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.
With a strong background in documentary filmmaking, Tenerife-born director 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 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, Brazilian cartoon 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, a finalist in the 2022 Quirino Awards.
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.
During the gala, Lope Afonso, Vice President of the Tenerife Council and Minister for Tourism, External Action and Institutional Relations, announced the launch of Quirino Lab, a training and discussion space to be held in November 2025.
“With this initiative we intend to shed light on the issues that most concern Ibero-American executive producers. After a process of analysis and listening to the sector, Tenerife will host the evolution of the original concept of the Quirino Residency, presented last year; a project that now incorporates the promotion of collective work and adds the contributions that have emerged from the successful Futures Lab held in this edition of the Quirino Awards,” said Afonso. This new space has the support of the Tenerife Council through Tenerife Tourism and the Tenerife Film Commission. More details about the registration process will be announced next June during the Annecy Animation Festival.
The Quirino Awards are sponsored by the Tenerife Council through Tenerife Tourism.
8th Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards Winners
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).
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