BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — One of the bright spots at this year’s Ventana Sur market begins on December 2 as animators backed by Ibermedia Next talk about how they are using digital tools to free up and mix 2D and 3D to enhance the creativity of their titles.
Some of the results are now available to the public, such as catching a tantalizing teaser for the work-in-progress “Agua Dulce” on Ana Ramírez González’s Instagram. Further results will be visible to potential investors in Ventana Sur from both Ibermedia 2.0 and 3.0.
On Tuesday, a panel discussion will examine the impact of Ibermedia 2:0, featuring Víctor Herreruela of Ibermedia, Jara Ayúcar of Spain’s ICAA film agency, José Luis Farias of La Liga de la Animáción Iberoamericana, and Guillermo Garma of Argentina’s film and television agency INCAA.
The second panel examines how Ibermedia Next has impacted the work of creators. The panelists are Asdrúbal Hiutzilhuitl Rivera of Mexico’s Sísmica Studio, producer Jonatan Guzmán of Polar Studio, also in Mexico, Chile’s Bernardita Ojeda of Pájaro, and Reyes Arnal, a producer based at Spain’s La Mola Films.
Many of the projects in Ibermedia Next 2.0. Combine 2D and 3D. This is quickly becoming the default option for animation.
“What’s most unique for viewers is the incredible style we’re working with, which reflects Ana’s vision: a CGI environment with a 2D soul,” Hampa Studio’s Alvaro García (co-producer of Agua Dulce) tells Variety.
The Ibermedia Next 2.0 lineup is the second of three currently open and also features the feature debut of renowned stop-motion director Sofia Carrillo (Sad House, Cerulia), and Insectario: Despertal, backed by Mexico’s Pimienta Films, the producer of Roma, and Spain’s Initia Films, producers of the Berlin Golden Bear winner Alcaraz. “Insectario,” written by “The Dance of the 41” screenwriter Monica Revilla, had already garnered attention during a sneak peek at the Quirino Awards.
The animation is already impressive! “Hanta” with its stunning visuals in 2021 is another Ibermedia Next 2.0 project. This year’s anime has been decided! Annecy is a work in progress and uses Blender for 3D modeling and animation, ensuring continuous updates and flexible adaptation. “We also incorporate geometry nodes and grease pencils to create painterly, analog-inspired post-production effects directly within the 3D workflow,” said Director Emilio Ramos.
His comments about the project’s early images and its creators suggest that the Ibermedia Net program is truly moving the needle on animation in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal.
“Catwalk pioneers the integration of VR and open source tools into professional pipelines, showing how these new technologies can fundamentally transform animation production, allowing us to complete a 13-minute film in just four months,” said Toni Mortero, TD and Animation Director, co-director of this title.
A common goal of using new tools is to increase the creativity of your projects. For example, the tech company “The Day Ewan McGregor Introduced Me to My Parents” developed a unique R&D process for hand-drawn 2D animation based on fully interconnected open source tools to optimize resources, reduce costs, and allocate more investment to the arts.
The purpose of “Azul. The Last Seed” is to use new tools to create a more tactile environment. “The puppets are made using a combination of traditional handcraft techniques and 3D printing. We also integrate digital tracking of eye and mouth expressions into the physical puppet faces, adding more detail and flexible facial animation,” said producer David Castro Gonzalez. “Additionally, by using photogrammetry to scan real objects and integrate them into the scene, we will be able to create camera shots that would be impossible on set.”
No matter how excited the project’s creators are about the new technological sandpit, many of the titles are still social issues. “This film was born out of a desire to do something to contribute to the change that I feel is so needed, and it’s a story that gives me hope to achieve that change, even if it’s small,” says Alice Romero, author of “Azur. The Last Seed.”
Agua Dulce
Take a closer look at the 14 projects and technology experiments that make up Ibermedia Next 2:0.
