ANIMAC AWARDS THE INCUBATOR AWARD TO “WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN” FOR THE FIRST TIME
Animac, the International Animation Cinema Show of Catalonia, organized by the Lleida City Council, has awarded for the first time the Incubator Prize, which in this 2026 edition has been awarded to the project “Who Killed Cock Robin”, directed by Romina Martí O’Toole, within the framework of the exhibition, which is held in Lleida from the 19th to the February 22.
The award, endowed with 2,000 euros and financed by the Fundació de les Arts de Lleida, is incorporated this year as a step forward in supporting projects in development within the Incubator, the professional space dedicated to supporting animation projects in the development, production or post-production phase.
The Incubator 2026 call has received 111 projects from 14 countries, with a significant participation of projects from the Spanish State, Europe and Latin America, a figure that confirms the consolidation of this space as a reference for creators seeking to grow their projects in a professional environment. From this set, 12 projects were selected to participate in the pitch sessions before professionals in the sector.
“Who Killed Cock Robin” is based on a children’s song from the 15th century to build a proposal with a social background that questions the mechanisms of power and the structures that are normalized despite harming the community. Through a narrative that plays with the idea of crime and manipulation, the story raises a reflection on who really holds power and how it impacts the people who live under it. The director has pointed out the contrast between the apparent innocence of the original story and the critical reading that is deployed as one of the central axes of the project.
The director of Animac, Carolina López, has explained that the Incubator Prize, awarded by the Fundació de les Arts de Lleida, has been awarded based on the criteria of the jury made up of members of the exhibition’s artistic team, which has taken into account the evaluations and annotations of the two professional panels held during the pitch sessions. These panels have been made up of professionals from the sector such as Gina Thorstensen, Eva Pérez-Misa, Xavier Manuel and Paul Wells, in the first session, and Andreas Hykade, Jordi Grangel, Carlos Grangel, Nora Twomey, Joanna Quinn and Ron Dyens, in the second.
According to López, the project has been especially valued for the solidity of the story, its social background and the character design, as well as for its commitment to animation aimed at an adult audience, in line with the exhibition’s desire to reclaim animation as an expressive tool that goes beyond children’s entertainment.
Special mention
The jury has awarded a special mention to the “Volcano” project, directed by Adina Oana Enache, Sara Priorelli and Maria Zilli. In this case, the humor, the character design and the critical look at the tourism system have been especially valued, as well as the freshness and originality of the proposal. López has highlighted the high general level of the projects presented in this edition and the difficulty of the final decision.
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.