THE 30TH EDITION OF ANIMAC KICKS OFF WITH THE AWARD OF THE HONORARY AWARD TO NORA TWOMEY AND THE ANIMATION MASTER AWARD TO ANDREAS HYKADE

The opening ceremony included recognition of the historical promoters of Animac in its 30th edition and the participation of Joanna Quinn, Carles Grangel and Ron Dyens in the ceremony and in the presentation of the Animac Awards

The day began with the first session of Incubator, Animac’s professional space in which embryonic animation projects were presented to a panel of experts

The Animated Palestine session with Joanna Quinn was held, an event that reinforces the exhibition’s commitment to animation as a committed language

The 30th edition of Animac, the International Animation Film Festival of Catalonia, organized by the Lleida City Council, started today with the opening day at the Teatro de La Llotja, where the Honorary Award was awarded to the Irish Nora Twomey (Cork City, 1971) and the Animation Master Award to the German creator Andreas Hykade (Altötting, 1968).

Twomey is a director, screenwriter and producer, partner and creative director of Cartoon Saloon, an internationally recognized studio. His filmography is characterized by a sensitive and brave look, with special attention to childhood, social conflicts, memory and the characters’ capacity for resistance.

He has co-directed the feature film “The Secret of Kells” (2009), nominated for the Oscars. She has also served as head of story and voice director in “Song of the Sea” (2014), also nominated for the Oscar Awards. Her first feature film as a director was “The Breadwinner” (2017), a film nominated for the Oscars and the Golden Globes and distinguished with various international recognitions. Most recently, he directed “My Father’s Dragon” (2022), a Netflix original animated feature film.

Nora Twomey has been very satisfied to be at Animac and has assured that receiving the award “is a great honor, especially on the 30th anniversary of the Show”. He has also highlighted “the beautiful connection between Ireland and Catalonia” and has underlined the importance of events like this for the sector: “Festivals are essential for young people starting out, for the consolidated industry and for creating new connections. Animation has always faced challenges, but it has moved forward because it is a very open and collaborative community. Festivals like Animac are really important for the entire European industry.”

As part of the tribute, Animac will program a retrospective of Twomey’s most representative works and will include his participation in various activities, including a masterclass aimed at students and professionals in the sector.

Another of the protagonists of the inaugural session is the filmmaker and animator Andreas Hykade, who has received the Animation Master Award. Hykade is considered one of the most personal voices in contemporary European auteur animation, with more than thirty years of experience and a filmography recognized with titles such as “We Lived in Grass” (1995), “Ring of Fire” (2000), “The Runt” (2005), “Love & Theft” (2010), “Nuggets” (2015) and “Altötting” (2020), selected and awarded in numerous international festivals.

Hykade has stated that it is “a great pleasure and a joy” to receive the award, remembering that forty years ago he discovered the art of animation precisely at a festival: “I saw the art of animation and it captured me forever. I decided to dedicate my life to it”. Four decades later, he noted, this recognition “gives me hope that the work I do continues to connect with people.” The German filmmaker has also highlighted that he has known and followed Animac for a long time, and has defined it as “a source of inspiration for Spain and for people from all over the world who want to discover what is happening in the art of animation.”

Animac has scheduled a retrospective for tonight that covers the main stages of his career and the winner will also give a masterclass during the exhibition.

The director of Animac, Carolina López, has explained that the motto “Things Change” responds to “a paradigm shift that is not only technological, but also climatic and political”, and has highlighted that “artists act as catalysts for these concerns, reflecting them through humor and empathy”. López has stressed that in the films received there is “a great concern for war conflicts and totalitarianisms”, but also for “diversity, solidarity and dissident motherhood, the freedom to decide if you want to be a mother and the necessary spaces to be able to create”.

In the opening ceremony, presented by the communicator Xavi Menós, tribute was paid to Joan Pena and Jordi Alfonso, students who promoted the project in its beginnings, and to Antoni Cargat, then director of the Municipal School of Fine Arts of Lleida, who recalled that origin stating: “Animac was born as a baby with a soul and, thirty years later, it still has that same soul. I believe that Animac’s success is due precisely to that soul.”

The animators Joanna Quinn and Carles Grangel also participated in the opening ceremony, who presented the Animac Awards.

One of the surprises of the ceremony was the appearance of Ron Dyens, who congratulated Animac on its 30th anniversary.

The opening ceremony featured the live audiovisual creation LOCUS, a performance created exclusively for the inauguration of Animac’s 30th anniversary by the innovative Catalan artistic group Hamill Industries. The piece includes the motto “Things Change”, blurring the boundaries between the digital and the physical.

You could also see the Catalan premiere of Cartoon Saloon’s latest short film, “Éiru”, by Giovanna Ferrari.

Incubator

Today also took place the first session of Incubator, Animac’s professional space in which embryonic animation projects were presented to a panel of experts, with the aim of helping them grow and strengthen ties with the industry. These are projects in the development, production or post-production phase, presented to a panel of prominent professionals from the animation industry in pitch format.

As a novelty, the 12 selected projects compete for the Incubator Award, financed by the Fundació de les Arts de Lleida, which aims to offer greater projection, visibility and support to future animation projects. The call has received more than 110 national and international registrations. Tomorrow the second session will be held.

Animated Palestine with Joanna Quinn

This afternoon we could also see the session Animated Palestine with the participation of Joanna Quinn, double Oscar nominee, within the framework of a proposal that supports the Palestinian animation community and focuses on the power of animated language to tell and sustain stories in contexts of vulnerability. In this context, Animation Community for Palestine (AC4PAL) emerges, an international group made up of artists, educators and curators that promotes actions to support the Palestinian animation community. Animac has presented a selection that combines works from Haneen Koraz’s workshops and pieces made within the framework of To Gaza with Love.

Animations that demonstrate that, even in contexts of extreme devastation, art continues to be a form of resistance, care and hope.

From Tuesday until today, Animac has also hosted the intensive workshop with Joanna Quinn at the EAM Leandre Cristòfol. For three days, the students have been able to delve into their creative process and cartoon drawing techniques through direct experience with a key author on the European scene. The workshop has reinforced the link between the exhibition and training and emerging talent in the territory.

Professional sessions: MIA and Grangel Studio

Another of the strong points of this afternoon was the professional activity with the association MIA (Women in the Animation Industry), in a session focused on the role of women in the industry and the actions they promote to transform the sector. The session was led by Eva Pérez Misa, screenwriter and creator of animated series such as “Los Wawies” and “Zebra con polka dots”, who shared her professional experience.

Next, the meeting was also held to commemorate the 40 years of Grangel Studio, founded in Barcelona and considered one of the most influential studios in the design of characters for animation, with a consolidated international career. His career is closely linked to DreamWorks Animation, where he has contributed to emblematic titles such as “The Prince of Egypt”, “Madagascar”, “Spirit” and “Kung Fu Panda”, and has also collaborated with directors such as Tim Burton and Guillermo del Toro.

 

Four days of programming

With the official opening, the 30th edition of Animac 2026 launches a program that includes screenings, retrospectives, conferences, workshops, installations and professional activities that will turn Lleida into the epicenter of contemporary animation.

The exhibition has the support of CaixaForum Lleida, the Fundació de les Arts de Lleida, the Ministry of Culture (ICAA), the Provincial Council of Lleida (IEI) and the ICEC of the Department of Culture of the Generalitat of Catalonia.