In its 12th edition, Kolibrí Festivaali will feature Alfredo Soderguit as our invited artist. The Uruguayan illustrator, writer, and animation director has been contributing wonderful stories to children's literature and cinematography for over two decades, earning prestigious international recognition and having his books translated into 18 languages.
Following the theme of Kolibrí 2023, The Art of Hospitality, and in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the arrival of Chilean refugee families in Finland, Soderguit will facilitate workshops for children and their families, addressing children's literature as a tool to discuss fundamental topics such as migration, hospitality, friendship, and the search for refuge, all of which are prevalent in his work.
Furthermore, he has created the beautiful poster for Kolibrí Festivaali 2023.
His highlighted book at Kolibrí will be Los Carpinchos (2020, Ediciones Ekaré), in which Soderguit explores compelling themes such as migration, the need for refuge, as well as rejection, and inclusion. This work was recognized as the Best Spanish Book by the New York Public Library in 2020 and received a Starred Review from the American magazine Kirkus Reviews. It was also considered one of the best works by the Banco del Libro in Venezuela and distinguished in the White Ravens catalog by the Munich Youth Library.
The book received such a positive reception that Soderguit is currently working on the animation of "Los Carpinchos" in a Uruguayan-French co-production.
At Kolibrí, we will also delve into his cinematic work with the screening of the series Dos pajaritos for primary schools and children centers. In this animated children's series, which can also be enjoyed on Yle Areena, Soderguit adapted the work of Colombian author Dipacho for the small screen in a co-production with Palermo Studio from Uruguay, Can Can Club from Argentina, and Señal Colombia.
This hilarious series tells the adventures of two neighboring birds living on the same tree and, despite living in harmony, they have to confront comical situations. Thanks to this series, Soderguit has won numerous awards, including the Prix Jeunesse International 2022 in the short category, the jury award for Best TV Series in the short category at the Annecy Festival, and the award for Best Latin American Series at Chilemonos 2022.
And if you want to learn more about his work in children's animation, don't miss the film ANINA (2013). Based on Sergio López Suarez's novel "Anina Yatay Salas," the feature film has been screened in over 40 countries, entered streaming platforms such as HBO (Latin America and the USA), Netflix Latin America, Globo (Brazil), among others, and has won over 20 awards.
For Kolibrí Festivaali, it is an honor to have Alfredo Soderguit, and we look forward to experiencing his creativity with all the families, as well as sharing unforgettable moments with him.
Don't miss the dates of his workshop, and remember that you can purchase his works at the Kolibrí Book Fair. See you at the festival!
Alfredo Soderguit’s participation in Kolibrí Festivaali is made possible by the support of the Embassy of Uruguay in Finland, the Directorate of Cultural Affairs of Uruguay, Taike, Svenska Kulturfonden, Malmitalo, and the Ibero-American Institute of Finland.
