An Animated Feature Made To Troll The Goya Awards Is Now Nominated For A Goya Award

The nominations are out for the 36th edition of Spain’s Goya Awards.

The 2021 Goyas were an odd affair after Spain’s Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences nominated just one animated feature, in part due to the lack of Spanish animated features currently being produced.

But this year’s Goyas have taken an even more bizarre twist. The lack of competition in last year’s animation category gave an idea to filmmakers David Galán Galindo, Esaú Dharma, and Pablo Vara. What if they made an animated feature on the cheap and submitted it to the Goyas? It didn’t have to be great; all the film had to do was meet the category’s requirements. Then, if no one else submitted, they’d end up winning Spain’s top film prize.

Thus was born Gora automatikoa (Automatic Gora), a satirical no-budget film that was made both to try to win a Goya and to make fun of the film award. I haven’t seen the film, but there are reportedly plenty of meta-jokes throughout it, such as scenes with no animation “just because the [Goya] regulations allow it.” (By the way, the Goyas did not grant permission to the filmmakers to use the award’s name in the title, hence the similar-sounding Gora.)

Of course, winning the animation Goya isn’t a certainty in 2022 since the Spanish award has nominated three other animated features in the category alongside Automatic Gora. But come awards night, I know which film I’ll be rooting for.

The Goya Awards will be presented February 12, 2022 at the Palau de Les Arts in València. Here are the nominees in the feature and short animation categories:

Animated Feature

Gora automatikoa
Director: David Galán Galindo, Esaú Dharma, Pablo Vara
Production: 39 Escalones Films S.L., David Galán Galindo, Esaú Dharma Vílchez Corredor, Pablo Vara Uzal, The Other Film Production

Mironins
Director: Mikel Mas Bilbao, Txesco Montalt
Production: Low Films A.I.E., Hampa Studio

Salvar el árbol (Zutik!)
Director: Haizea Pastor, Iker Álvarez
Production: Safe The Tree A.I.E., Tortuga Studio, Polar Studio, Baleuko S.L.

Valentina
Director: Chelo Loureiro
Production: Valentina La Película A.I.E, Abano Producións S.L.

Animated Short

Nacer (Birth)
Director: Roberto Valle
Producer: Carlos Valle Casas, Iván Miñambres, Néstor López

Proceso de selección (Selection Process)
Director: Carla Pereira
Producer: Paloma Mora

The Monkey
Director: Lorenzo Degl’Innocenti, Xosé Zapata
Producer: Diogo Carvalho, Nicolás Matji, Nuno Beato, Xosé Zapata

Umbrellas
Director: Álvaro Robles, José Prats
Producer: Ana María Ferri, Ramón Alòs Sánchez