Pasadena Convention Center
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Damián Perea Lezcano (He/Him)

Director
Damián Perea Lezcano is a distinguished figure in the animation industry with over 27 years of experience. He is the founder and director of the International Animayo Festival, the only Spanish animation festival qualifying for the Oscar®️ for Best Animated Short Film. Perea’s career includes significant achievements, such as a Goya®️ nomination for his first short film Podría ser Peor (1999), the first animated film made in the Canary Islands. He also directed the animation for the Los García (2001) campaign for the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Finance, marking the introduction of the euro. As an associate producer and executive producer, he worked on Slide by Bill Plympton and Amanece la noche más larga, which were nominated for the Goya®️. He also won a Goya®️ for Best Animated Short Film for producing Cafuné. In addition to his production work, Perea is a member of the European Film Academy and ASIFA Hollywood. He has directed short films, music videos, and exhibitions, and has taught over 200 masterclasses worldwide. Through his Animayo Educational System, he continues to foster the next generation of animation talent.

PARTICIPANT SCHEDULE

Animayo Internacional Film Festival of Animation

Civic Auditorium | Damián Perea Lezcano | Tony Bancroft

The International Film Festival Animayo presents the Official Awards. The International Jury selected 18 award winners and 3 special mentions from nearly 2,000 films submitted from 78 countries, with only 75 works reaching the Official Shortlist. Animayo is the first and only animation festival in Spain recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an Oscar® Qualifying Festival in two categories, and since 2026 it has also joined the exclusive Annie Awards Qualifying Festival List promoted by ASIFA-Hollywood. Over the past years, films showcased at Animayo have earned 7 shortlist, 5 Oscar® nominations and 1 Academy Awards with In the Shadow of the Cypress. This screening presents the festival’s most outstanding award-winning films.

Skill Level: General Audience

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