Alberto Vázquez’s ‘Decorado’ Scoops Top Feature Prize at 9th Quirino Awards; Colombia, Portugal Share Major Wins

TENERIFE, Spain — Galician animation auteur Alberto Vázquez has done it again. “Decorado,” his bruising meditation on identity and appearances in a society that prizes the surface, landed Best Feature Film at the 9th Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards, handed out Friday in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

It’s Vázquez’s third Quirino: He previously won a short film award for the 11-minute “Decorado,” released in 2018, and again for “Homeless Home” in 2021. A co-production between Spain’s María y Arnold AIE, Abano Producións, UniKo and Glow Animation, alongside Portugal’s Sardinha em Lata, the film also scored an animated feature Goya Award this February.

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Colombia punched above its weight. Bogotá-based Careloko Producciones triumphed in the series category for “There Is Something Behind You,” a suspense-laced kids’ toon written and directed by Julián Gómez Reyes, backed by Colombia’s Abrecámara public fund.

Portugal’s Marta Reis Andrade snagged Best Short Film for “Dog Alone,” a 2D fable on loneliness and family ties produced by BAP – Animation Studio in French co-production with Ikki Films. The short has already racked up a slew of festival selections including AFI Fest and Valladolid International Film Festival.

The spoils were spread across five countries. Spain led the pack with three wins, followed by Colombia, Portugal and Brazil with two apiece, and Argentina with one — a clean five-five split between the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America. The jury worked through 265 submissions.

Elsewhere on the winners’ roster: Colombia-Spain co-pro “Ballad of Fishes and Birds” by Anny Uribe and Juan José Arévalo took School Short Film honors; Portuguese artist Ana Marta Mendes scooped Best Music Video for “Paulinha,” animating a track by musician Raul Manarte under the Os Filmes do Pinguim banner; Brazil’s Zombie Studio nabbed Best Commissioned Film for “18 Months” by Paulo Garcia and Natalia Gouvea; and Spain’s Valhalla Cats walked off with Best Video Game Animation for José Ginés Picón López’s “Stars in the Trash.”

The technical categories went to shorts across the board. Best Visual Development went to Brazilian multi-hyphenate Rosana Urbes (Planta Filmes) for “Safo.” Animation Design was won by Argentina-Mexico co-pro “My Gut Friend,” directed by José Manuel Lo Bianco and Mariano Andrés Bergara (Can Can Club, Primo Content, GUT). Best Sound Design and Original Music recognized Spain’s “The Quinta’s Ghost” by James A. Castillo (Illusorium Films, Martirio Films), which made the Oscars shortlist this year.

The international jury was chaired by Brazilian producer Cesar Cabral — himself a 2022 Quirino feature winner for “Bob Cuspe – Nós Não Gostamos de Gente” — alongside Ireland’s Moe Honan (Moetion Films), the Philippines’ Marilyn Montano (PlayLab Animation Studio, TeamApp), Colombian-American Martha Sepúlveda (CAKE Entertainment) and Croatia’s Krešimir Zubčić (HRT).

Best Feature Film:
“Decorado” by Alberto Vázquez (Spain-Portugal)
Best Series:
“There Is Something Behind You – Season 1” by Julián Gómez Reyes
(Colombia)
Best Short Film:
“Dog Alone” by Marta Reis Andrade (Portugal-France)
Best School Short Film:
“Ballad of Fishes and Birds” by Anny Uribe and Juan José
Arévalo (Colombia-Spain)
Best Music Video:
“Paulinha” by Ana Marta Mendes (Portugal)
Best Commissioned Film:
“18 Months” by Paulo Garcia and Natalia Gouvea (Brazil)
Best Video Game Animation:
“Stars in the Trash” by José Ginés Picón López (Spain)

Best Visual Development:
“Safo” by Rosana Urbes (Brazil)
Best Animation Design:
“My Gut Friend” by José Manuel Lo Bianco and Mariano
Andrés Bergara (Argentina-Mexico)
Best Sound Design and Original Music:
“The Quinta’s Ghost” by James A. Castillo
(Spain)