THE MOST ANIMAL ANIMAC STARTS WITH THE DELIVERY OF THE HONORARY AWARD TO WENDY TILBY AND AMANDA FORBIS AND THE ANIMATION MASTER AWARD TO GIANLUIGI TOCCAFONDO
The day has begun with the First Incubator session, the Profession
The two conferences of the day have been starred by the godmother of Animac Campus, Isabel Herguera, and Canadian artist Isaac King
The 29th edition of Animac , the International Animation Film Show of Catalonia , organized by the City of Lleida, with the support of the La Caixa Foundation, the Ministry of Culture Through the Icaa, the Institut d’Estudis ilerdencs of the Diputació de Lleida and the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya through the ICEC, Among other collaborators, he has started today with the opening day at the Theater of La Llotja in Lleida, where the Honorary Prize has been delivered to Canadians Wendy Tilby (Edmonton, 1960 ) and Amanda Forbis (Calgary, 1963). Both animators stand out for a unique visual style that combines traditional and experimental techniques to explore the complexity of human connections. His most recognized work, When the Day Breaks (1999), received the Golden Palm at the Cannes Festival, among other international awards. Other titles such as Wild Life . As part of the tribute, Animac will schedule a retrospective of their most iconic works and the cheerleaders will give a masterclass to share their vision and experience with students and professionals in the sector.
Canadians Wendy Tilbis and Amanda Forbis have been very satisfied to be in Animac. In their parliament they have explained that “ we had a great time creating our shorts and we believe that they do not see enough short animation, and that is why we are here.”
Another of the protagonists of the inaugural session has been the artist, director and animator Gianluigi Toccafondo (San Marino, 1965), who has received the Animation Master Prize . Toccafondo transcends the conventional limits of animation and explore the merger between painting, cinema and movement. As part of the tribute, Animac will dedicate a retrospective to his most outstanding works, including films such as La Voix des Sirènes (2024), which has been projected during the inaugural ceremony, < Strong> Pinocchio (1999) and Track (1991). Toccafondo will also give a masterclass during the contest to share their vision and experience with students and professionals in the sector.
The act has been chaired by the mayor of Lleida, Fèlix Larrosa ; the Minister of Culture, Sònia Hernández ; the subdelegate of the Government in Lleida, José Crespín ; the deputy and vice president of the IEI, Estefania Rufach ; and the director of Animac, Carolina López .
The mayor, Fèlix Larrosa, has highlighted the creative talent behind each animated film and how this sample helps to create and consolidate an increasingly formed and understood audience. Larrosa has reiterated Lleida’s commitment to culture and has indicated that Animac is a meeting point for professionals in the sector and a reference sample that projects the city internationally. The mayor has affirmed that “ in a convulsive world context, with threatened freedoms and hate speeches, we have to become strong with the arts and culture. They are the best instrument to forge sensible citizens, with human values and critical spirit that avoids them falling into the well of fanaticism and with whom we can move towards a better society . ”
The Minister has assured that “we have challenges and the audiovisual sector is strategic and the animation has an outstanding place not only as an industry that generates international occupation and recognition ” and has defended that “ Catalunya is and It has to continue being a reference land in the world of animation because we have the talent and commitment of the Generalitat to be at your side to internationally promote our culture, explaining stories, transmitting values, that you send our talent worldwide ”.
For its part, Rufach , stressed that “ the diputation will be next to the international sample that Lleida puts on the map and places us all in the cultural epicenter. Year after year you earn the public in the city of Lleida and internationally. We all grow with animac. ”
For its part, the government’s subdelegate in Lleida, José Crespín, has highlighted the creative spirit and creative talent to Lleida’s lands throughout history and as Animac has managed to be a worldwide reference in the field of culture and animation.
For her part, the director of Animac, Carolina López , stressed that cinema, in addition to being a means to tell human stories, must also facilitate understanding and empathy towards other living beings. In this sense, he recalled that, in the current environmental context, “there are no passengers in the landmark earth: we are all crew”, underlining the shared responsibility in the preservation of the planet.
López has also highlighted the impact of technological innovations on animation, noting that artificial intelligence is transforming creative processes and the way of working in the sector. Even so, he has defended that “the human factor will remain essential”, since it is the key to maintaining artistic uniqueness and creativity in an increasingly digitized environment.
Finally, the role of animac has value Collective on the future of animation in a moment of great technological and cultural transformations.
The inaugural ceremony has also had the premiere of the audiovisual creation live flora and fauna of the movement , an animac commission to the collective Estampa and the Leridano musician J. M. Baldomà . It is an immersive experience that explores the movement as the essence of life, from the first chronophotographies to the most advanced models of artificial intelligence, in a tour of the history of the representation of the movement through shapes, colors and an original landscape sonorous.
Monographic
Today’s day will end with the monographic session Best of Spain. Nominees Goya awards , at Café del Teatre, where the winner will be screened for the best animated short film of the Goya 2025 awards, Cafuné (Spain, 2024) of Carlos F. de Vigo and Lorena Ares, along with the nominees Lola, Lolita, Lolaza (Spain, 2024) by Mabel Lozano, The Wheel Change (Spain, 2024) by Begoña Arostegui, Wan (Spain, 2024) by Víctor Monigote and, finally, The Illustrated Woman (Spain, 2023) by Isabel Herguera.
In the afternoon, another of the Best of Spain sessions, with seven short films of the best Catalan and Spanish talent, as well as the monograph singular , with four shorts of animation teachers Indie.
Incubator
The day has begun with the first Incubator Isabel Herguera, Stephanie Blake and Chintis Lundgren, who have valued projects to help them grow. Of the 52 national and international projects received, 12 have been selected to participate in this edition. Half have appeared today and the other half will appear tomorrow.
Conferences
In the afternoon, the godmother of Animac Campus, Isabel Herguera , has taught the “follow the heart and not the rules” , aimed at Animation students, who have transmitted their artistic gaze and their way of addressing universal issues from a personal perspective. The talk has valued visual culture, the desire to explore other realities and the trip as a source of inspiration.
Likewise, the Canadian artist Isaac King has taught the “ Animating Ecology ” conference, in which he has offered a vision of his creative process and Its innovative use of animation. King also premieres in Animac the short film Humans Bild the Biggest Nests , as an installation in the Center d’Art the panera of Lleida.