“Olivia and the Clouds” Makes History in Guadalajara

The award consolidates the growing prestige of Dominican animated cinema and positions the film as one of the most outstanding of the year in Latin America.

The film “Olivia y las Nubes”, directed by Dominican filmmaker Tomás Pichardo Espaillat, has been recognized with the Award for Best International Animated Feature Film at the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG), held from June 6 to 14, 2025 in Mexico.

The FICG, considered one of the most important festivals in Latin America and the oldest in Mexico, has become an essential platform for the visibility of Ibero-American cinema and a point of convergence for creators, critics, and industry professionals.

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Olivia and the Clouds’ international trajectory has been solid since its premiere. In August 2024, the film became the first Dominican animation to compete in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente section of the Locarno Festival, where it received a Special Mention. Since then, it has traveled a successful route in important showcases such as the BFI London Film Festival, where it was also recognized with a special mention as Best First Feature.

The film has reached another milestone this week by being officially selected to compete at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2025, the most important event in the world dedicated to animation. It will be the first time that an animated film from the Dominican Republic participates in this competition. During its presence in Annecy, which takes place from June 8 to 14, Olivia y las Nubes will represent the country in the Feature Films Contrechamp category, a section that highlights innovative, auteur works with a strong aesthetic and narrative identity. This participation places the Dominican production among the most relevant bets of contemporary world animation.