LXiA announces the return of Animation Day to LALIFF 2022

LatinX in Animation (LXiA) announces the return of the Animation Day (Friday 3 June) as part of the 21st edition of Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. This year's Animation Day features an exciting program of exclusive premieres, panel discussions or “cafecitos”, master classes, portfolio reviews, animated episodic program, animated short film program and more.

Co-founded in 1997 by actor, director and producer Edward James Olmos, the Los Angeles International Latino Film Festival (LALIFF) is a high-profile event that showcases the talents and perspectives of Latinx directors from around the world. LatinX in Animation (LXiA), launched by co-founders Magdiela Hermida Duhamel and Bryan Dimas, represents a diverse group within the animation, visual effects and games industries and is committed to uniting a pool of talented innovators with the heart to create exceptional stories across multiple platforms.

“We are thrilled with the return of Animation Day to LALIFF, a festival that continues to elevate and highlight the importance of animation and under-represented voices in an ever-changing entertainment landscape,” Duhamel said.

“We are thrilled to expand the Animation Day programming to include more lectures, screenings and the first in person screening of an animation short film program dedicated to the festival,” added Dimas. "This year's animation programming is a testament to the talent of Latinx directors who tell unique and powerful stories that can only be done in the middle of animation."

Established last year and co-curated by LatinX in Animation, LALIFF Animation Day is a celebration of animation by organizing programs that highlight and celebrate the work of Latinos and creating opportunities for LXiA members to engage, educate and inspire the next generation animation professionals. His overwhelming success in 2021 has expanded his sponsors, which include returning supporters of Cartoon Network Studios e Warner Bros. Animation and new sponsors for 2022 including Warner Bros. Discovery Access , Nickelodeon Animation , Paramount Animation , Walt Disney Animation Studios e Disney Television Animation.

Kicking off the Animation Day, there are virtual coffee chats, or cafecitos, which will highlight the study professionals that include Warner Bros. Animation ,  Paramount Pictures , Walt Disney Animation Studios , Disney Television Animation , Sony Pictures Animation , Netflix , Warner Bros Discovery , Crunchyroll and the next series Hazbin Hotel  and the feature film Perlimps , which demonstrate the breadth and diversity of perspectives in the animation industry.

Cafecitos will include the following studies and speakers:

• Cafecito with Warner Bros. Animation with guest speakers Abe Audish (Supervisor producer, Bugs Bunny Builders ) to Louis Gadea (character designer, Bugs Bunny Builders ).
• Cafecito with Paramount Pictures in collaboration with Nickelodeon Animation with the guest speaker Christine Benitez (SVP, Multicultural Marketing and Brand, Paramount Pictures).
• Cafecito with Walt Disney Animation Studios with a featured conversation with Renato Dos Anjos (Head of animation, Encanto ),  Kira Lehtomaki (Head of animation, Encanto ) to Kaity Martinez (Assistant Choreographer, Encanto ) that sheds light on the behind-the-scenes - work scenes that went on to animate the characters, the musical numbers and, above all, the dances of the Oscar-winning animated film Encanto .
• Cafecito with Disney Television Animation with guest speakers Rafael Chaidez (producer, Marvel's Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur ), Melinda Carillo (associate producer, Alice's Wonderland Bakery ), Janelle Martinez (production supervisor, Firebuds ).
• Cafecito with Sony Pictures Animation with the guest speaker Octavio Rodríguez (Head of Story, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse )
• Cafecito with Netflix with the guest speaker Karissa Valencia (creator / showrunner, Spirit Rangers ).
• Cafecito introduces the guest speaker Aaron Davidson (Senior Director, Original Programming, HBO Max) who will speak on the inaugural HBO Max X WBD Access animated short program.
• Cafecito with Crunchyroll with guest speakers Rebbapragada tour (Chief Marketing Officer, Crunchyroll), André de Abreu (Sr. Director of International Business Operations, Crunchyroll) e Josellie Rios (Senior Marketing Manager for LATAM, Crunchyroll).
• Cafecito with Vivienne Medrano , creator of the highly anticipated animated series A24 Hazbin Hotel .
• A special Cafecito live and a question and answer session with the Brazilian director nominated for an Oscar Ale Abreu , the executive producer Ernesto Soto Canny  and assistant director Viviane Guimaraes as we dive into an exclusive preview of the work in progress of the next animated film Perlimps .

For industry professionals, Netflix presents an interactive Masterclass writing for animation with LALIFF and LatinX in Animation, to prepare emerging Latin writers / a / or / x / and with the skills to land their first writing job. The masterclass is designed to offer education, advice and practice to writers interested in learning and entering the script animation industry. In tandem with last year's events, virtual portfolio reviewswill return with even more participating studies. Cartoon Network Studios, DreamWorks Animation, Disney Television Animation, Netflix, Nickelodeon Animation, Sony Pictures Animation and Warner Bros. Animation will provide a wide range of portfolio reviews for LXiA members across all animation-related disciplines, offering professionals the opportunity to deepen and refine your skills.

Frankelda's Book of Spooks | Rey Mysterio vs The Darkness

The evening of Friday 3 June includes the screening of two original animated series by Cartoon Network Latin America , Frankelda's Book of Spooks e Rey Mysterio vs The Darkness . The in-person screening will include a live question and answer session with the creators of frankelda  Arturo Ambriz e Roy Ambriz , of Ghost Cinema , and Los Hermanos Calavera , founders of the studio Long live Calavera! , to Mistery King . The Q&A will be moderated by Jose Inesta , co-founder of pixelatlfilm festival, the premier gathering of Latin American creators and the global animation, comic and video game industry. The episodic animated series My Year of Dicks  di Sara Gunnarsdottir e Pamela Ribon and produced by Jeanette Jeanenne will be screened as part of the Short Episodics Program competition.

To conclude the Animation Day programming, on the afternoon of Saturday 4 June, LXiA offers an in-person screening of its highly anticipated animated short film program . In keeping with LALIFF's mission to showcase Latinx talent, the program will feature the work of filmmakers in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, France, Argentina, Spain and the United States. The jury of animated short films is composed of Guillermo Martinez (director, Sony Pictures Animation), Nicole Rivera (Vice President, Original Series Development, Cartoon Network Studios) e Simon Wilches-Castro (Animation director, Titmouse). The best animated short film selected will receive the first prize for the best animated short film, which will include a Wacom Cintiq presented byWacom  and a one-year license for animation software by Toon Boom Animation .

Canicas - Eduardo Altamirano

LALIFF Animated Short Film Program:

• Marbles - Eduardo Altamirano (Mexico)
• Chilly and Milly - William D. Caballero (United States)
• It is raining - Carolina Corral & Magali Rocha (Mexico)
• It was raining - Ignacio Lillini ( Argentina)
• repairs - Wilson Borja (Colombia)
• Something in the garden - Marcos Sánchez (Chile)
• Tamgu - Isabel Loyer & Luis Paris (Argentina / France)
• The girl behind the mirror - Iuri Moreno (Brazil)
• The Weight of It - Olivia Marie Valdez, Sandra Afonso Rodríguez, Einar Soler Fernández (Spain)
• Uninhabited - Camila Donoso Astudillo (Chile)
• We are here - Dominica & Constanza Castro (United States)

LALIFF will run from Wednesday 1st June to Sunday 5th June. The Day of Animation will be held on Friday 3 June virtually and in person. Festival events and screenings will take place at TCL Chinese Theaters and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. For the full listing of LALIFF's programming and schedule, visit www.laliff.org . Tickets are now available for purchase through the festival website , promising .