Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards Have Announced the 2025 Winners
Skwigly
Productions from Spain, Brazil, and Uruguay were recognized in the three main categories of the 8th Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards, created to celebrate animated works from this 23-country region. Spain’s “Black Butterflies” by David Baute won Best Feature Film, while Brazil’s “Jorel’s Brother” took home Best Series, and Uruguay’s “Capybaras”, by Alfredo Soderguit claimed Best Short Film. The awards gala took place today in La Laguna, Tenerife, and was streamed online worldwide. The Quirino Awards are sponsored by the Tenerife Council through Tenerife Tourism.
With a strong background in documentary filmmaking, Tenerife-born director David Baute makes his animation debut with “Black Butterflies,” a feature film that follows three women from very different parts of the world that are forced to migrate due to the climate crisis. The film draws from Baute’s 2020 documentary “Éxodo climático” and has also been honored at the Goya and Platino Awards. Co-written by Baute and Yaiza Berrocal, the Quirino’s Best Feature Film is a production by Spain’s Ikiru Films and Tinglado Film (based in Tenerife), alongside Panama’s Anangu Grup.
After winning Best Series at the 2019 Quirino Awards, Brazil’s “Jorel’s Brother” was again recognized for its fifth season. Created by Juliano Enrico and produced by the Rio de Janeiro-based Copa Studio together with Warner Bros. Discovery, the series is about an extremely creative boy navigating pre-adolescence in the shadow of his older brother Jorel’s popularity.
In “Capybaras”, winner of the Quirino Award for Best Short Film, Uruguayan writer and director Alfredo Soderguit talks about prejudice and friendship through a story starring a family of capybaras forced to leave their habitat because of hunters. The work is an adaptation of the book of the same name written and illustrated by the director, known in the world of animation for “Anina” (2013) and for the series “Dos pajaritos”, finalist in the 2022 Quirino Awards.
The award for Best School Short Film went to “Adiós” by José Prats, a Spanish director and graduate of the National Film and Television School in England, while in the Best Animated Music Video category, the award went to “My Way”, a production by Argentina’s Rudo Company directed by Jesica Bianchi for the band Siamés. Finally, the award for Best Animation Commissioned Film went to the Brazilian “47”, directed by Paulo Garcia and Natalia Gouvea and produced by Zombie Studio, which also received the award for Best Visual Development.
Rounding out the awards, Spain’s “Neva” (Nomada Studio) claimed Best Video Game Animation, while Spain-France co-production “Buffet Paraíso” by Santi Amézqueta and Héctor Zafra won Best Animation Design. The short “Gilbert” (Spain) by Alejandro Salueña García, Arturo Lacal Ruiz, and Jordi Jiménez Xiberta earned Best Sound Design and Original Music.
This year’s jury was made up of U.S. producer Ben Kalina of Titmouse studio, Spanish researcher and programmer Carolina López Caballero, children’s content acquisitions executive at Swedish public broadcaster SVT Helena Nylander, Brazilian animation director, screenwriter and animator Daniel Bruson, and CEO of French distributor and producer Prime Entertainment Group Leyla Formoso.
The 26 finalists were chosen from 263 entries, 10 percent more than the previous year. Throughout its eight editions, the Quirino Awards have contributed to the creation of a common space for animation in the Ibero-American region, positioning its headquarters, the island of Tenerife, as a reference and meeting point for the sector.
WINNERS OF 8th IBERO-AMERICAN ANIMATION QUIRINO AWARDS
- Best Feature Film: “Black Butterflies” – David Baute. Production: Ikiru Films, Tinglado Film, Anangu Grup, Tunche Films, Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals (Spain, Panama).
- Best Series: “Jorel’s Brother – Season 5” – Juliano Enrico. Production: Copa Studio, Warner Bros Discovery (Brazil).
- Best Short Film: “Capybaras” – Alfredo Soderguit. Production: Palermo Estudio, Autour de Minuit, Pájaro (Uruguay, France, Chile).
- Best School Short Film: “Adiós” – José Prats. Production: National Film and Television School (Spain, UK).
- Best Commissioned Animation: “47” – Paulo Garcia, Natalia Gouvea. Production: Zombie Studio (Brazil).
- Best Music Video: “My Way” – Jesica Bianchi. Production: Rudo Company (Argentina).
- Best Video Game Animation: “Neva” – Developed by: Nomada Studio (Spain).
- Best Visual Development: “47” – Paulo Garcia, Natalia Gouvea. Production: Zombie Studio (Brazil).
- Best Animation Design: “Paradise Buffet” – Santi Amézqueta, Héctor Zafra. Production: Hampa Studio, WKND, DISNOSC (Spain, France).
- Best Sound Design & Original Music: “Gilbert” – Alejandro Salueña García, Arturo Lacal Ruiz, Jordi Jiménez Xiberta. Production: Agencia Freak (Spain).