Nominees for the ninth edition of the Quirino Awards were unveiled Wednesday at the Instituto Cervantes in São Paulo, spotlighting the growth of the Ibero-American animation sector as Spain and Portugal dominate this year’s shortlist.
A total of 27 works from seven countries will compete at the awards, which will be held April 17 returning to its Santa Cruz de Tenerife base. Created in 2018 to promote animation across the region’s 23 countries in Latin America, Spain and Portugal, the Quirino Awards have emerged as a key platform for the sector, pairing the annual ceremony with industry initiatives including a co-production forum and professional development labs – all with the goal of action and conversation continuing throughout the year beyond the awards.
Spain leads this year’s nominations with 11 works, followed by Portugal with seven. Across Latin America, Argentina and Brazil place six and four titles respectively, while Colombia and Mexico land two each and Chile one.
Four films compete for best feature. Spain has two contenders: “Decorado,” the latest feature from Goya-winning filmmaker Alberto Vázquez, expanding on his earlier Quirino-winning short of the same name, and “Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake,” a stop-motion feature, and Catalonia’s first, directed by Irene Iborra which recently nabbed a Gaudi in Catalonia.
Brazil enters the race with “Heart of Darkness,” the debut feature from Rogério Nunes, inspired by Joseph Conrad’s canonical novella. Mexico’s “I Am Frankelda,” directed by brothers Arturo Ambriz and Roy Ambriz, completes the lineup. Produced by Cinema Fantasma, the gothic fantasy marks the first stop-motion animated feature produced in Mexico and builds on the filmmakers’ series “Frankelda’s Book of Spooks.”
‘Decorado’
‘Decorado,’ Credit: Abano Producións
In the series category, Brazil’s “Tainá and the Amazon’s Guardian,” directed by Natália Freitas, returns with its second season after winning the award in 2020. Spain’s globally exported preschool franchise “Pocoyó,” created by Guillermo García Carsí, competes with its sixth season. Other nominees include Colombia’s “There Is Something Behind You,” directed by Julián Gómez Reyes, and Mexico’s stop-motion comedy “Women Wearing Shoulder Pads,” created by Gonzalo Córdova.
Portugal, with its remarkable animation talent, stands out in the short film category with two nominees: “Because Today Is Saturday,” directed by Alice Eça Guimarães, and “Dog Alone,” by Marta Reis Andrade.
They are joined by Spain’s “The Quinta’s Ghost,” from James A. Castillo, and Argentina’s “Luz Diabla,” co-directed by Gervasio Canda, Paula Boffo and Patricio Plaza.
Recent winners at the Quirinos include the Oscar-nominated “Robot Dreams,” as well as “Nayola” and “Bob Cuspe – We Do Not Like People,” reflecting the awards’ growing visibility within the international animation landscape.
The event is backed by the Tenerife Island Council through Tenerife Tourism and the Tenerife Film Commission.
variety.com
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