Animayo, International Animation, Visual Effects and Videogames Summit — the only animation festival in Spain designated a qualifier for the Academy Awards in two categories, adds another shiny achievemetn to its successful 18-year history: the Spanish premiere of the latest work of two-time Oscar-nominated animation director Bill Plympton (plymptoons.com). Screenings of the film were presented on the islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife in collaboration with Filmoteca Canaria.
Dubbed “the King of Indie Animation,” Plympton is known for his versatility as a director, producer, cartoonist, animator and composer of his own films. With more than 40 awards from festivals around the world and 30 nominations, his short film and feature work is recognized by cinephiles internationally. These honors include the Best Animated Short Film Oscar nominations in 1988 for Your Face and in 2005 for Guard Dog.
In June, Plympton’s latest animation feature Slide made its debut in competition in the Contrecham section of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France. The version of the film screened at Annecy was 90% finished, so it was the Canary Islands screenings presented by Animayo where the complete and definitive version could be seen for the first time anywhere in the world.
The premiere took place at Filmoteca Canaria, a cultural institution dedicated to the preservation, promotion and dissemination of cinema in the autonomous community of the Canary Islands. A close collaboration with the Animayo Festival and Plympton himself, investing in technical, audiovisual and logistical resources to guarantee the success and quality of the Spanish premiere screenings, which took place on September 19 and 21 at the Guiniguada Theater in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and at the Espacio La Granja in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Slide (2023) is a fascinating animated Western that takes viewers on an unforgettable journey throughout its 80-minute run time. The film, inspired by Plympton’s childhood in Oregon and his deep love of country music, stands out for its comedic genre and surreal narrative that defies viewers’ expectations by immersing them in a unique cinematic experience. Replete with Plympton’s distinctive dark humor and expressive hand-drawn animation style, Slide is poised to continue as a highlight of the festival circuit.
This prestige event was an apt closing film for the 18th edition of Animayo, which broke its attendance records with 20,139 participants in its on-site program earlier this year. Other programming highlights included the Spanish premiere of Disney Legend Andreas Deja‘s short film, Mushka. AS an animator, Deja has been responsible for bringing characters like Scar, Jafar, King Triton and Lilo to screens, as well as working on beloved animated films including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.
As previously announced, the 2023 Animayo Festival bestowed its Oscar-qualifying awards on Our Uniforms, by Iranian filmmaker Yegane Moghaddam (International Jury Grand Prize), and Amarradas by Spanish filmmaker Carmen Córdoba (Best Short Film in Spanish – Animación con Ñ).
The call for entries for Animayo 2024 is open until February 29, 202 at 2 p.m. (GMT +1). The festival is also accepting submissions to its poster design contest for next year’s event, offering a 500€ cash prize — submissions are open until January 20, 2024 at 2 p.m.
Learn more at animayo.com.
