The prizes awarded by the professionals are not chosen by an international jury but by around 80 Brazilian professionals, who are invited to attend screenings and vote on their choices. This system has the merit of closely involving local professionals in the festival, since, according to Marcos Magalhaes, the total number of people directly involved in making animation in the whole of Brazil amounts to around a hundred. So a good majority of them have a great opportunity to check out all that is happening on the international scene.

In fact, the prizes awarded by the Brazilian professionals are not that different from those voted by the local public. The Russian filmmakers Mlikhail Aldashin and Konstantin Bronzit are the darlings of the public as much as they are of the professionals. Clearly, humorous films are the most popular. Brazil also has a tradition of model animation, of which there were several impressive examples at this year’s fest. Finally, there is also a competition for Internet animation, again with prizes awarded by the public and by professionals.

The main entrance to the event.

Anima Mundi rightly styles itself as “the biggest festival of its kind in the Americas,” so it is regrettable to see how few foreign animation professionals attend the event. No doubt the geographical location makes it difficult for professionals to justify the trip, despite the attractions of Rio, the wonderful welcome visitors receive and the festival’s infectious enthusiasm. However this doesn’t seem to particularly worry the organizers, at least for now.

Yet animation in Latin America, although embryonic, most certainly has enormous future potential. Anima Mundi’s official selection included two feature films from South America: Mercano el Marciano from Juan Antin, Argentina, and the Chilean, Ogu & Mamapato in Rapa Nui, directed by Alejandro Rojas. Both films demonstrate how the development of computer technology has enabled countries to start producing feature films for the first time. Some opt to take the well-worn route of imitating North American models, others are trying something more original.

(from right to left) Arndt, Pixar’s Doug Sweetland and his girlfriend, Carolina Rojas and Andrea from Anima Mundi.

What of Brazilian production in this context? Young animators are obviously using Flash a great deal and plan to work in advertising, but more ambitious projects seem difficult to get off the ground. Yet there are no less than three feature film projects in development in Brazil, as well as a TV series. Until now, with no real industry to speak of, the situation in Brazil is basically pretty similar that obtaining in Germany and France some 20 years ago. But there is a real sense of things changing, with a strong possibility of a real animation school being set up at the Catholic University in Rio. For some time now, filmmakers have been able to submit projects to a competition organized by Petrobras, which finances four animation projects every year.

Having recently formed an association to represent themselves, Brazilian professionals will certainly be campaigning for the government and major national companies to develop their support for Brazilian animation. In Anima Mundi, they have an undeniably effective tool to make their presence felt.

Philippe Moins is a writer and teacher, and also the co-director of Anima 2003.