“Agua Dulce” (Ana Ramírez González, Spain, USA)
One of Ibermedia Next 2.0’s most anticipated titles, it is the latest work from former Pixar Animation Studios story artist Ramirez Gonzalez. Here she is the beneficiary of the Latino Film Institute’s Spark Animation Fellowship, supported by the Netflix Creative Equity Fund. In “Agua Dulce,” a curious drop of water unexpectedly bursts across an idyllic lily pond, expanding our understanding and admiration of the world. Channeling Ramírez González’s passion as an illustrator, the title is a “unique fairy tale” about “self-discovery and personal growth,” said co-producer Alvaro García of Hampa Studio in Valencia, Spain.
“Azul, the Last Seed” (“Azul. La última semilla”, Aline Romero, Spain, Mexico)
In a world ravaged by drought, young guardian Azul embarks on an uncertain journey to save the last of his species, the last glimmer of life in their world. Combining stop-motion animation with 3D backgrounds created and composited in Blender, and enhanced lighting and depth using Unreal Engine, “Azul. The Last Seed” aims to “make everything feel tactile, with visual harmony between characters and environments,” said producer David Castro. Produced by Mansalva Films (Spain), Polar Studio (Mexico) and Ácido Cítrico (Spain).
“Cuentos de amor de locura y muerte” (María Luisánchez Ortega, Álvaro León Rodríguez, Spain, Mexico, Argentina)
The final moments of Horacio Quiroga, described by the short story’s creator as the Edgar Allan Poe of Latin America. They added that the short film explores mental health, suicide, euthanasia, and respect for nature and was developed in 2D and 3D using Grease Pencil, Stop Motion, 3D, CNC, and Quill y Titl Brush. Rodriguez said the goal is to use the short stories to create a full-length feature. Produced by Lamola Studio, ojoraro.tv and Sísmica.
“Carmen” (Cecilia Pugresi, Spain)
From Tingrado Films, the Canary Islands company behind Annecy Contrechamp’s Black Butterfly, this film is set in 1935 and inspired by the director’s great-aunt, one of the first female accountants in Mendoza, Argentina. “Carmen” uses traditional frame-by-frame 2D, integrated non-photorealistic 3D backgrounds and objects using Blender and Grease Pencil. “The violent and horrifying stories that so many women experience are often forgotten. This unique story reminds us of Carmen Martínez,” says Miguel Ángel Pérez Quintero of Tingrado.
“Carmen”
“Catwalk” (Lydia Luna, Spain, Brazil)
The first audiovisual work created using Grease Pencil VR, currently in production as a 13-minute short, producers La Chula Films (Spain) and Hilda Motion (Brazil) hope to bring the project a fest that will bring it wide attention. A call center operator has a terrible accident at a nightclub and ends up sending his consciousness into the body of a stray cat. Winner of Best Young Talent Series Project at Spain’s Weird Market 2024 and Suzanne Award for Best Design at Blender Conference 2024. It was installed at Madrid’s La Chula Films, behind Carmen Córdoba’s “Roberto,” which was pre-selected for an Oscar nomination.
“Catwalk”
“Civil Guard in New York” (“Un Guardia Civil En Nueva York”, Spain)
Created by Aitor Herrero. What happened to Federico García Lorca in his final moments? This amazing short film imagines one possibility that combines motion capture, AI for motion tracking into a six-minute short, and influences from flamenco and contemporary music. “I based the text on a combination of Federico García Lorca’s works ‘El Publico’ and ‘Poet of New Century York,’ and while this tragic story is not a literal adaptation or biography, it delves deeply into Lorca’s personality and obsessions,” Herrero said. Produced by renowned label Sultana Films (“The Sultana’s Dream”), as well as AupaStudio (Spain), Planet 141 (Colombia), Kraneo (Mexico) and ArtStep (Armenia).
new york private security guard
“The day Ewan McGregor introduced me to his parents” (“El día en que Ewan McGregor me presentó a sus Padres”, Lllona, Spain).
Almost completed animation feature. Marta, 40, is unable to conceive naturally, so she decides to try in vitro fertilization. “Through humor, music, and visual imagination, the director constructs an honest perspective on love, autonomy, and modern motherhood,” the synopsis reads. “2D animation allows us to transform pain, bodies, and desire into vivid, intimate, human images,” says director Marta Pucci (“Lyona”). Produced by Mr. Miyagi Films (The Platform, The Virgin of the Quarry Lake) and Portugal’s Sardinia M Rata.
