World Animation Day is celebrated on October 28 to commemorate the first time Èmile Reynaud presented to a large audience his Théâtre Optique, an invention capable of projecting animated films as never seen before. This gadget revolutionized the audiovisual world at the end of the 19th century, and made its inventor one of the most celebrated pioneers of animated film.
Every year, coinciding with such an important date, the Community of Madrid organizes a program that includes lectures by experts in the animation industry and screenings of short films. Given the success of previous editions, in 2024 there will be more activities than ever to enjoy with friends and family.
The best of the program
Plans for World Animation Day in Madrid will take place at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Calle Zurbano, 3) between Monday, October 21 and Wednesday, October 23. On the first day of the event, after the welcome ceremony, director Mark Andrews will give a lecture on his career in the world of animation at 10:30 am.
In 20 years, Andrews has gone from working hand in hand with Brad Bird on major projects such as The Incredibles, Ratatouille or Toy Story 3 to directing Brave (Indomitable): the first PIXAR film with a strong and independent princess as the protagonist, capable of defying the social conventions of medieval times.
Also on Monday, at 12:40 p.m., there will be an interview with character designer Borja Montoro, who has worked on internationally successful films such as Vaiana, Tarzan, Klaus and Break Ralph 2.
On Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, there will be a cycle of short films presented at the Annecy International Animation Festival. A total of seven will be screened, chosen by this year’s jury. It looks like an ideal plan for cinephiles, doesn’t it?
More highlights
October 22nd
- Pedro Solís will present Buffalo Kids and talk about his career. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m..
- Presentation by Dan Dixon and Carlos Tschuschke about the Bad Dinosaurs series. From 4:30 to 5:30 pm.
October 23rd
- Lecture by Salvador Simó. From 12:45 to 14:00 hours.
- José Luis Ágreda will talk about Robot Dreams. From 16:30 to 17:30 hours.
- Round table about Skydance Animation. From 17:00 to 18:30 hours.