- The first edition of the event gathers together in Tenerife more than 250 professionals of the Ibero-american animation on April 6th and 7th.

- The ceremony awards will give nine awards to the best of Ibero-american production in 2016 and 2017.

- The Coproduction Forum and the International Animation Congress bring the industry and the academy together.

Tenerife, April 4th 2018. This Friday April 6th and Saturday 7th, the Ibero-American animation gathers together around the Quirino Awards, that take place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain), a pioneer event in the region that searchs to value and create bonds between the animation production in the areas of Latin-America, Portugal and Spain.
 
The organization proposes an intense program with three main activities: the ceremony award, that will take place on April 7th in the Auditorium of Tenerife and will give nine awards to the best animation of the region –the finalist awards can be checked here-; the Coproduction Forum, professional space oriented to stablish networks between the industries at both sides of the Athlantic; and the International Animation Congress, that aims to generate a space for academic and profesional exchange about animation.
 
Twenty-four works from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay opt for the Quirino Awards in its nine categories. Spain, with 12 finalist works, is the most represented territory, followed by Mexico and Colombia, with 5 each of them. Among the selected works are titles held internationally, such as the feature film "Tad Jones 2", "The Book of Lila" (Colombia / Uruguay) and "Ana and Bruno" (Mexico); the series "Paper Port" (Chile / Brazil / Colombia / Argentina) or "Pocoyó" (Spain), and the short films "Cerulia" (Mexico) or "Decorado" (Spain), among others.
 
Several recognized directors of animation appear in the list of candidates for the awards, such as Juan Pablo Zaramella, Sofía Carrillo or Alberto Vázquez; and with the aim of boosting the career of new talent, the Quirino Awards also recognize the best school work, a category where we find the short films "We Are the Immigrants" (Colombia / United States), "A day in the park" (Spain) and "Tántalo" (Argentina).
 
Meeting point for professionals of the sector
 
Before the award ceremony, during days 6th and 7th, two other meeting activities will be held at the Auditorium of Tenerife, the main venue for this first edition. In the Co-production Forum several networking zones are proposed, such as B2B co-production meetings, meeting corners and industry presentations by professional associations of Argentina (Animar Cluster, APA), Brazil (ABCA), Chile (Animachi), Colombia (GEMA), Ecuador (Guild of Animators), Spain (Diboos, SAVE), Mexico (ACDMX), Peru (Peru Animation) and Portugal (Casa da Animaçao), among others.
 
Likewise, the organization has convened a working table between the different associations and the Ibermedia Program, with the aim of analyzing the needs of the Ibero-American animation sector and the possibilities to be implemented by the entity to stimulate audiovisual co-production in the Ibero-American space.
 
For its part, at the International Congress of Ibero-American Animation, eleven communications from Brazil, Denmark, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico and Portugal will be presented; and will have the special participation of the historian of animation, teacher and writer Giannalberto Bendazzi; as well as that of María Laura Ruggiero, Argentine filmmaker, audiovisual designer and storyteller with specialization in experiential and transmedia narratives.
 
In addition, a working table will be held with representatives of universities, schools and training centers in Latin America. Among the confirmed are The Animation Workshop, SAE Institute Mexico, Polytechnic University of Valencia, University San Francisco de Quito, University of Aveiro, Anhembi Morumbi University, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Barreira Art + Design, University of La Laguna, University Nacional de Tierra de Fuego, Lightbox Academy and U-tad, among others.
 
During these days there will also be several screenings of the finalist works in the TEA, Tenerife Espacio de las Artes. To highlight the screening of the documentary "Without a trace (life and work of Quirino Cristiani)" by Diego Kartaszewicz.

Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards
 
The awards are named in tribute of the creator of the first feature length animation film in history, the Italian-Argentinean Quirino Cristiani, who in 1917 directed “El Apóstol”; this Argentinean production, shot in 35mm, used 58,000 drawings done by hand along with a number of models representing public buildings and streets in Buenos Aires city.
 
The main sponsor of the Quirino Awards is the Tourism department of Tenerife, reflecting the determined commitment that is being made for the animation for years on the island, not only with these awards but with the presence in the main events and markets, attracting new companies, as well as with the support to the flourishing local sector.
 
In addition, the initiative has the sponsorship of the City of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (TEA) and Iberia Express; the collaboration of ICAA, Ibermedia Program, AECID, Tenerife Auditorium, Universidad de la Laguna and RTVE; and the support of DIBOOS, SAVE, Pixelatl, 3D Wire, TLP Tenerife, Annecy Festival, Barreira Arte + Diseño and Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, as well as the support of the associations: APA - Association of Animation Production Companies of Córdoba Argentina; ANIMAR CLUSTER - Argentinian Animation Cluster & VFX; ABCA - Associação Brasileira de Cinema de Animação; Animachi Chile; GEMA Colombia - Group of Animation Entrepreneurs; Guild of Animators of Ecuador; ACDMX - Association of Digital Creatives of Mexico; and Casa da Animaçao of Portugal.
  
More information
The finalists: https://premiosquirino.org/finalistas/
Forum program: https://premiosquirino.org/foro/
Congress selection: https://premiosquirino.org/comunicaciones/
Download finalists’ images: Link
Finalists’ video: https://youtu.be/7vTv-Pdg8a8 
Spot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq9KHcJt7yY&feature=youtu.be
Contact: prensa@premiosquirino.org 
Website: https://premiosquirino.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PremiosQuirino/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PremiosQuirino