Animayo Sets Masterclasses, Workshops & Exhibition for Disney’s Women Artists

The 20th edition of Animayo Gran Canaria is swiftly approaching, and the organizers have revealed a stellar roster of international talent set to present masterclasses and workshops during the busy event running May 7-10. Spain’s first and only Oscar-qualifying festival for two awards categories will also premiere a new Walt Disney Animation Studios art exhibition, building on the lineup previously announced by festival director/producer Damián Perea.

A total of 14 masterclasses and six workshops will be held at CICCA in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain), led by experts among more than 40 guest speakers.

Masterclasses

The masterclasses and panel content will cover 3D animation, storytelling and game development with computational arts, visual effects, videogames, character design, storytelling, visual development, voice acting (panel), cinematic storyboarding, creative vision and business structure, and animation production. These masterclasses, free for pass holders and available for general public purchase at CICCA’s box office for 15  euros, each have a 90 minutes duration and will be accompanied by Spanish translations, summarized after each exposition phase.

Among the artistic and inspirational focuses of these masterclasses and discussions are the hit Netflix series Arcane, Amazon Studios’ new game-inspired anthology Secret Level, the work of Steamroller Animation and the international premiere of its series Spice Frontier, the character design of Klaus and Robot Dreams, the work and career of iconic Disney artist Lorelay Bové, and much more.

Leading the sessions: 

• Sherry Gunther Shugerman (executive producer; Twilight of the Gods, The Simpsons, Family Guy)
• Lorelay Bové (production designer & visual artist; Zootopia, Big Hero 6, Encanto)
• Vanitha Rangaraju (Vice President of Production Operations; Shrek, Madagascar, Puss in Boots)
• Bruce de Anderson (producer & head of production; Lilo & Stitch, Tarzan, Pocahontas) 
• Aaron Gilman (executive director & VFX supervisor; Avatar, The Avengers, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey)
• Terrence Masson (creative executive & VFX supervisor; The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Hook, South Park) 
• Rémy Terreaux (animation supervisor; Arcane, Puss in Boots, Despicable Me 3)
• Jordi Solanes (lead animator; Arcane, Planet 51, Wonder Park) 
• Magdalena Rudnicka (VFX producer; The Witcher Seasons 2 & 3, The Witcher: Blood Origin, Shadow and Bone)
• Yvon Jardel (animation director; Stranger Things, Sonic, Ant-Man)
• Ángela Iturriza (storyboard artist & animator; Batman: The Animated Series, Tarzan, The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
• Daniel Fernández Casas (character designer; Robot Dreams, Klaus) 
• Javier Romero (VFX supervisor; Luck, Planet 51, Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission Implausible)
• Raul Rocha (Illusorium Animation Studios; Secret Level, Mega Man: Beginning, Sky: Children of the Light) 
• Carlos Ysbert (Spanish theater, film, TV & voice actor / voice director; Homer Simpson in The Simpsons, Tony Soprano in The Sopranos, Chef Skinner in Ratatouille)
• Sara Vivas (voice actress & director; Bart Simpson in The Simpsons, Kyle Broflovski in South Park, Dexter in Dexter’s Laboratory)
• Isatxa Mengíbar (voice actress & director; Lisa Simpson in The Simpsons, Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls)
• Klaus Scherwinski (storyboard & visual development artist; Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Horizon Forbidden West, Hitman, Ryse: Son of Rome)

Workshops

The workshops, already available on Animayo’s website with discounts for pass holders, students and unemployed participants, will each last 240 minutes and focus on practical skill development in areas such as storyboarding, concept art, character design, voice acting, video games and acting for animation.

