The Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards are entering a new era with the appointment of Argentine Silvina Cornillón as the new director. Cornillón, a pivotal figure in the animation industry for over two decades, steps into the role following her tenure as an ambassador in Latin America and coordinator of the Quirino Awards Residency.
Cornillón’s appointment comes at a time when the Quirino Awards have received a record number of submissions for their upcoming eighth edition. A total of 263 works from 17 countries have been submitted, marking a 6.4% increase over the previous year. This surge in entries underscores the growing importance of the Quirino Awards among the global animation community.
Cornillón replaces Bea Bartolomé, who has coordinated the Co-Production and Business Forum since the awards’ inception. José Luis Farias, the current executive producer of the awards, previously held the position. Cornillón’s extensive experience includes serving as assistant manager of animation at the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts of Argentina (INCAA) and coordinating the prestigious Animation! section of Ventana Sur.
“In a changing and complex international context, the animation community is showing an exceptional ability to adapt, innovate and turn challenges into opportunities for growth. In this scenario, the Quirino Awards have put the creative force of ideas and collective work at the service of the sector. As the first Latin American director of the Quirino Awards, I assume this role with the commitment to strengthen them and continue to promote Ibero-American animation,” said Cornillón of her new appointment.
The Quirino Awards, named after Quirino Cristiani, the Italian-Argentine creator of the first animated feature film in history, have become a key focus of the Ibero-American animation industry. The awards celebrate and promote the production and circulation of animated work from the region. This year’s submissions include 15 feature films, 32 series, 116 short films, 48 student shorts, 17 commissioned films, 15 video games and 20 music videos, totaling 54 hours of animation.
Spain is responsible for 33% of the 2025 submissions, followed by Brazil (14%), Argentina (12%), Mexico (12%), Colombia (8%), Portugal (7%) and Chile (7%). Works from Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela have also been submitted for consideration this year.
A selection committee will choose six titles per category from among the submissions, with the finalists to be announced in February. An international jury, including American producer Ben Kalina, Spanish researcher and programmer Carolina López Caballero, Swedish public broadcaster SVT’s children’s content acquisitions executive Helena Nylander, Brazilian animation director Daniel Bruson and French distributor and producer Prime Entertainment Group’s executive director Leyla Formoso, will select the three finalists in each category. The winners will be announced on May 10 at the closing ceremony.
The Quirino Awards are produced with significant support from sponsors and collaborators, including the Tenerife Council through Turismo de Tenerife, with additional support from the City Council of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, Promotur Turismo Canarias, the Government of the Canary Islands, and the ICAA.
Last year’s edition saw “Robot Dreams” by Pablo Berger win best film, while the second season of the musical series “Jasmine & Jambo” by Silvia Cortés took home best series. The award for best short went to the Brazilian film “Lulina e a Lua” by Marcus Vinicius Vasconcelos and Alois Di Leo.
With Cornillón at the helm, the Quirino Awards are poised to continue their mission of fostering creativity and collaboration in the Ibero-American animation industry. The 2025 awards will be held in San Cristóbal de La Laguna from May 8 to 10.
