The International Jury and special guests of the 7th ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival
The 7th ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival will take place from October 2-6, 2024, at the “Azerbaijan” Cinema in Baku. The festival has announced its extensive program and opened ticket sales on the Tripsome platform.
The festival will take place within the framework of the Baku Cinema Breeze (BCB) festival, organized by the Azerbaijan Animation Association and PERİ FİLM LLC, with the organizational support of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Cinema Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
This year, the 7th ANIMAFILM Festival has chosen “LOVE” as its main theme. Animation, with its ability to visually express emotions, is the perfect medium to convey the complexity of love. By focusing on love, the festival aims to promote empathy, understanding, and unity among its audience.
The jury members and special guests will also appear before the participants at several events.
The International Jury
The ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival brings together various experts from the animation world for its 7th edition. This year’s jury consists of international specialists with extensive experience in the field of animation. They will evaluate the films presented at the festival and select the best works deemed worthy of awards. Let’s get to know the members of this year’s jury.
Aaron Wood (United Kingdom)
Aaron is the co-founder and producer of the London animation company “Slurpy Studios,” established in 2008. Since 2012, he has been a writer and partner at “Skwigly Animation Magazine.” In addition, he manages “animation-festivals.com,” a unique website launched in 2009 that lists global animation film festivals.
Aneta Ozorek (Netherlands and Poland)
Aneta Ozorek is the artistic director of the bold and innovative Kaboom Animation Festival in the Netherlands. She has extensive experience as a film curator and organizer in the European market, organizing film events, educational workshops, exhibitions, and festivals. Aneta is the head of the Short Films section of the “CEE Animation Pitching Forum,” a board member of “REX Animation Festival” and “Animela,” and teaches at “Fachhochschule Salzburg” University.
Dante Rustav (Uzbekistan)
Dante Rustav was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 1988. In 2020, he made his first short film, “Occupation,” which won awards at the Nancy IFF and Split IFF festivals and was screened at festivals like Tirana IFF and Tokyo’s “ShortShorts.” Since 2016, he has been promoting independent Uzbek films, which have participated in 300 international festivals. In 2022, Dante founded the International Animation Festival (TIAF), Uzbekistan’s first such event after gaining independence, and currently serves as its program director.
Leyla Ali (Netherlands and Azerbaijan)
Leyla Ali is a freelance illustrator with over 15 years of experience, residing in Amsterdam. She studied at the Azerbaijan State Academy of Art and the Utrecht School of Art, working on numerous illustration projects in various fields. For the past three years, Leyla has collaborated with the Kaboom Animation Festival, creating a series of vibrant and diverse characters that bring a new style to the festival’s identity, both on-site and online.
Martin Vandas (Czech Republic)
As an animation producer, Martin has worked on eight animated feature films and numerous short animation films (for both children and adults), as well as various documentaries and TV series. The films from his company, “Maurfilm,” have won hundreds of festival awards, including an Oscar nomination. He collaborates with film funds as an expert, teaches production and presentation to film students, and mentors through organizations like CEE Animation. Beyond animation, Martin enjoys spending time with his three daughters (including his wife), collecting books and movie posters, and long-distance running, which always seems like a good metaphor for all animated films.
Matthew Lyon (Canada)
Matt has 25 years of experience as a veteran in the animation industry, working in various roles such as designer/animator, writer/director. In 2019, he created and developed the animated feature “Arctic Dogs.” Since then, as the Chief Creative Director of Lakeside Animation Studios, he has been working on original content for international audiences. For the past 18 years, he has been teaching character design, animation, and storytelling in the Digital Animation Program at Centennial College in Toronto.
Susana M. António (Portugal)
In 2022, Susana M. António completed her first animated film, “Melting,” which she co-directed with Filipa G. Costa, and for which she was also the idea and scriptwriter. She is currently active as a director and screenwriter while working as a producer at Cola Animation, an international animation film cooperative. Since 2024, she has been teaching Project Applications and Production in the Master’s Program in Animation at the University of Algarve.
Vassilis C. Karamitsanis (Greece)
Born in Athens in 1976, Vassilis C. Karamitsanis has been the president of the ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival since 2008. From 2015 to 2023, he was also the president of ASIFA HELLAS – the Greek Animation Association. In 2018, he was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France. In 2018-2019, he chaired the board of the Greek National Opera, and since 2022, he has served as president of CIFEJ – the International Centre of Films for Children and Young People.
