- Saturday, November 15, was marked by two of the festival’s most anticipated screenings (“Maya, Give Me a Title” and “Arco”), Toni Alarco and his talk on animation in social media, and a tribute to the career of Grangel Studio.
- On Sunday, November 16, Animalcoi concludes its fifth edition with an international perspective: short films from around the world, a solidarity session for Palestine, and the screening of Little Amélie as the festival’s final touch.
SUMMARY OF SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15
The penultimate day of Animalcoi, Saturday, November 15, began early in the festival’s main venue, the Rodes Urban Technology Park, which hosted the conference “40th Anniversary of Grangel Studio: History and Career.” In this talk, Jordi Grangel looked back on four decades of character creation and design for iconic films such as The Prince of Egypt, Kung Fu Panda, and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.
He was followed by the talk “Making a Living from Animation Thanks to Social Media,” given by creator Toni Alarco, who shared with attendees how digital platforms have become a professional gateway for new animators, completely transforming the audiovisual landscape.
In the afternoon, the BIC Cinemas at the Alzamora Shopping Center in Alcoy were filled with audiences for the Family Session, dedicated to children’s short films, followed by the feature film Maya, Give Me a Title (Michel Gondry, France, 2025). These two official sessions gave attendees the privilege of hearing from Vicente Mallols, director of Carmela, who presented his work, which earned the runner-up Animalcoi–Fundación Mutua Levante Award in the national short film category. The day concluded with the screening of another of the year’s major animated features: Arco (Ubo Bienvenu, France, 2025).
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16 PROGRAM: FESTIVAL CLOSING
The final day of the festival begins in the afternoon, at 5:00 p.m., directly at the BIC Cinemas in the Alzamora Shopping Center in Alcoy, with the last of the official screenings: the Animalcoi–Solitium Session 5, dedicated to international short films, which includes Percebes, the film awarded the main prize in this category.
Shortly after, at 6:30 p.m., audiences can attend the special session To Gaza with Love. Global Anijam, a selection of 250 short films from 50 countries created as a message of support for the Palestinian people. This international initiative, part of the AC4PAL (Animation Community for Palestine) network, turns animation into a language of solidarity, listening, and remembrance.
The official closing of Animalcoi 2025 arrives at 8:00 p.m. with the screening of Little Amélie (Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, France, 2025, 78’), a delicate tale about discovering the world in early childhood, which tenderly concludes this fifth edition of the festival. Pending the final attendance figures, this edition has already become one of the most successful in Animalcoi’s history, both in its screenings and professional events.
SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
Animalcoi 2025 is supported by the Generalitat Valenciana, the Institut Valencià de Cultura, the City Council of Alcoy, the Provincial Council of Alicante, and the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Spain; sponsored by Grupo Solitium, AITEX, Fundación Mutua Levante, and the Alzamora Shopping Center; and partnered with the SGAE Foundation and the Chair of Audiovisual Analysis and Foresight at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV). À Punt is the festival’s official media partner.
