Two short films created by students from the Faculty of Art, Design, and Audiovisual Communication (FADCOM) at ESPOL have gained recognition at national and international festivals. These are Un elefante de papel (A Paper Elephant), directed by Johanna Ortiz and Ariana Solórzano, and Anemoia, directed by Nixon Ronquillo and Kennia Rosales. Both projects were developed as part of the academic process at FADCOM and have transcended the university setting to become benchmarks for emerging talent in Ecuadorian cinema.
Un elefante de papel uses mixed media techniques to explore how people experience their emotions, highlighting happiness as an “elephant in the room” that we often ignore. Anemoia, on the other hand, is a stop-motion short film that reflects on the fragility of humanity in the face of climate change and war, with a visual approach that combines animation and 3D modeling. The teams faced creative and technical challenges typical of university audiovisual production: In Un elefante de papel, the challenge was to represent emotions in a universal way, which they solved through an abstract and evocative visual language. In Anemoia, the main challenge was condensing the script and managing time, as the stop motion technique requires precision and patience to achieve a quality final product.
During 2024 and 2025, the short films were selected and awarded at multiple festivals:
Un elefante de papel (A Paper Elephant)
- 5th Ecuadorian Turicine Film Festival, Student Short Film Category
- Contra El Silencio Todas Las Voces (Against Silence, All Voices). 13th Hispanic American Independent Documentary Film Festival, Everyday Life and Social Change Category (Mexico)
- Festival Internazionale Nebrodi Cinema Doc, WINNER School/Student Short Film Category (Italy)
- Pichincha Cine Festival, Mental Health and Society Category
- Kunturuñawi Film Festival, WINNER Student Documentary Category
- New Cinema Festival in Buga, International Short Film Category (Colombia)
- Nefeliterno Film Festival, Documentary Short Film Category (Mexico)
- 9th AJAYU International Animation Festival, Latin American Short Film Category
- Naranjal International Student Film Festival, WINNER Ecuadorian Short Film Category
- LJMU MA Short Film Festival 2025, Student Experimental Category (UK)
Guagua Cine Festival 14th Edition - Prix Jeunesse
Anemoia
- It was the winner at the Santa Elena International Film Festival (2024) and has participated in festivals in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ecuador.
- Santa Elena International Film Festival (2024) - Winner of the “Animated World” category.
- Frome International Climate Film Festival (2025) - Official Selection.
- Art All Night - Trenton: Film Festival 2025 (2025) - Official Selection
- Cine Espol Fest (2025) - Winner of the “Comedy” category
Quito International Film Festival (2025) - Official Selection. Competes for Best Ecuadorian Short Film and Youth Jury Award
These awards reflect the academic and creative quality of FADCOM, as well as the ability of its students to tell stories with sensitivity and technical skill. Both the filmmakers behind Un elefante de papel and Anemoia agree that the true value of university cinema lies in creating works that connect emotionally with the audience, beyond prizes or awards.
With these achievements, FADCOM reaffirms its commitment to training professionals capable of innovating, contributing to culture, and positioning Ecuadorian cinema on the international stage.
© Photography: Courtesy / Written by José Luis Castro
