The 9th Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards, held in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, saw Galician animation maestro Alberto Vázquez once again take home a major prize. His film “Decorado,” a profound exploration of identity and appearances, was honored with the Best Feature Film award. This marks Vázquez’s third Quirino win, following previous successes for the short film version of “Decorado” in 2018 and “Homeless Home” in 2021. The feature film, a co-production involving Spain’s María y Arnold AIE, Abano Producións, UniKo, and Glow Animation, alongside Portugal’s Sardinha em Lata, had also secured an animated feature Goya Award earlier in February.

Colombia demonstrated a strong performance at the awards, with Bogotá-based Careloko Producciones earning the Best Series award for “There Is Something Behind You,” a suspenseful children’s animation written and directed by Julián Gómez Reyes. This project was supported by Colombia’s Abrecámara public fund. Portugal also celebrated a win as Marta Reis Andrade’s “Dog Alone,” a 2D fable on themes of loneliness and family bonds, produced by BAP – Animation Studio in French co-production with Ikki Films, was named Best Short Film. This short has already garnered attention with selections at festivals like AFI Fest and Valladolid International Film Festival.

The awards were distributed among five countries, showcasing the broad talent across the Ibero-American region. Spain led with three wins, followed by Colombia, Portugal, and Brazil, each securing two awards. Argentina received one award, resulting in an even five-five split between the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America. The international jury, chaired by Brazilian producer Cesar Cabral, reviewed a total of 265 submissions to determine the winners.

Beyond the top categories, several other productions were recognized. The School Short Film honors went to the Colombia-Spain co-production “Ballad of Fishes and Birds” by Anny Uribe and Juan José Arévalo. Portuguese artist Ana Marta Mendes was awarded Best Music Video for animating “Paulinha,” a track by Raul Manarte under the Os Filmes do Pinguim banner. Brazil’s Zombie Studio claimed Best Commissioned Film for “18 Months” by Paulo Garcia and Natalia Gouvea, while Spain’s Valhalla Cats triumphed in Best Video Game Animation for José Ginés Picón López’s “Stars in the Trash.”

Technical excellence was also celebrated, with all technical categories going to short films. Best Visual Development was awarded to Brazilian multi-hyphenate Rosana Urbes (Planta Filmes) for “Safo.” The Best Animation Design prize went to the Argentina-Mexico co-production “My Gut Friend,” directed by José Manuel Lo Bianco and Mariano Andrés Bergara (Can Can Club, Primo Content, GUT). Finally, Best Sound Design and Original Music recognized Spain’s “The Quinta’s Ghost” by James A. Castillo (Illusorium Films, Martirio Films), a film that had previously made the Oscars shortlist this year.