Six emerging female animation directors in Spain, some with a considerable career in cinema such as IDFA Audience Award winner Lucija Stojević (“La Chana”), will unveil their latest projects at Annecy June 25 at Women in Animation from Spain.

The titles say much about the state of animation – in Spain and beyond.

Three of the five titles are Catalan productions as Catalonia builds as an exciting European animation hub. 

The works divide the way the whole international animation industry is going, split between commercial IP and auteur-driven creative work, at least in how they are conceived by their creators. 

(One crossover sweet spot between the two trends is of course original IP. “We believe ‘Night Forest’ has strong potential beyond the screen, as it is conceived as a transmedia IP that can grow through community building, publishing, merchandise, events and digital experiences,” says director Natasha Barreto) 

Above all, the five titles are about something, whether power (the attractively mordant “Who Killed Cock Robin”), discrimination (“A Dangerous Journey”), difference (“Night Forest”), motherhood (“The Journey”) and rural diaspora (“A la fresca”). “This film is not only Lola’s story; it is the story of countless villages slowly falling silent, and of the people who refuse to fade away with them,” says director-producer Sandra Morán.

A closer look at the titles:

“A Dangerous Journey”

Directors: Lucija Stojević, Carla Melo, Iulia Voitova, Laura Ginès

Producers: Noon Films (Spain), Avec ou Sans Vous (France) 

A first of two projects at Annecy this year from Barcelona’s rated Noon Films, which made the Doctors Without Borders short “Lost at Sea,” seen at Annecy in 2023. This transmedia project portrays three children classified as “undesirables,” interned at the Rivesaltes concentration camp in France during World War II. Co-directed by Colombia’s Melo “(“La Perra”), Ukraine’s Voitova (“Longue Distance”) and experimental animator Ginès (“Salvaxe, Salvaxe”).

“A la Fresca” (“Sitting Out”)

Director: Sandra Morán

Producer: Sandra Morán

Lola, in her 80s living alone in a village, summons her deceased friends every full moon to cope with loneliness, until present changes begin to transform her world. As places shift, their bond weakens and breaks, forcing Lola to face the change. A story depicted in unpretentious hand drawn 2D digital animation, about “how loneliness can transform into companionship, humor, and a renewed desire for life,” says Morán.   

“The Journey,” (El viaje”)

Director: Susana Casares, Júlia Francino

Producers: Desarrollos Mediáticos Internacionales (WKND), Dos Soles Media (Spain); Nu Boyana (Portugal)

After a period devoted to motherhood, Agus sets off for a long yearned-for trip to Japan with dear friend Loly. “But buried fears and a hidden secret threaten the journey, turning an exotic adventure into a heartfelt reckoning eased by humor, friendship, and self-forgiveness,” the synopsis says. The 2D pitch based on the graphic novel by Agustina Guerrero is “a warm and engaging narrative, addressing complex subjects such as reproductive choice, unrealized dreams of motherhood, and the existential uncertainty that emerges when life diverges from our expectations,” say Casares and Francino.

“Night Forest”

Director: Natasha Barreto

Producers: LaMola Studio (Spain), Piragna Animation (Colombia), Artyc Content (Spain)

In the legendary Night Forest, Kai, a lonely deer-fox, Aspen, a healer axolotl, and Onyx, a red panda warrior, must stop a dark energy from consuming their world, unaware that it stems from Kai himself. Break the cycle or repeat his history? A fantastic 2D animated series, mixing cutout and traditional style, about identity and acceptance. The series speaks to a generation that is questioning its identity and searching for belonging. We want to create a world where being different is not something to hide, but something to embrace,” Barreto tells Variety.

“Who Killed Cock Robin”

Director: Romina Marti O’Toole

Producers: Frog Animation and Alhena Production

Cock Robin is found hanging dead from the balcony of his country house. “Who Killed Cock Robin?” the villagers ask in shock. “I,” Sparrow replies calmly. As the funeral unfolds, however, the village’s dark secrets slowly emerge. From Frog, set up in 2023 by Montse Capón, Mireia Hernández and Xavi Carmona, and veteran Norbert Llamas at Alhena (“The Coffee Table”). A potentially shrewd portrait of power dynamics. “Even when the visible face of power disappears, the system that created it will always find a replacement, allowing the cycle to continue,” Marti O’Toole tells Variety.