Jury of the international competition
ANCA DAMIAN
Director, screenwriter, producer, DOP
Anca Damian studied at the Academy of Theatre and Film Arts where she obtained a diploma in Cinematography and a Doctor’s degree in Arts, Cinema and Media. After graduating, she worked as a director, screenwriter and producer for several documentaries on art-related topics, and also as a director of photography for two feature films, and many other documentaries and shorts.
In 2012, her second feature as a director, screenwriter and producer, “Crulic – The Path to Beyond”, came to the international attention with great impact. It was selected to many festivals including Locarno, Telluride, BFI London Film Festival, Annecy, Busan, New Directors/New Films in New York among others 250 festivals. The movie got more than 35 international prizes, among which the Cristal for Best Feature Film Award in Annecy. She was awarded the Mirada International Award in Madrid International Film Festival 2018 – New Directors Platform, for being “a total creator, a true landmark and an unchallenged inspiration for new directors.” – as stated by the organizers.
“Marona’s Fantastic Tale” premiered in Annecy in 2019, followed by a long festival selection in festivals like Rotterdam IFF, Tokyo IFF and numerous awards and nominations such as a European Film Awards nomination, Grand Prize for a feature film & Audience Award – BIAF 2019, Special Jury prize in Animation is Film Los Angeles, Prize Andre Martin for Best French Animation Film of 2020 at Annecy IFF. The film was released in more than 22 countries worldwide, including the United States, France, Sweden, China, Japan, Korea, Spain, Turkey, Poland and Italy.
BASTIEN DUBOIS
Director, script writer
Born in 1983 in Lille (France), Bastien Dubois earned his CGI diploma from Supinfocom with his graduation short “AH” in 2006. Bastien is a keen traveler, and it was after he hitchhiked from the north of France to Istanbul that he had the idea of making an animated travel log. His first independent film “Madagascar, a Journey Diary” was based on a one-year trip to the big red island. This film was very well received and screened in more than 200 international film festivals including Sundance. The film ultimately garnered an Oscar nomination in 2011.
In 2012, he directed a TV program based on the short “Madagascar” called “Faces From Places” a series of 20 animated 3-minute travelogue films featuring various countries around the world. In 2013, Bastien released, “Cargo Cult” an animated short film which is set in Papua New Guinea during World War II.
Since 2013, he is running the NGO Art Brutal which is doing workshops, exhibitions, – mostly about animation – and offers a grant for a young animator every year. “Souvenir Souvenir» is Bastien Dubois’s latest film. We follow the director throughout his life, as he attempts to coax out his grandfather’s memories of the Algerian War. The film relates Bastien’s multiple and unsuccessful attempts to initiate a dialogue with his grandfather using a combination of art styles to lay out a story of war trauma, family conflict, creative process and ultimately filial love…
PAVEL SHVEDOV
Film critic, historian of animation, journalist
Head of the Department of Cultural Projects of the Soyuzmultfilm Film Studio (since 2018). Program Director of the International Festival of Animated Films Insomnia (since 2016). Programmer of the Animation Competition at the International Festival-Workshop of Film Schools Kinoproba and curator of the animation program at the Moscow International Film Festival.
He graduated from the Historical Archive Institute of the Russian State Humanitarian University. In 2003–2013 Pavel worked in news and socio-political journalism. From 2011 to 2019 he worked at the State Central Museum of Cinema. Curator of more than 30 exhibition projects on film and animation. Guest curator of cinema programs of the State Tretyakov Gallery. Member of the jury and selection committees of several international film festivals.
Jury of competitions of TV series and cartoons for children
BEN MITCHELL
Animator, filmmaker, writer
Alongside his present role as animator and motion designer at Bristol-based Shy Guys Studios, Ben Mitchell has independently directed six short animated films that have been screened for 200+ festivals and touring programs across the world. As a freelancer, he has produced animation work for CBeebies, Channel 4, Plymptoons, Animortal, Wonky Films, A Productions, Slurpy Studios and Rumpus to name a few.