In addition to our esteemed jury members, we present to you the special guests who will be attending our festival this year:
Special guests
Elchin Hami Akhundov (Azerbaijan)
Elchin Hami Abdul oglu Akhundov was born on February 7, 1948, in Baku. He graduated from the Azim Azimzade Art School (1968) and the Lviv Institute of Printing (1978). Elchin Akhundov has made significant contributions to the creation and development of Azerbaijani animation. Since 1966, he has worked in the film industry as a production artist, animator, and director. Akhundov has directed about 10 animated films and worked as a production artist on around 30 more. From 1994, he was the artistic director of the “Azanfilm” animation studio, and from 2000 to 2012, he served as the studio’s director. In 2016, he founded the “Qurama” Children’s Animation Studio, where he still works today. He has played a significant role in shaping several generations of contemporary Azerbaijani directors and animators. In addition, Elchin Akhundov is the author of dozens of developmental books for children, such as the “Do It Yourself” series (“Arshin mal alan,” “O olmasın, bu olsun”) and the “Your First Book” series (“Step by Step Learn and Work Hard,” “Environmental Alphabet”), among others. He is the chief advisor for the book “Azerbaijani Animation.” For his contributions to the development of Azerbaijani cinema, he was awarded the honorary title of “Honored Cultural Worker of Azerbaijan” on December 18, 2000. At the 2nd ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival (2019), Elchin Hami Akhundov was awarded the “Golden Boat” prize for his contributions to Azerbaijani animation. In 2022, he received an award for his contributions to the development of animation at the Tashkent International Animation Forum. Elchin Hami Akhundov is a co-founder of the Azerbaijan Animation Association.
Mesud Penahi (Azerbaijan, Germany)
Mesud Penahi is the director of Azerbaijan’s cult animation film “Tik-Tik Lady” (“Pish-pish Lady and Mr. Mouse”). From 1973 to 1979, he worked as an animation director and artist at the “Azerbaijanfilm” studio. During those years, he organized several animation courses and trained numerous animation specialists. In 1974, his animation film “Why Does the Cloud Cry?” won the main prize at the 7th All-Union Festival held in Baku. He has lived in Germany since 1979, participating in the production of about 60 animated films there. One of Penahi’s latest works is the 2012 animated film “The Silence Broken,” which tells the story of the Khojaly tragedy. In 2018, Mesud Penahi was awarded the “Golden Boat” prize at the 1st ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival for his contributions to Azerbaijani animation. In 2019, he chaired the international jury of the same festival. In 2020, his autobiographical book “Rubber Rooster” was published in Berlin. Since 2022, he has been a member of the Azerbaijan Animation Association. In 2023, Penahi was presented with a diploma by the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Germany in recognition of his continuous efforts for the Azerbaijani community in Germany and for his 80th anniversary. In the same year, his 80th anniversary was also celebrated at the Azerbaijan State Film Fund. Currently, Penahi is working on a new animated film, “Narghiz,” with the support of the Azerbaijan Film Agency (ARKA). The film aims to raise awareness among children about the dangers of landmines in areas liberated from occupation.
Oktay Yusibov (Azerbaijan, Finland)
Oktay Yusibov is the president of the Turkish Animation Association (ATA), co-founder and head of “Plastilin-media” (Finland), and co-founder of “Alove Animation Studio” (Azerbaijan), with 18 years of experience in all aspects of animation production. He has worked on award-winning TV shows and animated films, including “The Hotel of the Sheep,” “Red Railway,” “Taxi Drivers Lex and Plu,” “Kitten Cubs,” and “Toasty Sonia.”
Ayan Novruz (Azerbaijan, United Kingdom)
Born in St. Petersburg in 1998 and raised in Baku, Ayan Novruz began her undergraduate education in design at Khazar University in 2017. Since 2020, she has been continuing her bachelor’s degree in animation at the University of the Arts London’s London College of Communication. In 2023, she made her first short animated film, “Empty Spaces,” which won two awards at the 6th ANIMAFILM International Animation Festival (“Audience Choice” award and “Best Azerbaijani Student Short Animation Film” award). “Empty Spaces” also won the “Director’s Choice” award at the Thomas Edison Film Festival and was officially featured at the BFI Future Film Festival.
Nargiz Mahmudova (Azerbaijan, United Kingdom)
Nargiz Mahmudova completed both her undergraduate and master’s education in Switzerland. After graduating, she began her career in the oil and gas industry. However, after working for several years, she discovered her deeper passion for creativity and decided to explore new avenues of self-expression. She is currently applying to study illustration and storytelling.
Chingiz Asanaliev (Kyrgyzstan)
Chingiz Asanaliev is an artist and animator, as well as the creator of the ToonDook studio. He has played a significant role in the development of animation in Kyrgyzstan. Chingiz studied at the Gobelins Summer School in Paris and has collaborated with well-known brands such as Irina Kayratovna, Kaspersky, and Beeline. He created a short animated film titled “Heat Studio” as part of a studio project and also worked on the trailer for the 7th ANIMAFILM Festival.
Zurab Diasamidze (Georgia)
Zurab Diasamidze is a well-known animation film producer, director, and screenwriter from Georgia. He is the founder and director of the Animation Development Fund, “MIFASI” Animation Studio, “TOFUZI” International Animation Film Festival, and the “Golden Grape” Telavi International Short Film Festival. With experience in acting and film production, Zurab has also made a significant contribution to animation education by founding animation schools in various regions of Georgia.