‘Ice Merchants,’ ‘Passenger’ Lead Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards Nominees

The Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards have unveiled the finalists for the upcoming sixth edition of the trans-Atlantic ceremony, which will take place May on 13 in the Canary Island city of La Laguna, Tenerife.

João Gonzalez’s Oscar-nominated short Ice Merchants and Juan Pablo Zaramella’s shortlisted Passenger were tied for the most Quirino nods at four a piece.

This year’s animated feature category looks highly competitive, although Alberto Vázqeuz’s Unicorn Wars is probably the favorite. That said, Nayola played in competition at Annecy and won prizes at Guadalajara and São Paulo while The Other Shape took top honors at Chilemonos and Sitges. Trunk Train: The Movie feels like the dark horse here as it didn’t get any kind of festival run to speak of, but it’s been well-received by critics and audiences in Brazil.

In total, 21 animated features, shorts, commissioned works, and video games will compete in nine categories. Portugal, Argentina, and Spain top the list of countries with the most nominations with 10, nine, and eight nods respectively.

Participating in this year’s jury are Andrea Fernández (art director, The Cuphead Show!), Julio Bonet (adult animation manager, Netflix U.K.), Risa Cohen (film and video-game producer), Robert Jaszczurowski (producer and director at GS Animation/Grupa Smacznego), and Simón Wilches-Castro (creative director at Titmouse Studios).

2023 Quirino Award Nominees

Feature

• The Other Shape – Diego Guzmán, Producers: Smith & Smith, Hierroanimación, Estúdio Giz, RTVCPlay (Colombia, Brazil)
• Nayola – José Miguel Ribeiro, Producers: Praça Filmes, coproducción con JPL Films, Soil Productions, Il Luster, Luna Blue Filmes (Portugal, Belgium, France, Netherlands)
• Trunk Train – The Movie – Zé Brandão, Producer: Copa Studio (Brazil)
• Unicorn Wars – Alberto Vázquez, Producers: Abano Producións, UniKo, Unicorn Wars AIE, Autour de Minuit, Schmuby Productions (Spain, France)

Series

• Polinopolis – María Antolini & Martin Guido, Producers: Mago Production, in co-production with Apapacho Films, Godo Studio, with the participation of RTVE, Televisió de Catalunya, Pakapaka (Spain, Mexico, France, Argentina)
• Jasmine & Jambo – Sílvia Cortés, Producers: Teidees Audiovisuals, Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals, with the participation of IB3 (Televisió de les illes Balears), Institut Català de les Empreses Culturals (Spain)
• The Tiny Orchestra – Juan Carve, Producers: Señal Colombia, CPSE, Chucho TV, Apus Estudio, Mago Production, RTVE, TV3, ICEC (Peru, Uruguay, Colombia, Argentina, Spain)
• Petit S3 – Bernardita Ojeda, Producers: Pájaro, RTVE, TV3, WKND, PakaPaka, Señal Colombia (Chile, Spain, Argentina, Colombia)

Short

• Garbage Man – Laura Gonçalves, Producer: Bando à Parte (Portugal)
• Ice Merchants – João Gonzalez, Producers: Cola Animation, Wild Stream, Royal College Of Art (Portugal, France, U.K.)
• Passenger – Juan Pablo Zaramella, Producer: JPZtudio (Argentina)

School Short

• Chimborazo – Keila Cepeda, Producer: Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain, Ecuador)
• Papirola – Fabián Molinaro, Producer: Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain)
• Carlos Montaña – Ita Romero, Producer: Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina)

Commissioned Film

• The Art of Getting You Back – Dante Zaballa, Producer: Dante Zaballa (Argentina)
• Awakening Together – Claudia Prezioso, Producer: Claudia Prezioso (Uruguay)
• This Dog Looks Weird – Facundo Quiroga, Juan Nadalino, and Sebastian García, Producer: Kiosko (Argentina)

Animation for a Video Game

• Atuel – Matajuegos (Argentina)
• Endling – Extinction is Forever – Herobeat Studios (Spain)
• Han’yo – Hangover Studios – Digipen Institute Of Technology Europe Bilbao (Spain)

Visual Development

• Ice Merchants – João Gonzalez, Producers: Cola Animation, Wild Stream, Royal College Of Art (Portugal, France, U.K.)
• Nayola – José Miguel Ribeiro, Producers: Praça Filmes, coproducción con JPL Films, Soil Productions, Il Luster, Luna Blue Filmes (Portugal, Belgium, France, Netherlands)
• Passenger – Juan Pablo Zaramella, Producer: JPZtudio (Argentina)

Animation Design

• Garbage Man – Laura Gonçalves, Producer: Bando à Parte (Portugal)
• Ice Merchants – João Gonzalez, Producers: Cola Animation, Wild Stream, Royal College Of Art (Portugal, France, U.K.)
• Passenger – Juan Pablo Zaramella, Producer: JPZtudio (Argentina)

Sound Design and Original Music

• Garrano – David Doutel, Vasco Sá, Producers: Bap – Animation Studios, Art Shot (Portugal, Lithuania)
• Garbage Man – Laura Gonçalves, Producer: Bando à Parte (Portugal)
• Ice Merchants – João Gonzalez, Producers: Cola Animation, Wild Stream, Royal College Of Art (Portugal, France, U.K.)
• Passenger – Juan Pablo Zaramella, Producer: JPZtudio (Argentina)