Three filmmakers reflect on the challenges facing the sector and the urgency of structural change.
14ymedio, Madrid, Yunior García Aguilera, 11 May 2025 — Following statements by the president of the Cuban Institute of Art and Film Industry (ICAIC), Alexis Triana, on the recent agreements signed with the Russian studios Soyuzmultfilm, 14ymedio gathered the testimonies of three prominent Cuban animators. All agree on an essential point: animation in Cuba needs much more than Russian cartoons to survive.
None of the interviewees questions the quality and legacy of Russian studios. What they regret is the lack of knowledge about the details of the agreement, beyond what has been published in official media. Accustomed to the fact that many agreements are signed without consulting the creators and ultimately end up benefiting mainly the official political discourse, they hope that this time the institution will take advantage of the opportunity to revitalize a sector facing serious obstacles.
Ernesto Piña is one of the most influential contemporary filmmakers in Cuban animation. With works such as Todo por Carlitos, Eme-5, Pubertad and his recent feature film La Super, he has built a style of his own, characterized by a lack of inhibition, an alternative visuality and a Creole humor that mixes influences of the classic Cuban style with foreign references.
“Many people have emigrated, not only from the country, but also from the animation studios, because the pay is no longer stimulating and life is very hard”
Piña deeply regrets the shortage of qualified personnel: “Many people have emigrated, not only from the country but also from the animation studios, because the pay is no longer stimulating and life is very hard,” he confesses. “It’s hard work to do, no doubt about it, because today everything is done digitally. And although the blackouts affect the provinces more, Havana is also in check.”
On the material conditions, he is blunt: “We have outdated technology, archaic, almost primitive, to make more or less decent products. There is also very little participation in international events because the director cannot be present at all, and there is little knowledge and infrastructure to place these materials on large platforms or move them internationally.”
From Ourense, in Galicia (Spain), where he has been living for three years, director Adrián López Morín continues to create animations. In Cuba he founded the Anima studios, one of the most solid outside the capital. Desde Holguín produced historical short films, video clips and the medium-length film, Abdala, el retorno de los señores de Xibalbá, an ambitious work that combines 2D and 3D techniques.
For López, one of the most serious problems is the lack of vocational training: “A facilitator needs two to five years of specialized training, taking advantage of his skills and complementing them with specific tools. There are very good self-taught animators, but they are the exception, not the rule.”
In his studio, they recruited graduates from the provincial academy of fine arts. However, when the required social service terms for these students expired, the flow of new talent was interrupted. “An experimental short film can be made with four guys,” explains López, “but if you want to develop a more complex product, designed for the international market, you need a minimum team of 15 professional animators.”
About the technology, Lopez is clear: “Even for traditional animation, paper is needed, and that too is scarce. We created cartoons with typewriters. To get into a 3D project you need Nvidia RTX cards or computers with more than 32 GB of RAM. Another issue is software licenses and their pricing. I don’t know how much the technological embargo affects, but there is an institutional fear of investing in something that seems very expensive.”
For him, sustainability is another fundamental stumbling block: “How can we do merchandising in a country like Cuba? How can we make these products profitable? How can we overcome the prejudice against commercialism? Arthouse cinema is great, but not everyone is Juan Padrón*,” he concludes.
One of the most prolific creators today is Vladimir Emilio García Herrera. In 2024, his short film Chimbe was awarded at the TAL (Latin American Television Awards). Although he has worked with the ICAIC and Cuban television, he has opted for independence with his project VLAstudio-Animation Laboratory. Far from complacency, Garcia has taken advantage of his recent visibility to be critical of the state of the sector: “Animation in Cuba is in a chaotic state. We have a great legacy that is about to be lost,” he says.
In the middle of an unusually brief blackout, Garcia reflects: “This job requires that the lights do not go out. I agree that there is a need for technology and specialized training, because it is not just about producing more, but doing it with quality and creating competitive materials.” He also denounces the culture of precariousness: “There are colleagues who, for fear of not being able to carry out their work, negotiate less and less budget. And that is negatively marking the product, conditioning the simplicity of projects.”
Recent years have been marked by growing tensions between film-makers and cultural institutions. To the general deterioration of living conditions are added the cancellation of events, censorship, the exodus of talent, technological obsolescence and a structure that continues to distrust the market, without finding effective mechanisms to distribute or monetize audiovisual production.
Beyond the promises of the president of the ICAIC, the animators continue to create. However, they agree in regretting the little progress in Cuba of tools as useful as artificial intelligence. “AI is here to stay, and not even Hayao Miyazaki can be against that,” said Piña.
*Cuban animation director and comics artist.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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