Enrique Gato

Enrique Gato Borregán (born 26 April 1977) is a Spanish filmmaker, director, producer and screenwriter best known for creating the adventurous mascot Tadeo Jones, a character that has become a staple of modern Spanish animation. Born in Valladolid, Castile and León, and raised in Madrid, Gato displayed a passion for visual storytelling from a very young age, devouring classic comics such as Mort & Phil, The Adventures of Tintin, Asterix and Superlópez while simultaneously dreaming of Hollywood action‑adventure epics by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Robert Zemeckis. His fascination with technology led him to experiment with an Amstrad CPC 6128, where he programmed his first video games, an early indicator of the blend of narrative and digital art that would define his career. In 1995 he enrolled in an Informatics Engineering program, where he mastered 3‑D modeling tools such as Maya, 3D Studio Max and Softimage, and built rudimentary game engines to preview his concepts, laying the technical groundwork for his future animation work. While still a student, he secured a position at Artek, a computer‑graphics firm, where he refined his skills with TrueSpace and LightWave 3D just as Pixar was pioneering CGI storytelling, an influence that is evident in the fluid motion and inventive set‑pieces of his later films. The breakthrough moment arrived when he introduced Tadeo Jones in a short CG film, a witty homage to Indiana Jones that captured audiences with its blend of humor, daring stunts and meticulous visual design, earning Gato his first Goya Award for Best New Director. The success of the short spawned two additional CGI shorts and a full‑length feature, Tadeo Jones (2012), each garnering critical acclaim and three Goya Awards overall, solidifying Gato’s reputation as a leading figure in Spanish animation. Beyond Tadeo Jones, he continues to explore new narrative possibilities, collaborating with international studios, mentoring emerging talent, and advocating for the integration of cutting‑edge technology in cinematic storytelling, ensuring his impact on the industry will endure for years to come.