UNAM recovers and digitizes Mexican animated shorts for World Animation Day

The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) has recovered and digitized a collection of Mexican animated shorts produced between 1936 and 1982 to mark World Animation Day on October 28. The archival project, led by the UNAM Film Library, restores experimental, educational, and social critique pieces.

World Animation Day commemorates a 1892 screening by Émile Reynaud at the Musée Grévin in Paris, where he used an optical theater to project “Luminous Pantomimes.” This anniversary, promoted by the International Animated Film Association (ASIFA) since 2003, serves as a benchmark for an industry that has transitioned from hand-drawn frames to digital tools.

UNAM restores animation from 1936 to 1982

The university’s archival effort focuses on a specific window of creative production. Among the recovered works is Paco Perico en premier (1936) by Alfonso Vergara Andrade, representing the collection. Later pieces include La persecución de Pancho Villa (1978) and El compa Clodomiro y el capitalismo, produced between 1980 and 1981.

Preserving such a diverse range of media requires specialized technical intervention.

ENAC-UNAM hosts showcase of contemporary animation shorts

Parallel to the historical recovery, the National School of Cinematic Arts (ENAC-UNAM) hosted a film showcase on October 28 at the Manuel González Casanova Room. Curated by Tania de León Yong of the Mexican Animation Archive, the 71-minute program highlighted contemporary shorts that blend research with artistic production.

The showcase featured a variety of collaborations, illustrating the nature of animation production:

• Ticho (2021, Mexico): Directed by Adriana Ronquillo, this 18-minute piece explores a miner’s descent into madness and the ruins of human ambition.
• Toothless (2022, Poland): Directed by Andrea Guizar, this 12-minute collage uses dental anatomy books and esoteric magazines to examine desire.
• Trasiego (2023, Mexico-Canada): Directed by Amanda Woolrich, a short focusing on the dialogue between grandmother and granddaughter regarding migration and memory.
• Tears (2025, Poland-Germany): Directed by Paulina Ziolkowska, a 10-minute study on the impossibility of decision-making.

Other works in the program included La gran guerra (2012) by Juan Manuel Pavón, reflecting on conflict in Mexico, and Made in Central de Abastos (2013) by Carlos Gamboa, which documents the flow of the largest market in Latin America over a 24-hour cycle.

The business of animation and digital transition

The transition from the 1936 techniques found in the UNAM archives to the 2025 productions seen at ENAC highlights a shift in production. While early shorts were often educational or experimental, modern animation is driven by different processes.

The inclusion of co-productions—such as the Mexico-Canada and Poland-Germany projects—demonstrates how studios use international collaborations.

Technical evolution from optical theater to digital assets

The gap between Émile Reynaud’s 19th-century optical theater and today’s digital tools represents more than just a change in software. Animation today mixes art, technology, and storytelling through traditional techniques, physical objects, and digital tools.

For the filmmakers presented in the ENAC showcase, such as Yareni Velázquez Mendoza with La mancha negra (2024), animation serves as a tool to transform adversity into something distinto.

The recovery of Mexico’s animation history by UNAM ensures that the lineage of the medium remains intact, providing a foundation for the next generation of creators who will continue to blend traditional artistry with emerging digital technologies.

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