MARISCAL: "THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VIEWER AND THE SCREEN IN ANIMATION IS EMOTIONAL. IT'S MAGIC"

Javier Mariscal received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the closing ceremony of Animac 2025, in recognition of his multidisciplinary career and his ability to combine art, design and animation in a unique style

This afternoon, at the closing ceremony of Animac, Catalonia’s International Animation Film Festival, Javier Mariscal received the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his
in the world of animation and graphic design. The creator of iconic characters such as Cobi, the mascot of the Barcelona ’92 Olympic Games, and co-director of Chico y Rita and They Shot the Piano Player (Dispararon al pianista), Mariscal was honoured for his multidisciplinary career and his ability to combine art, design and animation in a unique style.

The winner expressed his gratitude for the award and pointed out that Animac “is becoming more and more animated and that is what is happening in the world of cartoons, which is getting stronger and stronger. The relationship between the spectator and the screen in animation is exciting, you end up forgetting that it is a drawing. It’s magic.”

Mariscal praised the city of Lleida and recalled that years ago he exhibited in the city, “not only in the Pompidou and New York, but also in Lleida”, words that drew applause from the audience.

ANIMAC 2025 AUDIENCE AWARDS

The Animac audience has chosen the best works of this edition, giving the following awards:

• Futur Talent Award: “Cuando llegue la inundación” (Spain, 2024) by Antonio Lomas Domingo. A production of the animation master of the Polytechnic University of València.
• small animac prize: “Beurk!” (France, 2024) of Loïc Esfuche.
• Best Short Prize: “Beautiful Men” (Belgium, France, Netherlands, 2023) by Nicolas Keppens.

The closing ceremony of Animac 2025 marks the end of an edition marked by excellence in animation and the consolidation of the Festival as an international reference.