The Animahenasyon victors’ circle shares the best thing about winning

With the conclusion of the 19th edition of Animahenasyon: The Philippine Animation Festival, organized by the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. and co-presented by CREATEPhilippines, the country’s animation industry just got bigger and more inclusive. Four films are now part of the prestigious competition’s roster of independently made titles that illustrate the breadth and depth of animation talent in the country, as well as its capacity to produce all-original content.

The Dark Harvest: Graveyard Shift by Cebu-based animator Bryan Velayo won two categories: the Grand Prize - Professional Division, in recognition of the film’s narrative and technical excellence; and the John Martin Award, in recognition of its superb 2D-animation quality. Meanwhile, Unravelled by iAcademy students Avryll Nartates, Sofia Bianca Chua, and Maria Isabella Patricia Manaloto nabbed the Grand Prize - Student Division for its artistic mastery in both storytelling and filmmaking. 

The Audience Choice Award went to the crowd-pleaser Meow Meow Meow Meow: The Meowsical by John Clarence Marnilego, Velocity de Lumen, Marion Fabian, and Isabelle Ramos of CIIT College of Arts and Technology. Finally, the Toon City Choice Award, presented by one of the country’s leading animation studios, was given to Duros by Harvey Gozado Gonzales of Cagayan State University – Carig due to its artistic merit, technical achievement, and ability to captivate audiences.

The winning animators come from different parts of the Philippines, which highlights how the industry’s growth has occurred beyond the country's capital. In fact, the majority of last year’s awarded animators came from other regions as well. The provinces they hail from play a significant part in their careers, whether as a source of creative narratives for the films they make or as a base upon which they plan to further develop their artistry.

With the opportunities that the recognition opened up to them, it’s worth checking in on what the previous batch of winners have been able to achieve since being lauded by Animahenasyon. Filmmaker (and Animahenasyon 2025 speaker) Mark Mendoza won the Grand Prize - Professional Division for Kampana, Joffrey “Pepot” Atienza bagged the Grand Prize - Student Division for Daisy, Ben John Sy received the John Martin Award for Sugar Fire, and Maria Cassandra Salarza earned the Audience Choice and Toon City Choice Awards for Fishy Dish.

CREATEPhilippines gathered the winners from Animahenasyon 2024 to share their perspective for a much-deserved victory lap. They each reveal what their victory means to them, how they have built on their success, and, consequently, how they continue to contribute to the growth of the Philippine animation industry.

Before anything, congratulations on your respective Animahenasyon wins! What has this recognition meant to you, especially in relation to where you are now in your animation career? Mark, for example, is already an established figure in the local industry with his content and animation studio Friendly Foes.

Mark: Winning in Animahenasyon is a great achievement, even for those of us who are running our own animation studios. We’ll never shy away from that kind of recognition, because it’s always nice to have our work acknowledged. And it’s always fun to see people’s reactions when they watch our films. I think that’s really why we do this: To put our films up on the screen and to see how people react to them.

Pepot: Receiving the award actually gave me the confidence to put up a start-up company. Pepot Art Studio is a stop-motion animation production house, and last year, we had the opportunity to do animation for a commercial that mixes 2D with stop-motion. Aside from that, my participation and victory in Animahenasyon also opened up my world. I met a lot of people in the industry who are on the same creative wavelength, which has helped me grow a lot. 

Ben John: I gained a lot, too, from winning an Animahenasyon award, not just in material terms but also in the direction [I want to go]. As an independent artist, I used to have the tendency to just go with the flow; whatever happens happens. But after winning in 2024, I got a sense of direction, a sense of urgency to pursue Sugar Fire further. Projects also started coming in, and currently, I’m working on a short animated film [commissioned] from Utah that tackles water conservation. I can’t disclose much about the projects I have going on, but it’s been good, it’s been really good. 

Cassandra: One of the prizes I received last year was a new tablet, so with the new equipment, I was able to work more efficiently on my projects. But the more important part is that winning opened a door for me into the animation studios within the Philippines. After Fishy Dish was shown at Animahenasyon, it also got screened at other film viewings like Friendship Fest. Because of that, other studios were able to notice it, like Rocketsheep Studio. They then reached out to me, and that’s how I became a freelance animator for them. I was also able to reach out to Friendly Foes for my internship.

