The animation, video game, and IP market Weird Market has experienced a significant change of scenery for the Spanish audiovisual industry. For the first time in its history, the event has moved to Sitges, where it was held over two days within the framework of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia.
The event, which has reached its 18th edition, features a collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, which has granted 18,000 euros to the production company Paramotion Films for the promotion of the digital cultural industry. This institutional support reinforces the relevance of the meeting at a time when animation and video games are expanding as strategic sectors.
A New Home Within Sitges Industry
Weird Market has set up in the Noray tent at the Hotel Meliá in Sitges, integrating into the professional area known as Sitges Industry. The event brought together studios, production companies, developers, distributors, and investors in an environment marked by the fantastic cinema that characterizes the Catalan festival.
José Luis Farias, head of Weird Market, highlighted that the move represents a new stage for the market. As he explained, the event is in a phase of constant evolution and has found in Sitges an appropriate setting to drive this change, symbolically coinciding with the moment the market reaches its coming of age.
Video Games and Animation, Protagonists of the Conferences
The first day was dedicated to video games, with the collaboration of Indie Dev Day. The "Play the Story" pitch session allowed for the presentation of three projects: Echoes of Lyra, by Josh Muñoz; Myth of Valderit, by Dani Mateos (Loom Studios); and The Well's Blessing, by Gerard San Miguel.
During that same day, Jordi Ministral and Alexis Corominas, from Piccolo Studio, addressed emotional narrative in their conference The Art of Emotional Storytelling. Fred Neuen, from Radar Games, presented the Luxembourg video game ecosystem, while Natasha Radina analyzed the sound design of fear in video games. Saga Barcelona Game Fest also showcased its featured horror and animation projects.
In the afternoon, Guillem Ruiz explored the relationship between animation and classic gameplay, and Daniel Calabuig, from Patrones y escondites, reflected on the gameplay of stories.
Animation Takes Over on the Second Day
The second day focused on animation. Luis Usón and Andrés Aguilar, from Matte, together with Enric Sant, from Vanova, presented Pinkooland, a 3D animated feature film for adult audiences set in a future marked by violence and corruption. It is a co-production between Spain and Ecuador that had already been presented at Weird Market in 2023 and was subsequently selected in the third Ibermedia Next call, in addition to participating in the MIFA at Annecy in 2026.
Álvaro León and María Ruisánchez Ortega, from La Mola Studio, presented the short film Calm, el último cuento de Horacio Quiroga, selected for the Midnight Shorts section of the 2026 Annecy Festival. The work, co-produced between Spain, Argentina, and Mexico alongside Ojo Raro and Sísmica Studio, combines 2D and 3D animation, stop motion, and animated objects, and is complemented by an immersive virtual reality experience. The project also lays the foundations for a future feature film based on Cuentos de amor de locura y de muerte.
David Fernández Almagro, Character FX Supervisor at Ilusorium Studios, explained the process of adapting a video game IP to the language of animation. For their part, Darío Sánchez and Laura Prieto, from 3Doubles Producciones, dedicated their presentation to the universe of H. P. Lovecraft and Cthulhu.
Ukrainian filmmaker Mary Yanko shared the creative process behind Vulvine Reine d'Extase, a short film made as a final degree project at the Parisian school Gobelins. The piece has been screened at festivals such as Animafest Zagreb, Animator, and the Galician Freaky Film Festival, and won the Audience Award at the Brussels Porn Festival.
Networking, the Central Axis of the Event
Beyond the conferences, the professional component has been the main driver of this edition. The B2B sessions held on both afternoons facilitated meetings between creators, studios, production companies, and investors, with the goal of turning projects into concrete agreements.
The final tally includes over 300 confirmed professional meetings, in addition to informal encounters in the networking space set up for the occasion. The event platform registered nearly 190 professional profiles. The days were completed with Weird Night, an informal meeting space that lasted until the early hours during both nights of the event.
Chelo Loureiro Receives the Diboos Honorary Award
Within the framework of Weird Market 2026, the Spanish Federation of Animation and Visual Effects Producers Associations, Diboos, presented its 3rd Diboos Honorary Award to producer, director, and screenwriter Chelo Loureiro.
Loureiro is the founder of Abano Producións and responsible for titles such as Valentina, Unicorn Wars, El sueño de la sultana, and Decorado, productions that have garnered over 300 international awards and five Goya awards.
Nathalie Martínez, president of Diboos, highlighted that Loureiro represents the capacity of Spanish animation to take risks, discover talent, and build an industry with its own identity and international projection. With this award, the filmmaker takes the baton from Enrique Gato, awarded in 2025, and Pablo Berger, recognized in 2024.
During her speech, Loureiro reflected on the difficulties of competing with productions with much higher budgets, stressing that in animation, every euro invested—and every euro not invested—has a direct impact on the final result.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Weird Market?
It is a professional market dedicated to animation, video games, and intellectual property, which brings together studios, production companies, developers, distributors, and investors.
Why was it held in Sitges?
It is the first time that Weird Market has been organized in Sitges, integrated into the Sitges Industry professional area of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia.
What institutional support has the event received?
The Ministry of Culture has granted 18,000 euros to the production company Paramotion Films for the promotion of the digital cultural industry linked to the event.
How many professional meetings were generated?
More than 300 B2B meetings have been confirmed, in addition to informal encounters, with nearly 190 profiles registered on the event platform.
Who received the Diboos Honorary Award in 2026?
The producer, director, and screenwriter Chelo Loureiro, founder of Abano Producións, responsible for works such as Valentina and Unicorn Wars.
Which animation projects stood out in this edition?
Among others, Pinkooland, a co-production between Spain and Ecuador, and the short film Calm, el último cuento de Horacio Quiroga, selected at Annecy 2026.
