Experts in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) will join leading voices in animation from major studios, including DreamWorks, Walt Disney, Skydance, Sony Pictures, and Platige Image, at Animayo Gran Canaria, Spain’s leading Canary Islands-based animation festival.
The festival’s influence on local production is growing.
An augmented reality display and NFT sales tied to the acclaimed 2D animated short film ‘Amanece la Noche Larga,’ with all earnings going towards fundraising efforts to support Ukrainian immigrants, are among the other firsts for the Canary Islands and its festival.
The festival teaser showcases highlights from the more than 60 animation shorts from more than 20 countries that will participate. The winner of the worldwide grand award will be considered for an Oscar nomination for best animated short film. The Academy has classified Animayo as a ‘qualifying festival’ for this category, making it the sole event in Spain.
Claus Toksvig, a Danish animation executive who produced the Oscar-nominated toon “Song of the Sea,” Disney Animation Studio’s Luis Labrador, one of the creators of the Oscar-winning “Encanto,” Matt Tokarz, a visual effects creator on the critically acclaimed Netflix-produced “The Witcher,” and Aurora Jiménez, a visual development artist at DreamWorks Animation with credits including “The Bad Guys,” “Vivo,” and “Hotel Transylvani
Yuan Yinzi, Ubisoft project manager and founder-president of the Metaverse Summit in Paris; Edgar Martn-Blas, CEO and creative director of Virtual Voyagers, the Madrid-based pioneer in virtual, augmented, and mixed reality; and Isidro Quintana, CEO of Triple O Games, Metaverse, and Play2earn Experiences are among the guests from the world of technology.
“I developed Animayo to provide aspirants with all of the possibilities that I never had when I first started,” Perea stated, adding, “That is why the festival focuses on training, education, motivation, and, ultimately, helping people find jobs through our recruiters.”
Animayo is a fantastic international showcase for audiovisual training and employment.
“Animayo is a privilege on Gran Canaria.” Teodoro Sosa, minister of the presidency of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, a key sponsor of the yearly event, said, “It’s a tremendous international showcase for training and employment in the audiovisual sector.”
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