Spain’s Animayo Ventures Into the Metaverse

variety.com:

Anna Marie de la Fuente Animayo Gran Canaria, Spain’s foremost Canary Islands-based animation festival, is venturing deep into the metaverse with experts in artificial intelligence, virtual reality and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) joining leading voices in animation from major studios, including DreamWorks, Walt Disney, Skydance, Sony Pictures and Platige Image.Some 23 guests will be participating across 14 master classes, three debate panels, three workshops, 10 recruitment sessions and other events at the in-person 17th edition held over May 4-7 in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.

An online edition is slated to launch in October. “This year the debates are a novelty because it’s a must to create a meeting forum in this increasingly polarized society,” said Damian Perea, founder-director of the festival, which also encompasses VFX and video gaming.

The festival’s impact on local production continues to grow as the Canary Islands now boasts at least 20 animation and VFX companies, Perea told Variety.Among the other firsts for the Canary Islands and its festival: an augmented reality exhibition and NFT sales related to the acclaimed 2D animated short film ‘Amanece la Noche Larga,’ with all proceeds to go towards fundraising efforts to help Ukrainian refugees.The festival trailer presents highlights of the more than 60 animation shorts hailing from some 20 countries that will compete at the festival.

The winner of the international grand prize will have a chance to be preselected for best animated short film at the Oscars.