When it comes to animation, the Philippines thrives as a hub of animation outsourcing, where creativity and passion blossoms into a beautiful sequence of artistry.  Most of the Philippine animation industry’s creative legacy stems from them producing work for local and international companies since the 1950s. Did you know that one of the largest animation studios in history was a Philippine-based one that encompassed over 600 Filipino employees? Many Filipino animators worldwide have also contributed to producing countless animated films from the well-renowed studios such as Disney and Pixar. But a festival here in the Philippines that has recently its 18th annual run provides the opportunity for the animation industry to further showcase the imagination and storytelling capabilities for a Filipino animator. 

Animahenasyon is an annual festival hosted by the Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI) with the goal of celebrating animation and the work of Filipino animators but additionally advocating for original content by Filipinos talents in the animation industry. Growing cartoonists and animators, both students and professionals, are given the opportunity to participate and submit their original works as entries in the festival, where they will compete for several awards and a chance to be showcased during the festival itself. 

Daniel Enriquez, the Executive Director of the ACPI, emphasizes the need to cultivate an ecosystem as creative and talent-filled as the Philippines animation industry, which he described as “a burgeoning hub of creativity and skill, with animators eager to create meaningful and original content” to ensure its future sustainability. His words and upon reading the Animahenasyon website puts into perspective the challenges Filipino animators face in the industry.

Despite the industry’s trustworthy reputation as go-to-destination for outsourcing, Filipino creators dream for the opportunity to feature their own original ideas and stories compared to the financial need of accepting animation work from local and international markets. However, original Filipino animated works has had a history of being neglected by Filipino audiences such as RPG Metanoia, Urduja, and Dayo: Sa Mundo ng Elementalia. It has only been recently when well-performing films like Hayop Ka! and Iti Mapupukaw were able to bring Filipino animated movies into discussion. But with Filipino animators already in financially unstable work environments, freelance animators and animation students still find the idea of producing their own ideas that reflect themselves as creators to be a daunting task given the limited support and little reward. Animahenasyon gathers together professional creative pioneers and aspiring creatives to collaborate on an event that puts a spotlight on Filipino animation as their proud identity and an opportunity that is uncommon and difficult for Filipino animators to attain, an opened door to have their work recognized and rewarded. 

“The festival has been instrumental in inspiring young artists and launching the careers of renowned animators, and honoring the pillars of art in this industry,” said Grace Dimaranan, the former president of ACPI and the CEO of Top Peg Animation & Creative Studio Inc.

Given that Animahensyon created a division that allows students to participate, a number of artists and aspiring animators from several schools have competed for the top spot. These schools are the following:

• De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Manila
• Iacademy, Makati
• Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro
• Josè Rizal University, Madaluyong 
• Ateneo de Naga University, Naga
• CIIT College of Arts and Technology, Quezon City
• University of Makati, Makati 
• FEU Institute of Technology, Manila 

These universities also offer an animation or animation-related course that is open to anyone who wants to pursue animation in their college journey and career. Many of these students have achieved numerous awards because of their hard work, despite not being professionals. The Animation Program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of New Media Arts has bred plenty of homegrown talents that have dominated the student division of Animahenasyon. The students who join and succeed in Animahenasyon prove that the potential of a Filipino animator does not merely stem from age and experience, but also passion, creativity, and an excellent application of learned skills to present the medium of animation compellingly. 

“The most important thing for an animator to have is skill. Whether you’re a diploma graduate, high school graduate, or an undergrad, you can get in a studio as long as the skill is there and you can follow the industry rules and standards,” said Dimaranan.

Animahenasyon recently concluded its 2024 celebration, honoring the 18 years since the festival was established back in 2007. Out of the 93 entries submitted and judged, a select few were chosen by a panel of professionals in animation and were nominated as the Top 10 Finalists.