The most popular and cherished Cuban animated film character, Elpidio Valdés, is celebrating his 45th birthday in August with the cartoon Elpidio Valdés ordena Misión Especial (Elpidio Valdés Orders a Special Mission).

The premier will close a series of Cuban film industry initiatives to celebrate the character and its creator, Cuban National Film Award winner, Juan Padrón. The cartoon will be another episode of the Elpidio Valdés saga that began in 1970: three long feature films and some 20 cartoons whose protagonist is the Colonel who fought against Spanish colonial rule as a member of the island’s liberation or Mambí Army.

Homages to Elpidio are set to begin in March marking the 56th anniversary of the Cuban Film Institute –ICAIC-. The previous cartoon by Juan Padrón was Nikita Chama Boom awarded at the 32nd International Latin American Film Festival in Havana.