Celebrating Diversity in Animation: Highlights from Animac 2024
Short Summary:
Animac 2024 in Lleida, Catalonia, celebrates the booming Spanish and Catalan animation scene with a diverse selection of 179 films, including features, mediums, and shorts. The festival honors Isabel Herguera and features Oscar-nominated 'Robot Dreams'. It emphasizes diversity and includes notable works from around the globe.Animac 2024, the International Animation Film Festival of Catalonia, has proudly presented its program, shining a spotlight on the remarkable achievements of Spanish and Catalan animation. Scheduled to take place from February 15 to 18 in Lleida, the festival enters its 28th edition with a lineup that emphasizes diversity across all spectrums of animation.
This year, Animac will screen a total of 179 films, comprising 8 feature films, 4 medium-length films, and 167 short films. These selections were carefully curated from a pool of 562 submissions from over fifty countries, highlighting the festival's commitment to showcasing a wide range of voices and styles in the animation landscape.
Among the distinguished guests, Isabel Herguera, the San Sebastian-born director who is this year’s Honorary Award recipient, will have her work, including her first feature film "Sultana’s Dream," featured prominently. Furthermore, José Luis Ágreda, art director of the Oscar-nominated "Robot Dreams," will deliver a must-see lecture, showcasing the breadth of talent within the Spanish animation industry.
The festival also celebrates the works of British creator Barry J. C. Purves, who will receive the Animation Master Award. Purves's extensive body of work, spanning both film and stage, will be highlighted in a special retrospective.
Animac 2024 places a strong emphasis on diversity, not just in the thematic content of its selections but also in the representation of different cultures and identities within the animation community. This approach is reflected in the festival's programming, which includes films addressing LGBTQ+ issues, cultural identity, migration, and the climate crisis from diverse technical and stylistic perspectives.
The festival will not only entertain but also educate and inspire, with workshops, conferences, and screenings designed to explore the intersections of inclusion, feminism, and non-violence through the lens of animation. This year's edition promises to be a comprehensive celebration of animation's power to unite, tell stories, and explore the human condition in unique and innovative ways.
