

2022 JUDGES

Alejandro Hernández
Alejandro "Gino" Hernández was born in Veracruz, Mexico. Currently, he is pursuing a degree in Animation and Digital Art at the “Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey”. He is a young storyteller of 22 years who has directed some short films, both school and his own, in addition to various audiovisual works. Among these that stand out is “Querido Diario” (Dear Diary) which is his first animated short film as a director. Furthermore he has worked in collaboration with Nick Jr. Noggin, and Cartoon Network Latinoamérica, in the production of one animated spot for each company.

Aline Romero
Aline Romero, was born in Mexico City. She studied Visual Arts at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In 2009 got a scholarship to study Video Art and Sculpture at the University of California (UCSD). In the following years, she experimented with Stop Motion Animation and Glass Sculpture. She attended Pilchuck Glass School, USA. for two
consecutive years. In 2012 she started a Glass Studio in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, where she produced glass art for architecture. In 2014 she started a Design Agency in Chicago, USA. By 2017 she moved to Barcelona to study a Master in Stop Motion Animation at the Escola de Cinema de Barcelona, Spain. There she directed her grad film Psychophonic, which premiered in 2019 at Sitges Film Festival and has been selected at more than 100 international film festivals. Aline is currently working as a freelance Visual Artist and developing her next film ̈El Viaje de Azul ̈.

Eduardo Rodríguez & Laura Delgado
Two friends dedicated to the world of advertising but who share a common passion which is animation and being able to tell stories, decide in the midst of the global COVID pandemic to start studying 3D in a self-taught way, focusing all the knowledge they found on the internet on building a story. Six months later and after having become directors, producers, animators, sound engineers, etc. that they learn according to the needs of the story, after 1,200 hours of rendering, “Vals & Rumba, their first short, is born.

Ewa Maria Wolska
She graduated from Theatre Direction at the Theatre Academy in Warsaw, Puppetry Art Department in Bialystok as well as from Polish Philology and Cultural Studies in the University of Lodz. Founder of Teatr FRAKTAL (FRACTAL Theatre), creating original, intimate, poetic performances known for rich visuality, experimental sound, and original instruments. Her most significant theatrical works made with FRACTAL Theatre include puppet performaces: Pomelo is in love, with the frog, the rain and many others ; Biba as well as dramatic ones: Frida la Vida! and Waves, based on the novel by Virginia Woolf. During the pandemic Ewa created her first animated films (stop-motion technique): "my dear quarantine," 2020 (the film won several awards on international film festivals) and "small, quite small," 2021 (Grand Prix of the International Puppetry Video Campaign, UNIMA Korea). Currently working on a new animation titled Tears, Tears, Tears.

Hannah Mangan
"What started in homeschooling as an artistic passion has refined over three colleges into a fervent pursuit of animation. With a bachelor's in animation from the Savannah College of Art and Design, two years at an Atlanta studio, work on Netflix, HBO Max, and Apple TV+, I've finally settled into indie-animation making web series, shorts, and pilots. It makes less money, but the satisfaction, collaboration, and determination I get to experience in the indie animation field are unrivaled."

Hazhir As'adi
Hazhir As’adi is an independent animated writer and director in Iranian Kurdistan. He is M.A in Dramatic Literature, graduate of the Iranian Youth Cinema Society & membership in the ASIFA association of Iran. Hazhir
has produced two short animated film, " Blows With The Wind 2017" and " Xulanewe (The Rotation) 2020".

Jinuk Choi
Jinuk Choi is a Korean filmmaker / 3D artist based in New York City. He received a BFA degree in Visual Communication Design from Seoul National University in Korea. After graduating, he worked at Kakao company for three years, creating 'Kakao Friends' character animations. He moved to New York and graduated with a master’s degree in Computer Arts from School of Visual Arts. His thesis film 'Beyond the Line' was screened at many international film festivals and received several awards. Currently, he is working on a new 3D short
animated film ‘Hair Universe’.

John C. Kelley
John C Kelley (b. 1981, Arkansas) is an artist living in Knoxville, TN. His award-winning work in film and animation have screened in international film festivals around the world including the Slamdance Film Festival, GLAS Animation Festival, the Ottawa International Animation Festival, the London International Animation Festival, the Palm Springs International Animation Festival, and many others. His recent animated short GUSTER (2019) received a “Staff Pick” from Vimeo.com, the Animated Grit award from Indie Grits Film Fest, and the Jury’s Citation Award from the Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival. A Family that Steals Dogs (2020), received a “Staff Pick” from Vimeo.com, won “Best 2D Animation by an Independent Animator” and “Best 2D Animation Overall” from the Florida Animation Festival, The Golden Hat Award for Best International Short at Animattikon in Cyprus, Best Sound Design at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, and was nominated for Best Animation Short at Raindance Film Fest in London.

Julia Stella
Julia Madeleine Stella is a Melbourne-based animator and illustrator. She specializes in digital frame by frame animation with a focus on narrative and visual development, and has a passion for the animation medium’s unique ability for storytelling. In 2020 Julia released her multi- award-winning debut film, Star Thief, which has since been screened in 22 film festivals across 9 countries. When she’s not working on her latest project, Julia can usually be found rollerskating, crocheting or baking to get away from her desk.

Krislyn Koehn
Krislyn Koehn is an artist working in charcoal and digital animation. Her black and white work fosters an appreciation for the overwhelming and unknown through themes of nature, childhood, and weather. Krislyn completed her MFA at Texas A&M University in August 2020. She spent the following year as an artist in residence in Bryan, Texas. Her work has exhibited across North America with her short film To Ashes voted audience favorite at the 2020 Florida Animation Festival. She currently lives and works in Houston.

Michelle Brand
Michelle Brand is an animation director and illustrator currently based in Hamburg, who works across a wide range of aesthetics, focusing on visualizing abstract ideas in abstract ways. Her films often attempt to discuss philosophical concepts, blurring the lines between theory and practice. She is completely obsessed with geometric shapes, straight lines, and perfectly round circles.

Monica Joy
Monica Joy is an award-winning Director, Producer and Series Creator in the animation industry. She is currently the Senior Producer of the acclaimed, hit children's series, CoComelon. She has worked with other leading studios such as Nickelodeon, Paramount, Blue Sky Studios and The Mill. Monica is an active supporter of and mentor for Women in Animation. Monica has guest lectured in animation at Montclair State University, and has studied with the University of East Anglia, the Sotheby's Institute of Art and Harvard University. Her animated short film, Pegasus Tales, based on her children's book of the same title, is currently nominated for best animated short in ten international film festivals.

Tehzeeb Khurana
With over 20 years of experience, celebrated animation director Tehzeeb is the founder, curriculum designer and principal faculty of Toon Club, a pioneering organisation teaching the art of animation filmmaking and
storytelling to children (7 -18 years). Films created by children at Toon Club, under Tehzeeb's creative
supervision have received 66 International awards & 3 Industry Recognitions. Her seminal efforts have
culminated in animation curriculum being appended across select premier schools in Mumbai. Besides she has also conducted workshops for leading NGOs, museums, corporates and International studios/festivals in Poland, Spain & Brazil. Tehzeeb has served as film curator at BASAFF (Bay Area South Asian Film Festival) 2019. She has also served as International Jury of Educators at the International Young Audience Film Festival Ale Kino!, Poznan, Poland (2020), KIDZCINEMA 2020 & 2021 (India) and TASI’s ANIFEST (India).