INDIE FOCUS
A celebration of contemporary independent animation
In this edition, IMAXINARIA shines a spotlight on the most rebellious, fresh and experimental strands of contemporary animation. A space that explores the work of creators who operate through independence, risk and complete creative freedom, outside industrial logics and closer to new ways of producing, distributing and engaging with audiences
At a time when animation is experiencing a flourishing of diverse voices and non-conventional formats, Indie Focus aims to highlight the value of a type of creation that moves between the underground, digital culture and self-publishing — a territory where authorship emerges with strength and where aesthetics, narrative and humour are deeply shaped by the personal identity of their creators
>> Friday, March 13 at 6:30 PM
Courtesy of Rafillo
RAFILLO
Rafillo, the artistic name of Rafael Esteban Trujillo, is a Spanish animator and creator who has stood out for his distinctive, irreverent, and striking style. His ability to combine humor, subversion, and animated aesthetics has made him a reference point on social media and among new audiences within the medium.
Originally from Almería, Rafillo gained popularity through the release of his animated pieces on digital platforms. Among them, his web series Querida Conchi — a bizarre comedy about the life of an elderly married couple — drew the attention of international networks such as Cartoon Network (Adult Swim) and Fox.
Rafillo’s value goes beyond humor: his creations are defined by an authentic voice, a bold aesthetic, and a capacity to generate emotional impact through animation, using unconventional visual languages and a marginal sensibility.
Through his work, Rafillo represents a new generation of animators who blend internet culture, counterculture, and traditional comic/animation influences, paving the way for an alternative, critical, and deeply personal form of animation.
Querida Conchi
Rafillo | 10 min | Spain | 2020 | +14
Querida Conchi is a bizarre comedy web series that follows the life of an elderly married couple in their home. It is an epileptic mix of references to characters and films, combined with humor rooted in meme culture. Its creator, Rafael Esteban Trujillo from Almería, has managed to carve out a space on social media thanks to animated pieces overflowing with originality. This series and other animations have caught the attention of American television networks such as Cartoon Network (Adult Swim) and Fox.
Courtesy of Alex Rey
ALEX REY
Alex Rey is an animation film director, screenwriter and designer. He trained at EASDA (School of Art and Design) and at EISV (Vigo) as a film and television director. Since then, he has focused his career on auteur animation, developing a distinctive style based on experimentation, creative freedom and a handcrafted aesthetic. He combines satire, absurd humour and social critique, using mixed techniques —hand-drawn animation, 2D animation and limited animation— to build a personal visual universe.
His body of work includes several short films, such as La increíble vacuna del Doctor Dickinson (2020), Phonorama(2022) and Periquitos (2024), which reflect his interest in absurd narratives, extreme situations and an ironic view of reality. In recent years, his films have been selected for and awarded at numerous prestigious festivals, including NotodofilmFest and the Málaga Film Festival, strengthening his presence within the Spanish independent animation scene. In 2025, he received another major distinction: his short film Pobre Marciano was awarded in Ottawa, a recent achievement that highlights the international reach of his creative work.
At the previous edition of IMAXINARIA, he received the Audience Award for his film Periquitos.
Antitermitas
Alex Rey | 8 min | Spain | 2026 | +12
A routine visit to the doctor can ruin your morning…
Courtesy of Rapapawn
RAPAPAWN
Rapapawn is an experimental animation studio formed by artists Cynthia Alfonso and Óscar Raña, who began working together in 2017 and have since continuously developed a distinctive creative universe that expands across comics, animation, painting, and installation.
The core of their shared practice lies precisely in Rapapawn, a space where they explore the possibilities of geometric abstraction applied to frame-by-frame animation. Their works are characterized by the creation of dynamic visual structures in which form, rhythm, line, and color engage in dialogue, combined with conceptual frameworks that reinforce their singular imagery. The result is animation with a strong personality—deeply author-driven and recognized for its ability to generate unique visual movements and pulsations.
Throughout their career, they have collaborated with internationally renowned musical artists such as Holy Fuck, Dan Deacon, and Altın Gün, and have developed projects for companies and platforms including WeTransfer, Bandcamp, The New York Times, MOOG, and Givenchy. They have also taken part in festivals and events such as Best Kept Secret (Netherlands), Animario (Madrid), and Curtocircuito (Santiago de Compostela).
Their exhibition work has been shown in venues such as Mountain Analogue (Seattle) and Sala Equis (Madrid), as well as in prestigious group exhibitions, including DEMO – It’s Nice That (Amsterdam) and Narcohumanisme (Bòlit, Girona). They have also exhibited in cities such as Santiago de Compostela, Vigo, Porto, and Paris, consolidating a steadily growing international presence.
Their video work has received awards such as the ASME Awards — Best Digital Illustration for their work for The Marshall Project, as well as the award for Best Animation at the Kinomural Festival (Poland), among others. These honors attest to a solid, innovative, and highly influential artistic trajectory within European independent animation.
Rapapawn represents one of the most vibrant and contemporary proposals in today’s indie animation scene: a constant dialogue between art, design, rhythm, and abstraction that redefines the expressive potential of experimental animation.
- Cynthia Alfonso, Jury of the Festival
La Maison Du Bonheur
Rapapawn | 3 min | Spain / Galicia | 2026 | TP
Music video animated by Rapapawn for Mundo Prestigio
Courtesy of Giovanna Lopalco
Giovanna Lopalco
Giovanna Lopalco (1982) is an Italian illustrator, background designer and director.
She has worked as a background artist since 2009. Among the projects she has been involved in are Unicorn Wars, Sangre de Unicornio, Psiconautas, The Forgotten Children, Decorado (Alberto Vázquez), Kérity, la maison des contes, Pinocchio (Enzo d’Alò) and Ethel and Ernest (Raymond Briggs), among others. Her first short film as a director, Season (2019), was co-produced with Insolence Productions (France).
She has been living in Galicia, in A Coruña, since 2011, where she continues to create, research and grow as an artist. Pelo di Cane is a kind of alter ego or personal brand that encompasses her work, which moves between animation, ceramics and illustration.
O Laúro is her second animated short film as a director and is currently in the pre-production phase.
- Jury of the Festival
Season
Giovanna Lopalco | 7 min | France / Italy | 2019 | +12
A procession of men dressed in white follows a young woman in a strange ritual march. In this dark landscape, a biological world in constant motion will transform her body.