The workshop, dedicated to boosting innovation in the Ibero-American animation sector, announces winners of its third edition - ‘Caregivers,’ ‘Lumen’ and ‘LIMBO;’ selected projects get 8,000€ in development aid, 3 months of mentoring and a travel grant and accreditation for next year’s festival.
For the third consecutive year, Ibermedia Programme, an organization dedicated to boosting innovation in the Ibero-American animation sector, brought its Next Lab Generation workshop to the Annecy Festival and marketplace. Over the last three editions, it has provided almost 50 animation projects with advice on how best to introduce new technologies, such as VR and video game engines, into their prototyping phase.
This year’s winners, having pitched their projects for a MIFA audience, include:
- Latente by Carlos Zaragoza and Aurora Jiménez
- The Last Spitfire by Renato Roldán
- LIMBO by Daniel Shambo
Special mention
- All Good by Diego Porral and Joaquín Garralda.
The trio of winning works received 8,000€ in development aid, three months of mentoring, a travel grant and accreditation for representing work, and the chance for presentation at the festival along with a special mention from the jury.
In addition, two projects from previous editions of the Next Lab Generation workshop received awards in the MIFA Pitches section.
The Ciclic - Shortway Award:
Caregivers - directed by Daniela Cuenca (Next Lab Generation 2023 finalist), presented in the MIFA Pitches Short Films section:
- In the film, the viewer sees the lives of several Latin American immigrant women who share their experiences as caregivers to the elderly in Spain. The story delves into the bonds between the women and the support network that develops over time.
Stereopsia Booster Award:
Lumen by Enric Sant (Next Lab Generation 2022 winner), presented in the MIFA Pitches Digital Experiences section:
- The digital VR experience introduces viewers to a small luminous animus called Lumen. The character wakes up in a dark rocky cave full of ancient symbols and magical elements. One day, the cave collapses, and Lumen struggles to get out, unaware of the adversities he will encounter.
Next Lab Generation alumni selected to participate in this year’s Annecy Festival included Fabiola Rosso's Nerea in the "Stories x Women" program (sponsored by the Walt Disney Company and Sony Pictures Entertainment). In addition, previous recipient Titan Tofu appeared in Annecy’s new “TV Series & Specials Mifa Pitches” program. The transmedia series by María Luquero (a selection at the Next Lab Generation in 2021) has now been named a selection in the second edition of CIMA IMPULSA.
The Annecy Festival was a meeting place for participants from different workshop editions. In addition, during a MIFA presentation, Next Lab Generation director Jose Luis Farias shared information from the last edition and looked ahead at future workshops. He outlined the challenges and opportunities of incorporating new technological tools in animation and video game production.
Next Lab Generation 2023 is sponsored by the Community of Madrid through the Council for Culture, Tourism, and Sport with financial support from the Institute for Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA) as part of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan advanced by the European Union, additional sponsorship by the Ministry of Culture, DeAPlaneta Entertainment, and the Municipal Government of Madrid, and collaboration from Enisa, Annecy Festival, and Weird Market.
Source: Ibermedia Programme
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
