsible for some of the most complex scenes in Stranger Things, Sonic and Ant-Man; Spaniard Ángela Iturriza, who has worked at Disney and Warner Bros; and Daniel Fernández Casas, professor at the Barcelona School of Film and Animation, nominated for the Annie Award for Best Character Design for Robot Dreams [+see also:
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Naturally, screenings will play a central role in the event. Animayo is the first and only Spanish film festival accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying event for the Oscars in the Animated Short Film category. Since 2022, it also held the unique distinction of being the only qualifying festival in the Spanish language. It will feature five official competition sections, with short films from Spain, the United States, Germany, England, Norway, France, Hong Kong, Poland, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay and Australia.

Also, not to be missed are the Fan Zone and Animayo Experiences, where attendees can visit talent stands, enjoy games in virtual environments and attend the presentation of Raúl García's latest book, Manual del artista de storyboard. Director, producer and animator with more than 40 years of experience, the Madrid-born, Los Angeles-based pioneer of international animation has produced countless globally recognised titles and has helped bridge the gap between European animation and major Hollywood studios.

(Translated from Spanish)