ANIMAC AWARDS THE 2026 ANIMATION MASTER PRIZE TO CREATOR ANDREAS HYKADE

Filmmaker with international projection, signs a key authorial work within contemporary European author animation

His career includes a recognized filmography with titles such as “We Lived in Grass”, “Ring of Fire”, “The Runt”, “Love & Theft”, “Nuggets” and “Altötting”, awarded at numerous international festivals

The 30th edition of Animac, the International Animation Film Festival of Catalonia, organized by the Lleida City Council, which will be held in Lleida from February 20 to 23, 2026, awards the Animation Master 2026 Award to Andreas Hykade (Germany), one of the most personal and recognized creators of contemporary European auteur animation.

With a career spanning more than thirty years, Andreas Hykade has signed a renowned filmography that includes notable titles such as “We Lived in Grass” (1995), “Ring of Fire” (2000), “The Runt” (2005), “Love & Theft” (2010), “Nuggets” (2015) and “Altötting” (2020), works that They have been selected and awarded at numerous international festivals and have consolidated it as an essential voice within author animation.

In parallel, and especially based on his experience as a father, Hykade has developed an outstanding production aimed at children, among which the series “TOM & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam & Honey” stands out, which celebrated twenty years last year and has become one of the most popular children’s series in Germany. Throughout his career, he has also directed and collaborated in numerous productions by the Film Bilder studio.

In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Andreas Hykade works as head of animation direction at the Animationsinstitut of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, a public institution founded in 1991 and considered one of the leading film schools in Europe.

As a filmmaker, teacher and collaborator with other creators such as Regina Pessoa or Julia Ocker, Andreas Hykade has established himself as a reference figure and a source of inspiration for new generations of animation filmmakers.

As part of the tribute, Animac will schedule a retrospective that will allow viewers to explore the main stages of his career and delve deeper into his creative universe. The award winner will also give a masterclass, conceived as a space for meeting and reflection with students, creators, and animation professionals.

With this award, the festival reaffirms its commitment to auteur animation and to those perspectives that, through creative freedom and formal risk-taking, contribute to the advancement of the language of animation.

This edition of Animac will revolve around the theme Things change, an invitation to reflect on the constant processes of transformation that the contemporary world is undergoing, with a program that will combine screenings, educational activities, and professional spaces, reaffirming the Festival as a leading meeting point for auteur animation.

The festival is supported by CaixaForum Lleida, the Fundació de les Arts de Lleida, the Ministry of Culture (ICAA), the Diputació de Lleida (IEI), and the ICEC of the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya.