Each year, the Cinanima Festival (this year: from 8 to 17 November 2024) seems to establish itself increasingly as a hub for the reunion and promotion of animated art, which means they found a personality after Antonio Gaio died in 2015. The constant exchange of masterclasses with Portuguese universities, incentives and agreements with schools for the education of the eye, book launches, and more academic events discussing Portuguese animation and current topics, besides film screenings, make the festival a reference in the animated world on a global scale.

Its sessions cater to enthusiasts, lovers, families, and children. However, due to the wide range of options available, I was able to participate in and watch the feature and short film sessions, a student session, and the main session featuring Portuguese short films. Therefore, I will primarily share my impressions of these films while also providing some commentary on the outcomes of the awards.

Firstly, about the main Portuguese film session. It was exceptionally well-balanced in terms of technical quality. With more personal themes (such as 'Amanhã Não Dão Chuva' (It Shouldn't Rain Tomorrow) by Maria Trigo Teixeira and even documentaries (such as 'Percebes,' by Alexandra Ramires and Laura Gonçalves, the film range proves the good moment of the Portuguese animation. I highlight the following films:

'Três Virgula Catorze' (Three Comma Fourteen), a stop-motion animation by Joana Nogueira and Patricia Rodrigues from Portugal. It is a playful and metaphorical reflection on the situation of children with ADHD in society. It is a good example of how animation is a ludic form to discuss thorny issues.

'Amanhã Não Dão Chuva,' a Portuguese and German production is another example. The pencil-on-paper animation technique itself embodies the volatility of old age. The short film shows in a direct and minimalist way the drama of a daughter taking care of her elderly mother. The short film received an honorable mention, but a Portuguese producer, with whom I agree, expressed that it would not be unfair if it received the session's award.

'Percebes,' a co-production with France. This award-winning watercolor animation by the Portuguese duo tells the story of the Algarve region in Portugal through a type of crustacean, the barnacle. With a predominance of contrasting reds and blues and a narrative about the region's life, specifically the inhabitants' relationship with tourism (both positive and bad), it was no surprise that the animation received the main prize and public prize. 'Percebes' already has a list of awards from other festivals.

'T-Zero,' by Vicente Nirō (Portugal, Hungary).
In a colorful and very well-designed 2D animation, Nirō tells the hardships of looking for a place to live in the city of Porto comically and ironically. A young woman has the stressful job of selling and renting properties in the city, following the explosion in tourism in Portugal. The story is presented with a colorful and representative aesthetic. It is worth mentioning that two other films have directly or indirectly addressed the issue of tourism and housing in the country ('Percebes' and 'Citizen Tourist,' by Gustavo Carreiro). This highlights the intensity of the social problem, which began between 2016 and 2017, and the explosion of local accommodation in the country.

In the international films, here are my top picks:

'Entropic Memory,' by Nicolas Brault (Canada).
The soundtrack accurately dramatizes this film's experimental nature, making it a worthy winner of the Sound Award. The sound adds another layer of sensory and cognitive information to the image, awakening other impressions and emotions.

'A Crab in the Pool,' by Alexandra Myotte and Jean-Sébastien Hamel (Canada). It won the Special Jury Prize, “for its originality and sensitivity in showing the complex process of mourning.” It also received the award for best screenplay, which, in my point of view, was completely coherent. In a creative and graphically elaborated way, the short film tells the story of the relationship between brother and sister and their mother with cancer, but not explicitly or directly.

'Zarko, You Will Spoil the Child!,' by Veljko Popovic and Milivoj Popovic (Croatia). The relationship between a grandfather and a granddaughter is entertaining and reminiscent of a documentary. The use of cartoon form makes it emotionally charged, critical of the rigid way of raising girls, and enjoyable. Very good.

'Spooky Loops', by Stas Santimov (Ukraine).
Although it does not have much movement, its scenes are like animated charges and have a lot of impact. Each scene presents a dry, deep, and even sinister criticism. The strong influence of German expressionism is evident.

'Next?,' by Christiel Guibert (France).

The portrayal of human relationships and the search for love is truly remarkable. In cartoons and through anthropomorphism (animals with human characteristics), Guibert captured insecurity, loneliness, and fear of rejection.

'Remember Us,' by Pablo Leon (USA).
Made in cartoon form, this animation tells the story of the civil war in El Salvador. Despite not using other aesthetic devices, such as the animation that won the Best Documentary award, in terms of the intensity of a little-known collective situation in Europe, in my opinion, it could have won the award for Best Documentary. The animation showcases a journalist's research and recounts three authentic tales of individuals and families who endured the war, focusing solely on the pain they endured, without any political commentary.

Beautiful Men,' by Nicolas Keppens (Belgium).
This stop-motion animation tells the story of three bald brothers who travel to Turkey to get hair implants. It seems like a banal story, but it gradually takes on the contours of a subtle comedy. Despite its Belgian origins, the story evoked strong memories of British comedies. The brothers' relationship, one's wife, and the expectation of implants are the focus of this well-directed stop-motion (the film received the Prémio Cidade de Espinho award).

Regarding feature films, I consider it fair that Adam Elliot won the award for his stop motion 'Memoir of a Snail'. This technique is perfect for discussing human beings as flesh-and-blood beings. Elliot's acidic look at human nature is simply superb, maintaining the author's narrative and aesthetic characteristics.

Non-screening events to mention:

The launch of Nancy Denney-Phelps' book with cover illustrations by Joanna Quinn - can you imagine that?! 'On the Animation Trail—20 Years of Animation Festival History.'
Nancy Denney-Phelps brings to us the history of animation festivals over the previous 20 years. She documented not just the films displayed but also the people and what makes each festival special, from Annecy, the world's oldest animation festival, to Beirut and the birth of the festival in Peja, Kosovo. An amazing experience that she generously shared with us throughout the book's pages.

I was at the presentation and spoke with Nancy, who highlighted: "The fun part for me became remembering all these good memories and people who are no longer with us, creating stories in time. And of course, my book begins with Krok and ends with Krok, because I've got to say my best memories are of 'Krok'. [...] And of course, Krok will never happen again. [...] It's going to be several generations before the wound heals between Ukraine and Russia. Because Krok is a joint Russian-Ukrainian festival.”

Nancy Denney-Phelps, Joanna Quinn at the 2024 CINANIMA Festival (photo: Cláudio Roberto)

Another important factor about the festivals that she pointed out was that, unfortunately, many no longer publish the catalogs of their editions. This presents a challenge for us as individuals responsible for documenting these events and preserving them for future generations. I agree with her. 

It was amazing to hear about Nancy's experiences over the past 20 years, her partnership with her devoted Nick, and the irreverence of the "Quinn" talking about her work for the book. Moreover, it was also funny, as they are both very witty and have a great spirit.

The fourth edition of the symposium, "Perspectives on Portuguese Animation," featured Regina Pessoa's work as its theme. Although I was unable to attend, I would like to highlight the importance of this animator in Portuguese and global animation history. She is invaluable and deserves recognition as a woman from a small European country that, 20 years ago, had little relevance in the field of animation.  The panel was curated by Sahra Kunz, professor at the University of Porto, and featured guests Laura Castro, professor at the School of Arts, Patrícia Oliveira, professor at the Catholic University of Portugal, Luisa Veloso (ISCET), Pedro Serrazina (Lusófona University), and Regina Pessoa herself.

The panel discussion on 'Artificial Intelligence in Animated Films' was moderated by Rafael Oliveira (Portuguese journalist), and the guests Bruno Caetano (director/producer),  João Moreira (AI specialist), Juan Carlos Concha (producer), and Sergio Kotsovoulos (designer/director), and Eliane Gordeeff (also film director, professor, and researcher). I do not want to single out an event that I participated in directly, but it was truly an important event, considering the place (a recognized animation festival) and the audience:  Deanna Morse, president of ASIFA; Agnes Li, 'Asifa China Magazine' production coordinator, among others.

The debate was very friendly despite the differences of opinion on some points. In any case, as expected, several members of the panel commented on the ethical and authorship issue, starting with Bruno Caetano, who raised the legal issue. I agreed with him, but I focused more firmly on the issue of AI being a new technology that doesn't animate or film anything but works as a digital glue, creating audiovisual collages by prompts.

After two hours of conversation, including questions from the audience, some points stood out: everyone agreed that AI is a tool for animators who should not be afraid of this new technology but should use it coherently with the animated work. Creating an audiovisual with an animated aesthetic simply by using prompts is not an animator's job. It would be beneficial if animation festivals established a dedicated category for such productions. 

This year, I had the privilege to participate in the selection process for international short films, and I can confidently state that the limit of possible screenings prevented the selection of many works due to their high quality. Another situation I have observed is the lengthening of animated short films, which used to range from 3 to 15 minutes; they now reach 30 minutes due to advancements in computer technology. This makes it difficult for festivals to organize sessions, which on average last 60+ minutes.

However, Cinanima once again offered outstanding moments on and off the screen, maintaining the excellent quality of this animation festival. Let's look forward to the next one!

Cinanima 2024 Festival Winners

contributed by: Eliane Gordeeff

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