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Del Toro's Young Talents: The First Edition of the ANIMEXICO Short Film Program Was Screened at the 23rd FICM

Gustavo R. Gallardo

The special series dedicated to the short films made by young Mexican talents was presented as part of the 23rd Morelia International Film Festival (FICM). These young Mexican talents were recognized with the ANIMEXICO Scholarship, sponsored by Mexican Director Guillermo del Toro and Cinépolis. The scholarship allows recipients to study at the prestigious GOBELINS Paris.

The President of FICM, Alejandro Ramírez, explained that Guillermo del Toro, a three-time Oscar winner, wanted to empower more young Mexicans to pursue animation, so they collaborated with the GOBELINS school and received its support.

Up to today, he added, the scholarship has been awarded to nine young Mexican talents, “highly talented young people who have to be selected by GOBELINS, where thousands of students from all over the world apply […] some of them have already been nominated for the Student Academy Awards.” 

These works reflect the diversity of styles and themes of their creators, who have brought Mexico's name to the national and international stage.

Guillermo del Toro presents the screening

Mexican Director Guillermo del Toro, through a video message, said that the idea comes from the premise “if you change a life, you change a whole generation.” 

“I will continue this journey not only with the Jenkins-Del Toro Scholarship, but also with the founding of a stop motion school, so that Mexican students in Paris can participate. I think it’s important to make young and Mexican talent something international,” he remarked.  

The presented short films are: La Bestia by Ram Tamez alongside Marlijn van Nuenen, and Alfredo Gerard Kuttikatt; and Nube by Christian Arredondo alongside Diego Alonso Sánchez de la Barquera. Both graduates of the 2018 ANIMEXICO Scholarships. Descansa en Paz by Deborah Balboa alongside Karien Benz, Kai-Hsun Chan, Aparna Hegde, and Yuk Yan Tsoi, the 2019 ANIMEXICO Scholarship-winning short film. El ombligo de la Luna by Ezequiel Garibay alongside Sara António, Julia Grupińska, Bokang Koatja, and Tian Westraad, the 2021 ANIMEXICO Scholarship-winning short film. Layla by Narda Rodríguez alongside Oscar Baron, Emma Ferréol, Rachel Gitlevich, Diego H. Blanco, and Lucille Reynaud, the 2022 ANIMEXICO Scholarship-winning short film. El Último Show de los Famosos by Alejandra Ané Quintana alongside Celia Alcina, Fuxuan Deng, Pontheera Nimmanakiat, and Hongru Su, the 2023 ANIMEXICO-winning short film.