Feature Animation Returns to Strength at Goya Awards

The 36th Goya Awards are set to take place this Saturday, February 12,  and this year Spain’s motion picture Academy was able to fill out four full slots for both the animated feature and animated short film categories. Awards watchers may recall that in 2021, a single longform title ran uncontested and took the premio: Spanish-Argentinian co-pro Turu, the Wacky Hen (La Gallina Turuleca). Hybrid short Blue & Malone: Impossible Cases took the shortform honors in a more robust contest.

The animation and VFX titles contending for the honors this weekend are:

Best Animated Motion Picture:

• Gora Automatikoa | Dir. Esaú Dharma, David Galán Galindo, Pablo Vara (39 Escalones, The Other Film Prod.) [Trailer]
• Mironins | Dir. Mikel Mas, Celia Rico (Cornelius Films, Wuji House, Peekaboo Animation, Walking The Dog; Spain/Belgium) [Trailer]
• Save the Tree! | Dir. Haizea Pastor, Iker Álvarez (Baleuko, Polar Studio, Tortuga Studios; Spain/Mexico/Brazil) [Trailer]
• Valentina | Dir. Chelo Loureiro (Ábano Prod., Antaruxa Studio, El Gatoverde, Sparkle Animation) [Trailer]

Clockwise: Nacer, The Monkey, Selection Process, Umbrellas

Best Animated Short Film:

• Nacer (Birth) | Dir. Roberto Valle (Auntie Films, UniKo, Filmakers Monkeys) [Trailer]
• Selection Process | Dir. Carla Pereira (tvON Production) [Trailer]
• The Monkey | Dir. Lorenzo Degl’ Innocenti, Xosé Zapata (Lightbox Animation Studio, Sardinha em Lata; Spain/Portugal) [Trailer]
• Umbrellas | Dir. José Prats, Álvaro Robles (Bigaro Films, Moukda Prod.; Spain/France) [Trailer]

Best Special Effects:

• The Good Boss | Raúl Romanillos, Míriam Pique
• The Grandmother | Raúl Romanillos, Ferran Piquer
• Mediterraneo: The Law of the Sea | Àlex Villagrasa
• Way Down | Pau Costa, Laura Pedro

In non-animation items of note, Fernando León de Aranoa’s workplace comedy The Good Boss (El buen patrón), starring Javier Bardem, this year became the most-nominated film in the Awards’ history with 20 nods, including Best Picture and Best Director. The full list of 2022 Goya nominees in all 28 categories is available here.