The short film project by Spain’s Arriate Studio and Ecuador’s Matte CG will receive €25,000 to produce an animated short that will premiere on RTVE Play and serve as the starting point for a children’s series.
RTVE and the Quirino Awards have announced Chinchipe as the winner of the inaugural RTVE–Quirino Talent Award for Best Animated Short Film Project. The initiative aims to support Ibero-American animation production and facilitate the development of new audiovisual projects.
Developed by Spain’s Arriate Studio and Ecuador’s Matte CG, the project will receive €25,000, which will be allocated entirely to the production of the short film under RTVE’s supervision. The Spanish public broadcaster will acquire the broadcasting rights and make the six-minute film available on RTVE Play.
Targeting children aged six to 11, Chinchipe combines 2D and 3D animation. The story follows Persi, an eight-year-old girl living in a megacity without sunlight who receives the world’s last tomato seed as a gift. Her attempt to make it germinate drives a narrative exploring humanity’s connection with nature and the importance of community.
The project also envisions a longer-term development strategy. The short film will serve as the starting point for Persi and the Impossible Seed, a 26-episode children’s series with seven-minute installments that is currently in development. The series will follow the protagonist on a journey to the surface in search of sunlight.
The production companies expect to complete financing for the short film in 2027 and begin production in the summer of that year. The goal is to launch its festival run and distribution in 2028.
