The traditional finalists’ gathering for the Mestre Mateo Awards took place yesterday, one of the key pre-events to the Galician audiovisual gala, bringing together industry professionals in a celebration centred on the nominated productions. The event also served to present this year’s special awards, which recognise projects distinguished by their commitment to social, cultural and educational values.
Among the recipients were two of our nominated productions: Bibopalula received the ABANCA Award for Sustainability Promotion, a recognition that, according to the jury, distinguishes the series “for coherently, creatively and responsibly integrating sustainability values both in its narrative approach and its educational vocation.” Created by Laura Mahía and Andrés Mahía and produced in collaboration with Televisión de Galicia, Bibopalula is the first entirely Galician-language animated musical series, starring the Forest Band, a group of small birds who embark on adventures centred around nature, music and caring for their environment.
Meanwhile, the web series Pipo was awarded the Deleite Prize for Language Promotion, recognising its contribution to creating audiovisual content that introduces the Galician language to younger generations in a natural, creative and accessible way. The series tells the story of Berta, a six-year-old girl who one day finds Pipo, a small extraterrestrial who falls into her garden and eventually becomes part of her daily life. Based on an original idea by Andrés Mahía and directed by Laura Mahía, the series combines humour, animation and a strong educational vocation to connect with children’s audiences.
Undodez will also have a strong presence at the gala, with seven finalist nominations spanning different genres and formats of Galician audiovisual production, from children’s content to documentary.
Bibopalula is nominated for Best Television Series and Best Original Music, while Pipo and Bechos compete in the Best Web Series category. The documentary To the Rhythm of the New Regueifa, directed by Saúl Rivas and Manolo Maseda, is also nominated, and in the Best Advertising Spot category the nominated works include Ao noroeste do oeste, created for the tourism promotion of the city of A Coruña, and Historia que nos impulsa, produced to mark the 25th anniversary of Deportivo de La Coruña’s league title.
These recognitions highlight the importance of creating audiovisual content in Galician for early audiences, both from a cultural and educational perspective. Undodez productions will thus be present at the 24th Mestre Mateo Awards gala, to be held on 21 March in Lugo.