Workshops will be led by:

• Raúl García, director, producer & animator (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King)
• Miriam Hidalgo (Perditah), 2D artist, illustrator, educator & visual development artist (Chico & Rita, Nocturna, They Are Unique)
• Ayose Lomba, director and educator at UNAM
• Javier Belda González, educator and game designer.
• Plus masterclass presenters Iturriza, Fernández Casas and Vivas

All workshops are presented with the collaboration of major sponsors and partners such as Walt Disney Animation Studios, Skydance Animation, Platige Images, Steamroller Animation, Rodeo FX, 3Doubles Campus,  Fortiche Production, Illusorium Animation Studios, and universities and schools like U-Tad, Movie School by Trazos, UDIT (University of Design, Innovation, and Technology), ECIB (Escola de Cinema de Barcelona), the School of Visual Arts, Universidad del Atlántico Medio (UNAM) and L’Idem Animation School.

Autograph Sessions & Portfolio Reviews

In addition to autograph signing sessions — which will take place during the half-hour following the end of each masterclass and workshop— several guest speakers, studios, universities, and schools (as specified in the program descriptions) will participate in the Portfolio Review sessions at the Gabinete Literario on various dates.

Limited spots are available; prior registration is required by sending an email to natalia@animayo.com by April 30. Full details available on Animayo’s website.

World Premiere Exhibition: Whimsy & Wonder

Walt Disney Animation Studios joins as official sponsor of Animayo Gran Canaria 2025, with an unprecedented event: the new exhibition Whimsy & Wonder, presented for the first time ever and exclusively on display in Gran Canaria May 7-10. The show pays tribute to the women artists who have shaped Disney’s visual storytelling for over a century. From the iconic Mary Blair, who revolutionized the use of color in the 1950s, to the contemporary artists behind hits like The Princess and the Frog, Frozen, Encanto and Moana 2.

The exhibition features work from six extraordinary artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios:

• Lorelay Bové, visual development artist on Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph, The Princess and the Frog, and associate production designer of Oscar winner Encanto. ·
• Lisa Keene, production designer & visual development artist on Wish, Frozen and classics such as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.
• Brittney Lee, production designer & visual development artist who made an early mark with her iconic costume design for Elsa in Frozen and the interior of her ice palace.
• Griselda Sastrawinata-Lemay, visual development artist on Encanto, Moana, Raya and the Last Dragon, and associate production designer on Wish.
• Josie Trinidad, Emmy-winning director and head of story on Zootopia and Ralph Breaks the Internet.
• Fawn Veerasunthorn, director of Wish and head of story on Raya and the Last Dragon.

See You in Las Palmas!

Animayo’s 2025 program also includes 15 educational lectures, six premieres and screenings featuring the official competition sections and the best of Animayo from the last four editions, three  author presentations, five school stands, 20 talent stands, 18 hours of recruitment sessions, portfolio reviews and autograph signings, as well as family-oriented activities yet to be announced. 

Under the umbrella of cutting-edge art and technology, Animayo aims to empower limitless talent, turning Gran Canaria and its capital, Las Palmas de G.C., into the epicenter of the global animation, VFX and digital creation industry during its celebration, consolidating the island as a strategic hub for creative industries. Gran Canaria offers an unbeatable combination: year-round mild climate, diverse natural landscapes, connectivity with major European airports, a strong cultural commitment, and an increasingly active local audiovisual scene.

With both in-person and online formats, Animayo, based in Gran Canaria (Spain), extends its programming to other cities and countries through its “Animayo Itinerant” version, with events held in Los Angeles, Madrid, Barcelona, Lanzarote, Portugal, Czech Republic, Brussels, Chicago, Mumbai, Prague, Colombia, Belgrade and Korea, among others.

Animayo Gran Canaria is made possible in part by sponsors including the Cabildo de Gran Canaria through its Presidency Service, the Society for the Promotion of the City of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Department of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of the Government of the Canary Islands through Promotur, Turismo Gran Canaria, the Fundación La Caja de Canarias, the Government of the Canary Islands, as well as production companies, studios, schools, universities and many private companies that firmly support the film industry and efforts to bring audiovisual and technological culture and education to all audiences.

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Learn more about Animayo Gran Canaria and this year’s 20th anniversary program at www.animayo.com.

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