Hugo Covarrubias (Santiago, Chile, 1977) is a graphic designer and audiovisual director specialized in stop motion animation. He is a founder and director of the theatre company Maleza, pioneers in intertwining theatre with animation film, where he co-directed plays Maleza and Un Poco Invisible staged in France, Czech Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic. He directed animated shorts The Feathers Pillow and The Night Face Up. He has also worked as a stop motion director at Zumbástico Studios, where he has directed animated series such as The Ogre and the Chicken, Horace and the Plasticines and is co-creator and director of the series Paper Port, a co-production with Brazil, Colombia and Argentina. He currently works as a teacher and in June 2021 premiered his third animated short film Bestia in Annecy, France, winning more than 80 national and international awards, including Prix Festivals Connexion (Annecy), Best Latin American Short Film (Chilemonos), Best Animated Short Film (FIC Guadalajara, Mexico), Annie Awards Best Short Subject (USA), Best Animated Short Film in Clermont-Ferrand, Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Golden Zagreb Award at Animafest Zagreb, Firebird Award (Grand Prix) Hong Kong, and was nominated for the Oscars 2022 as Best Animated Short Film.

photo ©Sebastian Utreras