Spain’s Oscar-qualifying Animayo Gran Canaria animation festival has announced the winners of its 20th anniversary edition, marking two decades of championing animation, VFX and video game cinematics.
This year, an international jury composed of industry veterans from studios like Disney, Skydance and Rodeo FX evaluated 55 short films selected for competition across multiple official sections, which were whittled down by Animayo staff from an initial batch of over 2,000 entries from 84 countries.
The festival’s coveted Grand Jury Award went to “Playing God,” a grim stop-motion story by Italian director Matteo Burani. The film captivated the jury with its atmospheric intensity, masterful animation and sound design. As Spain’s only double Oscar-qualifying animation festival, Animayo’s top honors serve as a launchpad to the Academy Awards. In fact, 2025’s animated short Oscar winner, “In the Shadow of the Cyprus,” earned its initial Oscar qualification at last year’s Animayo.
Festival director Damián Perea reflected on the jury’s “Playing God” selection this year, stating: “The Grand Prize has been awarded to a powerful work, with bold and daring storytelling, something rarely seen in the animation landscape. Its stop-motion technique is exceptionally delicate, meticulous and beautifully executed.”
Animayo’s second Oscar-qualifying award comes from the Animación con Ñ category, which celebrates animated works from Hispanic countries. This year’s winner, the Mexican short “Nube” by Diego Alonso Sánchez de la Barquera Estrada and Christian Arredondo Narváez, tells a poetic story of motherhood through the journey of two anthropomorphized clouds.
“In the section Animación con Ñ, I celebrate a short full of sensitivity, tenderness and an aesthetic that caresses,” said Perea. “It is a deeply human work that moves both inside and out.”
In a year that emphasized bold narratives and artistic risk, several standout films earned praise. “La Rivière des Ourses” by Anaïs Mauzat won Best Social Awareness for its ecological message, while “Forevergreen,” directed by Disney alumni Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears, earned Best Art Direction and Best 3D. “Courage,” a student film from Supinfocom, took home the Critics’ Award for its emotionally resonant story of personal perseverance.
The Audience Award, always a telling indicator of evolving viewer tastes, went to the Dutch film “Quota” by Job, Joris & Marieke, which also won Best Comedy for Adults. The film blends humor with environmental consciousness, a tone that resonated strongly with attendees to this year’s event.
“Because after twenty years of festival, you can tell: the Canarian public has grown with us,” Perea said of the increasingly competitive Audience Award. “Today, it is a knowledgeable, demanding public, with its own criteria. Their choices reflect not just taste, but a deep understanding of the art we celebrate.”
Special Mention of the Festival was awarded to “Like Friend, Like Deer” by Iranian director Malek Eghbali for its remarkable artistic style, while “The Girl with the Occupied Eyes” won Best 2D, praised for its creative critique of modern screen addiction.
As the in-person portion of this year’s milestone edition concludes, Animayo continues to cement its reputation as a global hub for creative innovation, storytelling, and visual excellence.
Animayo is organized with support from the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through its Presidency Service – La isla de mi vida, the Society for the Promotion of the City of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Department of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of the Government of the Canary Islands through Promotur, Turismo Gran Canaria, the Fundación La Caja de Canarias, the Government of the Canary Islands, as well as production companies, studios, schools, universities and many private companies that support the region’s film industry and efforts to bring audiovisual and technological culture and education to all audiences.
Animayo Gran Canaria 2025 – Official Award Winners
Grand Jury Award
“Playing God,” Matteo Burani (Italy)
Best Student Short Film
“Trash,” Gregory Bouzid, Maxime Crançon, Robin Delaporte, MaCéo Durand, Romain Fleischer, Alexis Le Ral, Margaux Lutz, Fanny Vecchie (France)
Best Art Direction
“Forevergreen,” Nathan Engelhardt & Jeremy Spears (USA)
Best Social Awareness
“La Rivière des Ourses,” Anaïs Mauzat (Belgium)
Best Comedy for All Ages
“Eureka!,” Kris Borghs (Belgium)
Best Comedy for Adults
“Quota,” Studio Job, Joris & Marieke (Netherlands)
Best Stop Motion
“Playing God,” Matteo Burani (Italy)
Best Story
“Two Ships,” McKinley Benson (Portugal)
Best 3D
“Forevergreen,” Nathan Engelhardt & Jeremy Spears (USA)
Best 2D
“The Girl with the Occupied Eyes,” André Carrilho (Portugal)
Special Mention of the Festival
“Like Friend, Like Deer,” Malek Eghbali (Iran)
Best Animación con Ñ
“Nube,” Diego Alonso Sánchez de la Barquera Estrada & Christian Arredondo Narváez (Mexico)
Best Cartoon
“Ciao Peskao,” Guillermo González Fidalgo & Andrea García García (Spain)
Best Video Game Cinematic
“Secret Level – Dungeons & Dragons: The Queen’s Cradle,” Maxime Luère (France)
Best Music Video
“AJR – Maybe Man,” Edoardo Ranaboldo (USA)
Best Commissioned
“Hero – June,” Paulo Garcia (Brazil)
Best VFX Supported Storytelling
“The Cause of the Accident That Started the Fire,” Lope Serrano (Spain)
Critic’s Award
“Courage,” Margot Jacquet, Nathan Baudry, Marion Choudin, et al. (France)
Audience Award
“Quota,” Studio Job, Joris & Marieke (Netherlands)