Catalonia’s Animac 2024 Wraps Up with Unprecedented Attendance and Industry Praise

The International Animation Film Festival of Catalonia (Animac) concluded its 28th edition on February 18, 2024, setting new attendance records and receiving accolades from the animation industry. Over four days, the festival, held in Lleida, Spain, attracted more than 30,000 attendees, showcasing a diverse range of 179 films. This selection included 8 feature films, 4 medium-length films, and 167 short films, with 5 world premieres, 58 premieres in Spain, 32 premieres in Catalonia, and 2 international premieres.

Pilar Bosch, the Councilor for Culture of the Lleida City Council, praised the festival's programming quality and its focus on diversity. She highlighted that Animac caters not only to children but also to adults, encouraging broader participation in future editions. Bosch also mentioned that a selection of screenings would be available on Filmin from February 22 to March 3, extending the festival's reach.

Carolina López, the director of Animac, expressed satisfaction with the event's success, attributing it to the current boom in Catalan, Spanish, and international animation. She emphasized the professional level of the exhibition and the festival's commitment to using animation as a tool for artistic expression. López also noted the enthusiastic reception of the workshops, incubator sessions, and conferences, which were filled to capacity.

The festival reported a significant increase in participants for the Animac Campus, with 725 registrants from animation schools and universities across Aragon, Madrid, the Valencian Community, and Catalonia, marking almost 100 more than the previous edition. Additionally, the festival issued 52 professional accreditations.

One of the notable innovations this year was the introduction of Animac Tranqui and Little Animac Tranqui sessions, designed to accommodate audiences with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These sessions featured animations with slower transitions and themes selected for their low visual and sound impact.

The highlight of the closing activities was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to cartoonist Roser Capdevila, recognizing her contributions to popular culture through works like Las Tres Mellizas. The closing ceremony also featured screenings of the best short films as voted by the public and an animatic created in a workshop collaboration with Down Lleida.

The festival concluded with the screening of "Four Souls of Coyote" by Áron Gauder, an epic adventure film that explores the Native American creation myth, emphasizing the importance of living in harmony with the environment.

Animac's 28th edition not only celebrated the art of animation but also showcased its potential as a medium for education, inclusion, and environmental awareness, setting a high bar for future editions.