20ª Summit, Conference and International Film
Festival of Animation, Visual Effects and Video Games
Animayo G.C. 2025
Trailer Animayo Gran Canaria 2025
“In the Shadow of the Cypress,” nominated for Best Animated Short at the 2025 Oscars®️ after qualifying through Animayo’s Grand Jury Prize in 2024 • 27-01-2025“In the Shadow of the Cypress”, written and directed by Hossein Molayemi and Shirin Sohani, winner of the Animayo 2024 International Jury Grand Prize and automatically shortlisted for the Oscars® in the Best Animated Short Film category, thanks to Animayo’s unique status as the only Spanish animation festival designated as an “Oscar®-qualifying festival” by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, has now been officially nominated for Best Animated Short at the 2025 Oscars®️.
This announcement was made this past Thursday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, unveiling the nominees for the 2025 Oscars®️ across its various categories. This is a source of immense pride and joy for the Animayo Festival, whose prestigious status has already brought other award-winning films from the festival to both nominations and shortlists for the Oscars®. Just last year, “Our Uniform,” the 2023 Animayo Grand Prize winner, was also nominated for Best Animated Short. Previously, “Late Afternoon,” Animayo’s 2017 Grand Prize winner, achieved the same recognition at the 2018 Oscars®. Moreover, “Kapaemahu,” the 2020 winner, reached the shortlist in 2021.
Having now achieved four Oscar® nominations for its winning works since the Academy designated Animayo as an Oscar®-qualifying festival in 2018, and since 2022 for its “Animation with Ñ” category—reserved for Spanish-speaking countries—this milestone underscores the remarkable prestige and international standing of the festival. Animayo has become a key platform for recognizing extraordinary works of art, as evidenced by nearly 20 years of uninterrupted success.
Animayo celebrates the nomination of “In the Shadow of the Cypress” with immense pride in its talented directors, whose creativity and vision have brought to life a work that transcends borders and inspires audiences worldwide. In addition, Damián Perea, director and producer of Animayo, expressed his “most heartfelt congratulations to our incredible programming team, whose vision brought this gem to our festival, and to the jury, who saw its greatness from the very beginning. It is an honor to be part of this journey and to support animation that moves and inspires the world.”
“In the Shadow of the Cypress,” a 2D animated short film with a runtime of 19 minutes and 33 seconds, sensitively addresses the aftermath of post-traumatic stress disorder and the complex family relationships marked by the psychological effects of war. This exceptional piece, noted for its extraordinary visual design, masterful use of lighting, profound script, and emotional storytelling, was also unanimously awarded Best 2D Animation in addition to the Animayo 2024 International Jury Grand Prize, presided over by acclaimed animation director John Musker.
[Trailer. Watch and download: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVzZ3CVanPk].
Animayo also congratulates the creators of “Beautiful Men,” “Magic Candies,” “Wander to Wonder,” and “Yuck!”, companions of “In the Shadow of the Cypress” in the race for the Best Animated Short Oscar®, whose outcome we will learn during the 97th Academy Awards on the night of March 3, 2025. The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles will once again echo the title of this exquisite piece, which Animayo Gran Canaria paved the way for by awarding it its Grand Prize. Without a doubt, it will be a magnificent evening that we will follow with great pride from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, the city that hosts Animayo each year.
This nomination serves as an incredible incentive for the entire Animayo team, now hard at work on its 20th edition, to be held from May 7 to 10, 2025. The team is already reviewing over 2,000 submissions from more than 80 countries, including works in 2D animation, 3D animation, visual effects, experimental cinema, animated advertising, music videos, video game cinematics, and virtual reality. This rigorous selection process reflects the festival’s solid commitment to art and innovation, transcending borders and reinforcing its position as an indispensable engine of artistic and audiovisual development. It reaffirms Animayo’s role as an essential nexus between Europe, America, and Africa, while promoting Gran Canaria as a key cultural and audiovisual hub. The festival’s international reach, bolstered by its direct connection to the Oscars®, strengthens its prestige and positions the island as a strategic center for animation and visual effects. Additionally, its dedication to training and promoting emerging talent fosters sector growth, generating professional opportunities and attracting the attention of studios and creators worldwide. This positions Gran Canaria on the global stage of the industry, consolidating its artistic identity and competitiveness in the audiovisual market.
In the words of Damián Perea, “This is yet another important validation for us, positively influencing our international reputation and, of course, a source of pride for Gran Canaria and its capital, which hosts this festival, as well as for Spain, which has in Animayo its only animation festival with a double Oscar® qualification. It’s a tremendous joy, especially in a historic year of success where, after breaking our own attendance record with 23,177 participants during its in-person phase, we embarked on the 2024 World Tour through Mexico, Europe, and the United States. We showcased our 2024 winners at key international festivals such as Sublime Guadalajara, LightBox Expo, The World Animation Summit, and American Film Market. Furthermore, we organized exclusive events at major studios like Sony Pictures Animation, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Netflix Animation, and DreamWorks Animation, where we once again promoted the winners of this edition.”
Animayo is made possible thanks to the strong support of its sponsors: the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, the Society for the Promotion of the City of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Turismo Gran Canaria, the Foundation of La Caja de Canarias, the Government of the Canary Islands, ICEX-Invest in Spain, as well as the involvement of production companies, studios, schools, universities, and numerous private companies that are committed to the film industry and the effort to bring audiovisual and technological culture and education to audiences everywhere.
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