GUEST OF HONOR: ARGENTINA

Argentina has a rich tradition in animation that began in 1917 with the brilliant Quirino Cristiani, animator and director of "El Apóstol," the world's first animated feature film. Cristiani inspired many artists who adopted animation as a means of expression. Over the decades, with the inclusion of animation in advertising, a new industry emerged.

Between the 1990s and 2000s, animated feature film production experienced a significant boom, culminating in 2013 with "Metegol," directed by Oscar winner Juan José Campanella, which premiered in theaters in over 22 countries including territories in Asia and Europe.

Today, animation development in Argentina is thriving, with numerous companies and studios specializing in various animation techniques. The talent of professionals is evident in high-quality productions that travel the world, earning awards and recognition at prestigious industry events.

Argentina at Pixelatl and The Ibero-American Animation League

In recent years, Argentina has actively participated in Pixelatl with projects in development and short films in the official selection (such as Pablo Polledri's "Loop," Laura López and Sarah Fernandez's "Despertar carmesí," Rubén F Stremiz's "Hábitos amables," among many others). Buda.TV, in collaboration with studios from Mexico and Argentina, created the spot for the Festival's 10th anniversary.

Furthermore, there is close collaboration between Animation!, the industry section of the Latin American audiovisual market Ventana Sur, and Pixelatl, involving awards for outstanding projects from both events. Each year, a Pixelatl project gains direct selection to Animation! Pitching Sessions, and an Animation! project is invited to participate in Pixelatl.

Additionally, Animation!, Pixelatl, and Premios Quirino have joined forces to establish The Ibero-American Animation League, aiming to foster the creation and development of audiovisual projects in the region, strengthening collaboration among Ibero-American countries. Each year, The League awards a Latin American project at Animation! to participate in Pixelatl and Premios Quirino with all expenses covered, promoting its international projection. One emblematic success story is the series "Dos pajaritos" (Can Can Club - Argentina / Palermo Estudio - Uruguay), which recently premiered and has garnered awards at the Annecy Festival and Prix Jeunesse International.

Argentina Guest of Honor

It is a pride for Argentina to participate in Pixelatl as the Guest of Honor with a delegation composed of prestigious animation professionals. Established companies with significant trajectories include Malabar ("Minimalitos," "Robotia," "Los Motorjón"), Caramba Estudio ("Dixi Detective," "Red misterio," and the short film "Zombirama," winner of 20 national and international awards), Nuts Media ("La máquina que hace estrellas," "Krakatoa," "No tan distintas"), BudaTV (creators of the collaborative short film "Mate?"), Can Can Club ("Dos pajaritos," "El hombre más chiquito del mundo"), and El Reino Infantil (producer of animated children's series like "La granja de Zenón" and creator of the most-watched Spanish-language animation channel on YouTube), responsible for major successes and multi-award-winning works in the country and worldwide.

Younger companies such as Listo Calisto (specializing in animation combining traditional and 2D techniques) and Ghost Creative Studio (a multi-platform video game development studio) exhibit great creative potential and a promising future. Independent professionals with interesting careers and excellent projects to present are also part of the delegation.

Argentina sees participation as the Guest of Honor at a pivotal industry event like Pixelatl as a significant opportunity and privilege for its professionals and artists.