In the last decade, several animated feature length films have topped the box office, demonstrating the potential of the country’s animation technicians.
Produced by Manuel Garcia Ferré, Manuelita brought 2.400.000 spectators to local theaters in 1999, setting an audience record in the history of Argentine cinema. In 2004, another film called Patoruzito, directed by José Luis Massa and based on Dante Quinterno’s comic book, made it to 2.600.000 spectators. Both films gave a boost to the Argentine animation industry.
Boogie, the first Argentine film with 3D technologie, has just been premiered.
Internationally acknowledged, Argentine animation talent has diversified in recent years on several fields, combining craftsmanship with the latest software, and even making an incursion into the incipient 3D technology.
Produced with the very same 3D format used in Hollywood, the educational medium length film Big Bang was released in 2009. Made by the FDE Company headed by Sergio Neuspiller, the film consists in a journey through time and space, made to warn us about the destruction of Earth’s natural resources. Using similar technology, Patagonik is preparing Galileo, el mensajero sideral; and Illusion has announced the release of Gaturro for 2010.
The “Expotoons” International Animation Festival, held annually in Buenos Aires since 2007, facilitates the promotion of project initiatives from local and Latin American companies. The 2009 edition – to take place from the 25th to the 28th of November – will work as the venue for the “Cartoon Connection”, the prestigious meeting of European and Latin American animation producers.
Some events stand out in the history of animation cinema in Argentina. Historians agree in that the first animated feature was produced in the country. It was the silent film El Apóstol (The Apostle), directed by Italian immigrant Quirino Cristiani in 1917 alongside producer Federico Valle. The film was a satire of Hipólito Yirigoyen, who had been elected president one year before, and combined rotoscoping techniques with models and cutting work.
Upa en apuros, the first animation film in colours.
In 1931, Cristiani y Valle were responsible for the first feature length animation film with sound, Peludópolis, which was also focused on the Yrigoyen figure, by then overthrown by the dictatorship of José Uriburu. Dante Quinterno moved his comic book characters into cinema in a very well crafted short film, Upa en apuros, the first Argentine cartoon in technicolor, released in 1942.
In the 50’s and 60’s, the experimental works of Victor Iturralde stood out. He was the one who had developed the stop motion technique (objects that become animated beings when shot for a few seconds and later hand-moved for the next shot) His disciple, Rosario-born Luis Bras, also did pioneer work on the use of informatics to create abstract electronic images.
One of the great names of local animation is Manuel García Ferré, who since 1970, delivered films such as Mil intentos y un invento (featuring popular characters Anteojito and Antifaz), Petete y Trapito, and Ico, el caballito valiente, which was awarded at the Moscow Festival in 1987.
In the late 90’s the way for renovation was opened with films like Cóndor Crux (the mixed animation feature by Juan Pablo Buscarini, Swan Glecer and Pablo Holcer), Mercano el marciano (by Juan Antín, and awarded at the Sitges festival in 2002), Marcello G., sólo un hombre... (Néstor F. and Martín C), Barbie también puede eStar triste (Albertina Carri), Planetas (Diego Kantor), Viaje a Marte (Juan Pablo Zaramella) and the works of the Rosario-based group El Sótano Cartoons.
