Manchester Animation Festival has presented it’s Fellowship Award to people who have made a significant impact on the world of animation. In 2021 we celebrate the work of a couple who’s professional and personal lives have entwined to create beautiful work full of life, death and colour, Jorge R. Gutiérrez and Sandra Equihua, the duo behind The Book of Life and the latest Netflix series Maya and the Three.

Both Equihua and Gutiérrez have taken their native Mexican culture and through bold art style and Direction shared their own interpretations of the rich folk law, traditions and stories with the world, across channels, media and formats. Musicians voyaging to the afterlife to prove their love, a young superhero choosing between good and evil, a weary wrestler who teams up with his son to battle his demons or a Mesoamerican princess, fated with saving the world from vengeful gods - all these and more inhabit the exciting and imaginative worlds designed by the couple. In taking their culture and sharing it with the mainstream Equihua and Gutiérrez have made the world of animation a warmer, richer and more welcoming place to viewers and to those wishing to tell their own stories.

Join us as we take a trip through Jorge and Sandra’s careers through clips chosen by them and share in the career journey of one of the most imaginative and exciting duos working in animation today.

Purchasing a ticket for this event will automatically issue you a free ticket for the Jorge R. Gutiérrez & Sandra Equihua Fellowship Live Q&A taking place on Tue 16 Nov at 18:00.

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