As an animation industry writer and researcher, Ben is the Editor in Chief of the UK-based magazine site Skwigly and author of the book «Independent Animation: Developing, Producing and Distributing Your Animated Films» (Taylor & Francis/CRC Press). He has also worked with and alongside a number of international industry events (including Encounters, ITFS Stuttgart, Animafest Zagreb, the British Animation Awards, Manchester Animation Festival and Cardiff Animation Festival) in a variety of capacities and served as visiting lecturer/tutor at several universities including Arts University Bournemouth, UWE and University of Gloucestershire.
Selected filmography: “House Guest” (2008), “Ground Running” (2009), “The Naughty List” (2010), “Klementhro” (2015), “Sunscapades” (2018), “Speed” (2019).
IRENE SPARRE
Producer
Irene Sparre is CEO and Head of Development at Danish based Sparre Production ApS, and she has been producing animated shows for 25 years now. Irene oversees projects, ensuring stable, creative processes via streamlined communication and cooperative workflows. Irene has clients, partners, and vendors throughout the US, Europe, and Far East Asia. In 2006, she founded Nordic Technical Directors Forum (NTDF) – an association strengthening professional sparring, exchange of know-how, and networking between Nordic technical teams.
Over the last 8 years, Irene produced more than 3000 minutes of animated content for LEGO, Disney, Lucasfilm based on the LEGO Ninjago® and LEGO Star Wars® franchises. Shows were nominated for ANNIE, BAFTA, and EMMY awards. Sparre Production also produces animated shorts. The latest short “Artminute – The Perfect Selfie” is currently roaming international festivals, latest – LA Shorts 2020.
ALEXEI ALEXEEV
Director, art-director, animator, scriptwriter, composer, editor
Alexei Alexeev was born in 1965 in Moscow. In 1988, he graduated from the Bauman Moscow State Technical University with a degree in space flight technology, in 1989, he graduated from the Animation Courses at the Pilot Studio, in 1993, he finished his studies at the Higher Courses for Directors and Screenwriters. In 1988-96, Alexei worked at the Pilot Studio as an animator, and starting from 1994 he worked as a director. He is also a director of pilots and TV series at Varga studio (Budapest) since 1996, and an artistic director of Studio Baestarts in Budapest since 2004.
Alexei is the creator of many films and episodes of TV series, including the famous series about three musicians – a bear, a hare and a wolf – Log Jam. His films have won more than 70 prizes and more than 15 Grand Prix at international film festivals all over the world, including the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (France, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013), the Hiroshima International Animation Festival, the World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb, the Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival, the New York International Children’s Film Festival and many others. He worked in selection committees and juries of 25 prestigious international film festivals.
Selected filmography: “Bottle Post” (for the project “Squared Zebra”, 2019), “An Orange Song” (2019), “The Hunt” (2016), “Magic Hock” (2016), “A Song About Summer” (2015), “Ant and Ant-eater” (2014), Cartoon Network Bumbers, 8 episodes (2011), “Log Jam”, animated series for Nickelodeon Worldwide and Canal+, 14 episodes (2008-2013), “KJFG No.5” (2007), “Pole Hole” (2007), “About a Crow” (2004), “Mr. Bean”, animated series for Tiger Aspect, 52 episodes (2001-2003), “Baby Blues”, animated series for Warner Brothers, 2 episodes (1999), “Kipper”, animated series for Hit Entertainment, 13 episodes (1998).
Jury of the Russian competition
АЛЕКСЕЙ ПРОСВИРНИН
Композитор, саунд-дизайнер
Алексей Просвирнин родился в 1977 году в Ставрополе. Учился в Московском Государственном Университете им. Ломоносова. После обучения работал звукорежиссером в продкшн-компании BBC-MPM, затем переименованной в «Фонд независимого радиовещания».
Затем Алексей начал создавать музыку и делать звук для независимых режиссеров анимационного и игрового кино. Он работал на различных российских анимационных проектах таких студий, как Toonbox, Pinkwing, «Мастер-Фильм», «ШАР», «Союзмультфильм».
