Silvina Cornillón, a well-known Latin American animation champion, entered her new role as director of the Quirino Awards, with a clear task: to expand the game's influence and consolidate its position as the driver of Ibero-American Animation.

“It’s not just symbolic,” Conillo told type She was named the first Latin American director of the Quirino Award, which will be held this weekend in Tenerife, Spain. “It is a commitment to ensure that voices represent diversity and strengthen the bridge connecting the entire Ibero-America.”

Cornillón regained the ins ropes in the transition year and joined Mid-Cycle, the eighth edition of Quirino was prepared for its annual gathering in Tenerife. Together with the team, she has guided big ideas, especially the launch of the new Futures Lab, which she describes as a “collective intelligence project” designed to generate forward-looking strategies for the area of ​​regional animation.

“Every year, we build collaboration platforms, but we realize that conversations often exist between us,” she explained. “With the futures lab, we want to think bigger. We’re not just organizing meetings; we’re trying to sit together, predict what’s going on and turn our thoughts into concrete actions.”

Supported by ICAA in Spain, Futures Labs will bring together top industry names, public institutions and policy thinkers to map trends, address challenges such as sustainability, explore what AI means, and provide a strategic roadmap that can be introduced at the upcoming cultural summit. Hopefully, this initiative can be incorporated into national policies across the region.

Importantly, Cornillón is not blind to the anxiety of new technologies. In acknowledging the fear of integrating AI into production pipelines, she saw an opportunity. “Like any new technology, it creates uncertainty, even fear,” she admits. “But if we can integrate AI smartly, it can provide tools for smaller studios and independent creators to make content more competitive and at a lower cost.”

This measurement of optimism echoed an intimate gathering through Quirino, attracting some global heavyweights like Disney, Warner Bros. and Titmouse, all of which joined local, independent producers and filmmakers in the event’s joint production and business forums.

"When international executives find projects with real perspectives, the entire ecosystem grows when regional producers see how they maintain their strategy," Cornillón said. "It's not just about deals; it's about real collaboration."

Cornillón's own history includes years of advocacy, being both an assistant manager of animation at the National Film Academy, and an audiovisual arts in Argentina (INCAA), and coordinating respected animation! Ventana Sur part, but she recognizes that real industry change requires more than just improving profiles. It's about transfer structure. She points to success stories such as Chile and Spain co-produced “first,transparent He won Quirino in 2020, successfully completed and received a nomination for the Best Series, which started the 2019 Liga Liga Award. "These stories are the real, traceable impact on careers that you see what we do at Quirino," Cornillón said. "It's an honor to be part of it."

The Quirino team leads with long-term collaborators, including José Luis Farias, the current executive producer of the award, with extensive ambitions to ensure long-term stability and expansion. “There are many possibilities,” she said, reflecting on the team’s plan to adopt a multi-year strategy after 2025. “We want to go beyond one version to the next; we want to make a plan, a roadmap.”

She also believes that Quirino’s uniqueness is the key to its power: “It’s not Cannes; it’s not Anne. There’s space, connected space, reflection, meaningful communication between small and large players.”

This leadership style seems to combine pragmatism with a utopian spirit, which she believes defines the animation world itself. “Animation is an extremely demanding craft,” she reflects. “It requires love, discipline, and often this almost utopian desire to change the world. So when you can help make these dreams real, that is when everything makes sense.”

Quirino's eighth edition opens with Cornillón and her team, not only celebrates Ibiro-American talent but also resolves to shape its future.