RON DYENS DEFENDS IN ANIMAC THAT “WE ARE HERE TO BREAK THE RULES”

The Oscar-winning producer and founder of Sacrebleu Productions analyzes the creative process of “Flow” and vindicates the risk and artistic freedom in auteur animation

Andreas Hykade and Paul Wells complete a day marked by artistic reflection and dialogue with the public

Pakoto presents his visual universe and the exhibition opens at Espai Cavallers on 30 years of Animac

The 30th edition of Animac, the International Animated Film Festival of Catalonia organized by the Lleida City Council, has had its second day today with a program focused on reflection on the processes of creation, production and critical thinking around contemporary animation.

One of the highlights of the day was the conference by Ron Dyens, Oscar-winning producer and founder of the prestigious Parisian studio Sacrebleu Productions. Dyens has explained the creation process of “Flow” (2024, Latvia), directed by the young Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis. Dyens is one of the key figures in European auteur animation production, responsible for short and feature films selected and awarded at leading international festivals.

During his speech, which completely filled room 2, Dyens reflected on the role of the producer as a creative companion, highlighting the need to take risks and protect the gaze of authors in an audiovisual ecosystem increasingly conditioned by industrial models. He assured that “money does not guarantee success” and recalled that “Flow” “had all the ingredients not to become a successful film, but it succeeded”: non-anthropomorphic animals, absence of dialogue, a message that presents an (almost) happy apocalypse and even the lack of a storyboard.

The producer has explained that the first thing he observes in a project is the script and claimed a brave creative outlook with a clear statement: “We are here to break the rules”. He also emphasized the human factor of cinema: “The most important thing is to be surrounded by talented people.”

PAUL WELLS: CRITICAL THINKING AND CONTEMPORARY ANIMATION

The day also featured a conversation between the director and animator Andreas Hykade (2026 Animation Master Award from Animac) and Paul Wells, one of the most influential theorists in the study of animation. Hykade has put some of his films in dialogue with key works by other filmmakers such as Norman McLaren, Regina Pessoa and Mark Baker, drawing a personal map of influences, formal affinities and thematic resonances. Wells has provided a theoretical and analytical look at animated language, its transformative potential and its evolution in the digital context. Author of numerous academic publications and founder of the Animation Academy at Loughborough University, he has contextualized the work of Hykade within the main lines of thought of contemporary animation.

In the course of the conversation, Hykade has delved into the construction of his own style, claiming a synthetic and direct aesthetic that allows him to condense complex human conflicts with a great economy of resources. He has defended formal simplicity as a conscious decision and as a flexible base from which to explore more realistic or more abstract registers, always maintaining a strong emotional intensity.

PAKOTO MARTÍNEZ AND PATRICIA ROMANOV PRESENT THEIR CREATIVE UNIVERSE

The artist Pakoto Martínez, trained in illustration and visual development, has also shared his work process and the construction of his visual imaginary, in a session that has highlighted the new generations of creators who explore hybrid languages between illustration, animation and digital culture. Pakoto has explained how he has built a solid international career thanks to his work in character design and artistic development for feature films, series and animation projects. Throughout his career he has collaborated with both large studios and platforms, such as Disney and Netflix, as well as European and independent studios.

For her part, Patricia Romanov, illustrator and professional in the animation industry, has reviewed her career working in studios such as Netflix, Baobab Studios, Hampa Studio and Lightbox Animation Studios.

INAUGURATION OF THE 30 YEARS OF ANIMAC EXHIBITION

This afternoon an exhibition will also be inaugurated at the Espai Cavallers on the occasion of the 30th anniversary. The Exhibition presents an exhibition that traces their visual career, conceived by the artists Carles Porta, Gina Thorstensen and Rocío Álvarez, where you can see a selection of posters, publications, archival materials and preparatory drawings that allow you to learn about their creative processes. The exhibition is key to understanding the evolution of Animac, as well as the positioning of a meeting that is also a reference in the field of poster design and film festival design.

THE SHORT FILM “BALLAD OF FISH AND BIRDS” WINS THE ANIMAC PRIZE TALENT.CAT 2026

The Animac Talent.cat 2026 Award has gone to the short film “Balada de Pesches y Aves”, produced by the Universitat Politècnica de València and directed by Anny Uribe and Juan José Arévalo. This year’s jury was made up of Pakoto Martínez, Bea Lema and Eva Pérez Misa. As a token of appreciation, the winners were given a graphics tablet by XPPen.

The jury has also awarded a special mention to the short film “A brilliant deal”, produced by ECIB and directed by Álex Parra, Libertad Benavides, Alícia Bullich, Luz Rodríguez, Carolina Cuellar, Consuelo Soto, María Bonillo and Beatriz Esteban.

In the framework of the 30th edition of Animac, the Talent.cat Award gives visibility to new talents in animation from Catalan-speaking territories and consolidates itself as a screening space for students and emerging creators linked to schools and specialized training centers.