The Catalan Minister for Culture, Natàlia Garriga Ibáñez, travelled to Los Angeles, California, to attend the Oscars ceremony, the awards given annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and to support Catalan productions that have been nominated for awards.

Society of the Snow is up for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film and the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. Robot Dreams, produced by Arcadia, received direct support from the Catalan Government, which allocated nearly 600,000 euros overall for aspects such as its development, production as an audiovisual animation, and international promotion through its presence at festivals such as Cannes, Annecy and Sitges, and the Oscars themselves. 

The film has won a significant number of awards in the more than 40 festivals for which it has been selected, including the Annie Awards (Best Animated Feature - Independent); European Film Awards (Best Animated Feature Film); Goya Awards (Best Animated Feature Film / Best Adapted Screenplay); Gaudí (Best Animated Feature Film / Best Original Score); Forqué Awards (Best Animated Feature), or Feroz Awards (Best Comedy, Best Poster, Best Music)

Robot Dreams is compelling proof that Catalonia has a rich tradition of influential animation producers and leading companies with a global presence, which feed into a whole ecosystem of creative and technical teams. From these major companies, an entire network emerged comprising small creative studios producing animation for both film and television. They operate with international co-production structures and benefit from significant public and private funding.

Meanwhile, Society of the Snow is another example of Catalan audiovisual talent, as the film’s main technical and creative departments are headed by professionals trained in Catalonia, particularly from the Film and Audiovisual School of Catalonia (ESCAC).

This talent works from here for major productions, such as this one about the Andes air tragedy, which is now competing in Hollywood in the category of Best International Film, but has already triumphed in other competitions like the Venice Film Festival. the San Sebastian Film Festival; the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia; the Goya Awards, where its director, Juan Antonio Bayona, won the award for Best Director, and the Gaudí Awards, where the film was named Best European Film.

The Catalan audiovisual sector and the support of the Government

The thriving state of Catalan cinema is not only centred around these accomplishments but also includes an increase in production and Catalan presence in other significant national and international film festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlinale, or the Malaga Film Festival.