WorldScreenings: Ánima

With 19 years of creating and innovating in the animation landscape, Ánima has solidified its place as a leading studio in Latin America and a global player in the kids’ and family entertainment industry. “In terms of what we’ve done, not just quantity-wise but very much quality-wise—and attached to that, the scope of our projects and partners—I would dare to say that we’re positioned to be the number one LatAm content provider for kids’ and family animation,” says José C. García de Letona, founding partner and COO of Ánima.

“We’ve done 22 films, all of them theatrically released in many countries around the world,” he adds. “Part of our focus is to each day become more global as a company and to bring unique content to audiences all over the world. On top of that, we’ve done almost 600 TV episodes. We’re very selective about the projects we do.” The aim, he says, is to do as much premium content as possible.

Alongside its films and series, Ánima has a strong digital business rooted in YouTube. “That’s a big part of our strategy and our focus,” he says. “Nowadays, our channels have upwards of 24 million subscribers all included. We aim to grow that significantly in the years to come.”

This emphasis on premium content is one of the key assets that sets Ánima apart. “We try to grow every day and make even better content; we want to have the best possible content at the premium level in everything that we do,” says García de Letona. “Our operational footprint helps us a lot. Having offices in Mexico, Madrid, the Canary Islands and Buenos Aires gives us the sensibility of a full LatAm and Spanish operation that allows us to reach talent all over the region; so, we’re not just confined to one territory or country. We always reach out to the best talent wherever they may be, even if it’s not countries or regions where we have actual operations.”

The quality of Ánima’s partners—which include Netflix, Disney, Amazon and many others—validates its quest for premium content. “The mix of all of this, plus our previous experience, sets us apart and gives us a unique perspective,” García de Letona says. “Add to that the Latin heart that we aim to have in most if not all of our productions and it’s a very defining element. I don’t think many or any other studios have all of these ingredients, and that’s what makes Ánima unique.”

Though a global force, Ánima very much embraces its Latin roots. “We bring unique projects that would not be done, or would be done very differently elsewhere, from a Latin perspective, that show our POV, our way of living and looking at things, but at the same time—and this is the trickiest part—have universal appeal,” García de Letona says. “These are shows that can be enjoyed by audiences all over the world, not just in our region. We try to bring a fresh perspective, and we think we know what audiences all over the world are looking for and how to entice them. We want to deliver content that entertains them but also makes them feel, to bring them into unique worlds and give them a different perspective on how Latin people—and by this, I include Spaniards—see life and how they approach it. At the end of the day, we’re all connected and part of the same world.”

On the film side of its business, Ánima recently released Cranston Academy: Monster Zone in Australia and New Zealand, following previous releases in many other countries. “We’re still very much believers in the film proposition, be it for theaters or direct to platforms,” García de Letona says.

On the TV side, Ánima is co-producing Brave Bunnies with Glowberry in Ukraine. The preschool show has been licensed into 20-plus countries in all, with broadcasts in Australia on ABC and the U.K. on Milkshake!, among others.

Cleo & Cuquin and Lea & Pop have been standouts of Ánima’s YouTube operation. “We’re doing more content around that, and we look forward to growing the audience,” García de Letona says. “We have a sensibility in creating the content but also the know-how of how to market it, analytics, etc.—everything that goes into having a full YouTube operation on top of the content itself.”

Expanding the company’s YouTube presence is top of mind for Ánima as it plots future success, with an aim to dramatically grow viewership, in terms of subscribers, watch time and viewing numbers. “The business is looking better by the day, so we are putting a lot of effort and investment into expanding our YouTube operations further,” says García de Letona.

“On the TV side, we’re actively working with Aardman on closing deals for Brave Bunnies,” he continues. “We do a lot of co-productions; we love to do them because we find great partners and talent to work with. Brave Bunnies is part of that.”

Ánima is also looking to develop its Canary Islands studio. “We recently set up shop there to access the talent and the incentives,” García de Letona says. “We want to make the most of it, so we’ll be expanding.”

The company has more co-productions on the horizon as well, including a project with The Co-Production Company, led by Doug Schwalbe. “It validates our reach to invaluable people who want to do totally premium and unique content as much as we do,” García de Letona says. “At the same time, we have quite a few serious conversations with major companies for a number of our shows. There are a lot of things to do and a lot of things to make happen, but we’re really excited and happy about how the future is shaping up for us!”

See Ánima’s Spring 2021 Showcase here.