Избранная фильмография:
«Microsoft Windows 7» (2009, реж. Владимир Пономарев), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«Загадки шамана» (2009, реж. Артур Меркулов), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«История могла бы пойти по-другому» (2009, реж. Владимир Пономарев), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«Русские народные сказки-потешки» (2009, реж. Андрей Бахурин), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«Чепурнас» (2012, реж. Саша Свирский), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«День НЛО» (альманах «Звездопад-3») (2016, реж. Владимир Сахновский), композитор,
«9 способов нарисовать человека» (2016, реж. Саша Свирский), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«Белоснежье» (2017, реж. Ирина Эльшанская), композитор,
«Нежить» (2018, реж. Дарья Волчок), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«Помощники» (сериал «Ладушки») (2018, реж. Сергей Серегин), композитор,
«Однажды меня встретила лестница» (2018, реж. Екатерина Куричева), звукорежиссер,
«Потерянный сон. Машина Времени» (сериал «Новые Куми-Куми») (2018, реж. Владимир Пономарев), композитор,
«Мой галактический двойник Галактион» (2020, реж. Саша Свирский), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«Правила рисовальщика» (2020, реж. Рим Шарафутдинов), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«Маленькие лесные друзья» (сериал «Котяткины друзья») (2020, реж. Дмитрий Наумов), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«Вторая среда апреля» (2020, реж. Светлана Караева, Мария Платонова), звукорежиссер,
«У всех мужчин должны быть туфли» (2020, реж. Анастасия Лисовец), звукорежиссер,
«Пираты Каспийского моря» (2021, реж. , реж. Рим Шарафутдинов), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«Вадим на прогулке» (2021, реж. Саша Свирский), композитор, звукорежиссер,
«Жизнь-паскуда» (2021, реж. Варвара Яковлева), звукорежиссер,
«Мне хочется» (2021, реж. Надя Гольдман), звукорежиссер.
АННА БУДАНОВА
Художник, режиссер
Анна Буданова училась на анимационном факультете Уральской государственной архитектурно-художественной академии, работала аниматором и художником на различных проектах.
Со своими авторскими проектами Анна участвовала в нескольких резиденциях для анимационных фильмов: Japic в Токио (Япония), Maison des Auteurs в Ангулеме (Франция), CICLIC – Вандом (Франция).
Анна – автор и режиссер нескольких короткометражных анимационных фильмов, показанных на большом количестве международных кинофестивалей, включая Локарно, Клермон-Ферран, Анси, Оттаву, Хиросиму. Ее работы также были представлены на международных выставках современного искусства (Japan Media Arts Festival, Галерея Muji, Художественный музей префектуры Аомори, Япония).
Фильмы Анны были удостоены более пятидесяти наград по всему миру, в том числе приза специального жюри Международного фестиваля анимационных фильмов в Анси, гран-при фестиваля Cinanima, Hiroshima Prize, Grand Prix Anima Brussel, Лучший визуальный приз Международного фестиваля анимационных фильмов Fantoche и другие.
Живет и работает во Франции.
Избранная фильмография: «Обида» (2013), «Среди черных волн» (2016).
КАТЕРИНА СОКОЛОВА
Режиссер, художник, иллюстратор
Катерина Соколова училась в Московском Архитектурном институте, затем – на Высших курсах сценаристов и режиссеров. Дипломный фильм Соколовой «Наступила осень» по книжке Андрея Битова с рисунками Резо Габриадзе «Трудолюбивый Пушкин» сразу оказался очень успешным и получил множество призов: за лучший дебют, Золотую пушкинскую медаль и Приз Юнеско.
После этого Катерина сделала анимационную вставку к фильму Тимура Бекмамбетова «Ночной дозор», и, начиная со следующего фильма «Глупая…» (2008), ее авторские фильмы стали выходить регулярно, и брать множество призов, прежде всего на российских фестивалях.
Избранная фильмография: «Наступила Осень» (1999), Анимация для к/ф «Ночной дозор» (2004), «Глупая…» (2008), «Сизый голубочек» (2010), «Волк Вася» (2014), «Мой знакомый медведь» (2018).