ZINEBI – International Festival of Documentary and Short Film of Bilbao, organised by Bilbao Town Hall, is making ready to hold the 64th festival from 11 to 18 November. Before this, pre-premiere at the Golem Alhóndiga Bilbao cinema of the new animated film by Bilbao audiovisual producer Estudio Creativo Uniko, Unicorn Wars, by A Coruña director Alberto Vázquez, prior to commercial screening on the 21st.

Bilbao Town Hall’s Culture and Governance Councillor, Gonzalo Olabarria; director of ZINEBI, Vanesa Fernández, the director of Unicorn Wars, Alberto Vázquez; and the executive producers of the film, Chelo Loureiro (Abano) and Iván Miñambres (Uniko), presented the film to the press this morning. Two of the actors lending their voices to the animated film were also at the press conference: Ramón Barea and Itxaso Quintana.

The film, which had its global premiere at the world’s most renowned animation festival, Annecy, is also co-produced by Galicia’s Abano Producións and French Studio Auteur de Minuit, with which Uniko had already worked on a previous short film Homeless Home (2020), nominated for a Goya Award for Best Animated Short Film, with a State premiere at the 62nd ZINEBI.

In addition to his previous short film, Vázquez had already worked with Uniko on Psiconautas, los niños olvidados (in association with Bilbao director Pedro Rivero – winner of the Goya for Best Animated Feature Film 2017), Decorado (premiered at the Cannes Festival, and winner of the Goya Award for Best Animated Short Film 2017) and two short films presented at ZINEBI: Unicorn Blood (2014) and Birdboy (co-directed by Pedro Rivero, 2010).

 

A STEP FORWARD IN ANIMATED FILMS FOR ADULTS

As in his previous films, Vázquez maintains an extremely personal universe which may be recognised within the genre of animated films for adults. Six years’ work produced an anti-war fable reflecting on the origins of evil.

Totally coinciding with a time in History in which wars continue to threaten civilisation, Unicorn Wars is based on fantasy and horror films. In the reality described by the film, the teddy bear army indoctrinates young recruits in order to send them to a war it has initiated against the unicorns, in the belief that they pose a threat to the security of their people.

Following a successful State premiere at the Sitges Festival, Unicorn Wars will be at commercial cinemas this Friday.

The film press kit may be consulted here.

The ZINEBI press materials may be consulted at this link.