“Ezcaz Souls” (“Las Armas de Ezcaz”, Nicholas Hooper H., Chile, Spain)
An animated documentary series about the lives and deaths of six Latin American environmental activists and their ongoing fight for justice in the regions they protect. “It’s an urgent project that faces pressing realities and deserves a place in contemporary cinema,” says Hooper H. “The intersection of documentary and animation allows us to create visual worlds and symbolic concepts that are deeply rooted in our realm.” Producers Cubho (Chile), Forward Films, Spain’s Polygonal Factory, and Leste (Brazil) have completed the pilot episode and have exclusively shared two stills from the first episode with Variety. 1.
“Escath Souls”
“Hanta” (Emilio Ramos, Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Chile)
In 1968, Bohumil, a writer suffering from state censorship, secretly writes a novel about a hunter who prints uncensored books. Bohumil’s reality and Hanta’s fiction begin to intertwine…” A fantasy feature for adults by Emilio Ramos, a veteran short film maker known for Annecy’s “Niebla” (2006) and “Nos Fartans” (2016). It was produced by Tourmalet Films (Spain), Fedra Productions, Casaderou and Atotonilco in Mexico, Osa Estudio in Argentina, and GVG Produziones in Chile.
Hunter
“Insectario: Despertar” (Sofia Carrillo, Mexico, Spain)
Carrillo told Variety about the story of an entomologist’s assistant who must free all the world’s insects trapped in an insectarium, saying, “In a sense, it’s an extension of the world of ‘Cerulia,’ but it has its own independent story.” Carrillo uses Facebook placements to work on doll faces that represent humans. Initia Films producer Valérie Delpierre said Iberseries Next has introduced manufacturers to new technologies and acted as a catalyst for projects.
“Pink Punk Delta” (also known as “El Mar y la Delta”, Alba Sotra, Spain, Chile)
Inspired by producer Alba Sotora’s own childhood, this is the story of a young girl who lives in Spain’s Ebro Delta and protests against a devastating drainage plan. Mr. Sotola also talks about the future need to connect with ourselves, nature and other people. Sotorra said the feature will use motion capture for animation and 2D shading for 3D and highly detailed 2D backgrounds. Co-produced by Alba Sotra SL, Slovakia’s Artichoke, Chile’s Pajaro and Colombia’s Bombillo Amarillo.
“Starlight”
“Star Light” (Caroline, directed by Diego Guzman & Julinho Espinosa, Spain, Colombia, Peru)
Eight-year-old Elida is playing the charango in the Andes Mountains, but suffers an epileptic seizure while tossing the instrument. However, when she is taken to the hospital, she meets Estrella, a girl suffering from cancer. Their empathy and friendship help Elida reconnect with music and accept her condition. “We considered using Blender for a traditional hand-drawn ink and paint style, but the current state of the tools didn’t allow us to achieve the look we wanted, so we decided to move forward with other, more established methods,” said producer Alfonso Casado. Produced by USER T38 (Spain), Hierroanimacion (Colombia) and Apus Estudio (Peru).
“La Van” (Alessio del Pozo Temoche, Portugal, Peru, Brazil)
He is one of the finalists for Nickelodeon’s Intergalactic Shorts Program 2.0, a series that focuses on the universal fear of growing up. Combining 2D cutouts, blender grease pencils, and traditional 3D backgrounds, the piece is led by Portugal’s Sardinha em Lata (“My Grandfather Used to Say He Saw Demons”), Peru’s Apus Animación y Contenido and Brazil’s Chatron Latino.
“Villa Marera” (Michele Massari, Portugal, Peru, Brazil)
A family-friendly series that utilizes 2D, cutouts, 3D, and AI to potentially explore conflict resolution and object discovery. Produced by Portugal’s Fly Moustache, the film was born from an original idea by Brazil’s Combo Estudio and produced in collaboration with Peru’s Maneki Studio Animation, with the partners currently focused on producing the pilot.
