Enrique Gato will be recognized with the “Diboos de Honor” at the Weird Market

The animator, director, screenwriter and author of the Tadeo Jones saga (one of the highest grossing films in Spanish cinema), Enrique Gato, will collect the “Diboos de Honor” Award within the framework of the 17th edition of the animation, video game and new media market Weird Market.

The award that Diboos (Spanish Federation of Animation and Visual Effects Production Companies) will present on October 3 in Valencia within the framework of the 17th edition of Weird Market seeks to highlight a figure or entity that has contributed significantly to the sector by promoting Spanish animation inside and outside our borders. The animation, video game and new media market held in Valencia will take place on Friday, October 3.

“Enrique is one of the best ambassadors of Spanish animation, indisputable proof of the potential, strength and resilience of this industry that never ceases to bring joy to our cinema” he states. Nathalie Martínez, current president of Diboos and the first woman to preside over this Federation in its 19-year history. Gato joins the list of winners of the award that Pablo Berger received last year.

Enrique Gato (Valladolid, 1977) has managed to place animated cinema in Spain at the center of attention of the Industry. Co-founder of the Lightbox Academy studio and director of the animation area, his filmography includes feature films such as Atrapa la Bandera or the trilogy The Adventures of Tadeo Jones (a fourth installment is already in preparation). This Valladolid native has managed to fill movie theaters with viewers of all ages, raise millions of euros for Spanish audiovisuals, both nationally and internationally, in addition to accumulating eight Goya awards, multiple Gaudí awards and medals from the Writers' Circle, the José María Forqué Prize for Education in Values, in addition to other distinctions in such notable events as the Annecy festival or the Platinum Awards.

In the beginning, he worked as a character animator for different video game studios and has training as a computer technical engineer; His in-depth knowledge of 3D Animation software allows him to develop tools to streamline animation tasks, essential for his work on large productions. With the production company La Fiesta he created his first short film, whose protagonist is that character clearly influenced by Indiana Jones, the most popular archaeologist and adventurer on the big screen. This work, in addition to the Goya for best animated short film, received 64 national and international awards. A cultural icon that Gato himself created in 1999 and that has traveled to more than 70 countries, breaking all kinds of records in Spanish animation.

In the global market, its productions have been seen all over the planet, putting themselves on par (in terms of number of screens the week of release) with the big Hollywood studios such as Pixar, Disney or DreamWorks. A clear example was the director's most recent film: Tadeo Jones 3: The Emerald Tablet; It raised more than 20 million outside Spain, being launched in 40 territories on five continents. A release that occurred when the consequences of Covid-19 were still evident and the public was reluctant to go to a movie theater, its premiere was a shock for both viewers and exhibitors, significantly raising the share of national cinema in the final balance of the year.