Saturday, April 7 marked the debut edition of the Quirino Awards ceremony. Held in the Canary Island city of Tenerife, the event was created to celebrate Ibero-American animation, and to create links within the industry across the Atlantic.
In addition to Saturday night’s awards ceremony, an Ibero-American co-production forum was held over the two days which included: Presentations of the state of the animation industry in different countries and regions; B2B coproduction meetings: and industry work tables.
Additionally, an international congress was held as a forum for debate and discussion on the rapid evolution of animation technologies and techniques, as well as the platforms which host that content.
Saturday’s awards ceremony was the culmination of the two-day event, named in honor of Argentina’s Quirino Cristiani who, in 1917, directed “El Apóstol,” the world’s first animated feature. Unfortunately, the film was destroyed in a fire.
The inaugural best feature award went to “Ana & Bruno” from legendary Mexican director Carlos Carrera, who first made waves in animation when his 1994 short “The Hero,” won a Cannes’ Palme d’Or for best short film. “Ana & Bruno,” a tale of a girl and her imaginary friend searching for the girl’s father, premiered at 2017’s Annecy Festival, and had its domestic and Latin American premiere in October at Mexico’s Morelia festival, where it closed the festival.
Argentina’s Juan Pablo Zaramella, whose 2011 short “Luminaris” won the Fipresci Prize and Audience Award at Annecy, took home best series for his stop-motion “Tiniest Man in the World.” Produced by Les Films De L’Arlequin, JPL Films and Can Can Club, the series’ 58 minute-long episodes follow a six-inch high Claymation protagonist as he interacts with the real world.
Alberto Vázquez, one of Spain’s most admired animators, won best short film for “Decorado,” which also participated at Cannes and won a recent Spanish Academy Goya for best short animated film. Previously Vázquez wrote and directed “Birdboy: The Forgotten Children,” which played festivals the world around and won the 2017 Goya for best animated film. Vazquez’s project, “Unicorn Wars,” was a recent highlight of March’s Cartoon Movie European co-production forum in Bordeaux.
A complete list of winners below.
2018 Quirino Awards
Best Feature Film
“Ana & Bruno,” (Carlos Carrera, Mexico)
Best Series
“The Tiniest Man in the World,” (Juan Pablo Zaramella, Argentina, France)
Best Short Film
“Decorado,” (Alberto Vázquez, Spain, France)
Best Student Short Film
“Tántalo,” (Juan Facundo Ayerbe, Christian Krieghoff, Argentina)
Best Commissioned Film
“Sing With Meaning, A Biography of Violeta Parra,” (Leonardo Beltrán, Chile)
Most Innovative Work
“The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo,” (Nacho Rodríguez, Spain)
Best Visual Development
“Here’s the Plan,” (Fernanda Frick, Chile)
Best Animation Design
“Way of Giants,” (Alois Di Leo, Brasil)
Best Sound Design & Original Music
“Tad, the Lost Explorer: The Secret of King Midas,” (Enrique Gato, David Alonso, Spain)
Emilio Mayorga contributed to this article