How have you leveraged this success? 

Cassandra: I haven’t been able to work on anything personal yet, but I’m still happy with my current position as a worker. I’m not an ideas person so I’m happy to help bring others’ visions to life. That’s the role I’m playing right now. Maybe once I’ve graduated from college, I’ll finally have more time to think of and work on my own projects, maybe even join a future Animahenasyon competition again. Winning definitely inspired me to think of doing that. 

Most of you are animators from outside of Metro Manila. How does that play into the body of work you want to build?

Pepot: I’m an artist who is based in Quezon province, and Pepot Art Studio is also based there. That was a deliberate choice because I want my studio to help generate jobs in Quezon. I want to tap other local talents so they don’t have to go to the city to look for work. That’s part of my advocacy: To strengthen the animation industry in our province.

Ben John: I’m from Bacolod, and my winning short film Sugar Fire is actually a trailer for an even bigger project. Sugar Fire is an analogy of the story of the Negros farmers and what happened to them during Martial Law, but with a little magical twist. The Animahenasyon award definitely motivated me to see the project to its completion.

The country’s animation scene is globally regarded as a source of world-class talent, but what issues are keeping it from reaching its full potential?

Mark: Speaking as someone who has been part of it for years, the most glaring gap in the industry is how we are famous for animation servicing, yet we haven’t really tapped the potential of creating our own intellectual properties. This is one of the things that local animators have been advocating for. One thing that’s going to ensure the sustainability of the local industry is to get more into creating original works we can export and showcase outside of the country. That way, when other countries see these films and animated series, they become aware. “Okay, there’s a thriving scene in the Philippines.” See how Korea has consistently produced K-pop music for decades? That’s how they continue to get a lot of investor support from foreigners who spot opportunities in their music industry. That’s something we can replicate here with animation. 

We also need to learn how to market our films and our intellectual properties better. After creating a movie, how are you going to make money out of it? There’s a lot of opportunities available, like selling merch, toys, and all that stuff. 

Would you agree that having more animators joining competitions like Animahenasyon is a good step to achieving that? Is that something you’ll encourage them to do?

Ben John: Yes, and I absolutely encourage aspiring animators to join Animahenasyon and its community of artists. It seems like a big step, which can be difficult for independent and small-time artists, but Animahenasyon is such a big platform that lets your art be seen by multiple people. That can lead to connections that can offer support for your projects. 

Pepot: As a provincial animator, I also recommend province-based artists like me to pursue what they want, whatever their specialization is, and to continue creating. Although there are many pathways to building an animation career, I chose stop-motion because I began as a puppet and diorama creator, and that niche is where I’m able to express my artistry and skills. I’m following my happiness, and I encourage others to do the same. 

Cassandra: I recommend my fellow young animators to join Animahenasyon, too. If you’re going to take the leap, then might as well do it to show off your hard work, because that’s when you’ll discover how opportunities can open up to you. 

We know how major animation projects take a village to be made. How vital is community-building to the further growth of the Philippine animation industry? 

Ben John: I mentioned how being part of Animahenasyon makes your work visible to a big audience and opens it to judgment. However, taking that first step is also kind of freeing. Me, for example: I’m not a very social person in general. Just talking in interviews is already nerve-wracking. But pushing through your boundaries so you get to show your work is liberating. I believe small-time artists and independent artists should try it.

Mark: I advise all the young students and art enthusiasts out there to not just continue creating content, but to also be part of the community. There are a lot of events like Animahenasyon where you can meet collaborators and potential clients, so why not try to be part of them and see? We can’t rely only on our big or established studios to create and grow the animation industry on a global scale. That goal must be founded on a strong community, so we, the artists, need to work together to make sure our projects are supported and seen by the rest of the world. We recommend peers for projects that will showcase their strengths, and we cheer each other on. 

***

Banner image by Morrissey Lapuz. Photos by Camille Dellosa.

Want to connect with the Animahenasyon 2024 winners? Get in touch by filling out the Connect with a Creative form. Want to be part of our creative community and have the chance to be featured on CREATEPhilippines? Sign up and register for our Directory of Creatives here. Join our Viber community, too, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn to be updated on the creative events that we’re promoting.