The Grand Prize and Best Spanish-Speaking Nationality Short Film winners are now qualified for Oscar consideration and a spot on the shortlist for Best Animated Short Film; official winners list includes 18 awards and 1 special mention.
The 20th edition of Animayo Gran Canaria has announced the winners of its official competition. The Official 2025 Winners List includes 18 awards and one special mention, marking the beginning of the Oscar race for two of its winners. The ‘Animayo Itinerante,’ a worldwide tour, has also been launched.
The complete list of winners can be found here.
Animayo is an “Oscar Qualifying Festival” in two categories: international animated short film for the Grand Prize of the Animayo International Jury and Best Spanish-Speaking Nationality Short Film – ‘Animación con Ñ.’ The two winning works in these categories earn a direct spot on the coveted shortlist for Best Animated Short Film at the Oscars.
The selection follows a process based on five key pillars that guide the program: script, originality, technique, theme, and the articulation of ideas in well-constructed stories with relatable characters and appropriately matched animation techniques.
The techniques represented include traditional and digital 2D, 3D, stop-motion, and mixed techniques such as 2D plus 3D, rotoscoping, and collage.
The Italian film Playing God by Matteo Burani, won the Grand Prize of the International Jury. The 9-minute stop-motion short made with puppets, clay, and pixilation tells the story of a clay sculpture that comes to life in the darkness of a workshop, surrounded by strange creatures. The jury described this stop-motion work as “visually powerful, atmospheric, and visceral,” highlighting its narrative on reinvention and the pursuit of perfection. Its technique also earned it the Best Stop-Motion Award.
The Best Spanish-Speaking Nationality Short Film was awarded to Nube by Diego Alonso Sánchez de la Barquera Estrada and Christian Arredondo Narváez. The 3D short is a metaphor on motherhood and growth, featuring two clouds that journey through stages of detachment and maturity.
The Social Awareness Award was given to the traditionally animated short La Rivière des Ourses by director Anaïs Mauzat, for its critical reflection on globalization, excessive consumption, and the need to preserve our environment.
The festival also granted a Special Mention to the Iranian short Like Friend, Like Deer by director Malek Eghbali, in recognition of its excellent production design and the author’s outstanding artistic quality. The work evokes the animation style of Frédéric Back and the painting and engraving style of British artist Lucian Freud.
The Critic’s Award went to the short film Courage, created by students from Supinfocom (France). The jury highlighted it as “the most balanced piece in terms of narrative, animation, and artistic direction.”
In the Cinematics, Music Videos, and Commissioned Works category, the jury unanimously recognized the artistic quality of the finalist works. The Best Use of VFX in Narrative Format Award was given to the commissioned work The Cause of the Accident that Started the Fire, produced by CANADA.
The Best Cinematic Award went to studio Unit Image for their impactful piece Secret Leve – Dungeons & Dragons: The Queen's Cradle, a work that combines animation and visual effects in the Dungeons & Dragons narrative universe. Directed by Maxime Luère, the cinematic was praised for its technical quality, direction, and immersive capacity.
The 3D animated short Quota, by Studio Job, Joris & Marieke (Netherlands), won both Best Comedy for Adults and the Audience Award. In this film, every citizen must control their CO₂ emissions quota.
Source: Animayo 2025
Journalist, antique shop owner, aspiring gemologist—L'Wren brings a diverse perspective to animation, where every frame reflects her varied passions.
