Filippo Panessa, Mattia Turi, Sara Longo, Francesco Suglia, Paolo Laghezza, Raffaella Pesole, Manuela Narracci, Flavia Cicorella, Paola Sportelli, Serena Aquilino, Francesco Gasparro, Alessandro Darconza, Silvia D’Accolti, Alessia Campanella, Fabio Basile, Micaela Amenduni, Emma Lasorella, Emma Daddabbo, Aurora Pace
JURY – MAIN COMPETITION (INT. SHORT FILM)
Historian and archaeologist who trained at the “Centre d’études supérieures de civilization médiévale” of Poitiers and then also graduated from the “Institut d’études politiques” of Grenoble, Xavier Kawa-Topor was director of the “Centre européen d’art et de civilization médiévale” of Conques (Aveyron), at the time of the creation of the stained glass windows of the abbey church by Pierre Soulages.
He then became interested in the relationship between the Middle Ages and contemporary culture and created, with the Cinémathèque de Toulouse, the “Cinéma et Moyen Âge” festival which welcomed directors such as Terry Gilliam, Gabriel Axel and Otar Iosseliani.
By joining the Forum des images of Paris, he opens the doors to animated cinema with in particular “Nouvelles images du Japon”, a biennial dedicated to Japanese animated cinema for which he was responsible, with Ilan Nguyên, of the artistic direction: the festival it had three editions (1999, 2001, 2003) and anticipated the international recognition of the work of Hayao Miyazaki , Isao Takahata , Satoshi Kon, Makoto Shinkai , Koji Yamamura.
He then directed, from 2005 to 2014, the royal abbey of Fontevraud, a cultural meeting center and developed a project around the concept of the ideal city. The abbey welcomed artists such as François Morellet , Matali Crasset , Jiro Taniguchi becoming a place of debate in which many intellectuals and writers took part such as Jacques Le Goff , Umberto Eco , Edgar Morin , Françoise Héritier , Antonio Tabucchi , Jacques Roubaud, Marc Augé.
Fontevraud is also becoming a place of creation for animated cinema with residencies and major exhibitions such as “Mondes et Merveilles du cartoon”, presented in 2008 in collaboration with Studio Ghibli.
In 2015 he founded NEF Animation (New writings for animated cinema), a national association for research and creation on animated cinema.
In 2020, the first issue of the magazine Blink Blank was released, a specialized publication on animated films of which he is, together with Marcel Jean, editorial director.
More information: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xavier_Kawa-Topor
Christian Arnau, born in 1954, was an illustrator, graphic designer and visual artist.
His work was mainly based on the research and development of animated cinema with the French master Jean-Fransois Laguionie. He has designed the pedagogical studies of animated cinema at Emca (School for animated film professionals) since its creation in 2000 and directs its courses.
His current research and teaching at EESI (École européenne supérieure de l’image Angoulême-Poitiers) opens up to experimentation and the possibility of the animated image being part of contemporary art.
Director of studies at the School of Animation Film Crafts, Ecole des Métiers du Cinéma d’Animation, EMCA, Angoulême. He is a member of Polo Image Magelis.
Fimography
A Monkey’s Tale (1999)
Santa’s Christmas Snooze (1995)
The Story of Christmas (1994)
Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea – TV Siries (1985-1986)
Under the pseudonym Gatto Zeneise he has been working on animation for years on Gianfranco Goria’s journalistic blog www.afnews.info.
For some years he has collaborated with the international symposium on computer graphics and digital technologies “VIEW Conference” in Turin, for which he curated and organized a conference dedicated to the Japanese director Isao Takahata and the first edition of the “Apostles of Animation” award (awarded to MAD Entertainment). He was media consultant for Italy for the award-winning animated short film “MILA” by Cinzia Angelini (2021). He was the official reporter in two editions of the Society for Animation Studies-SAS’ Conference (Vicenza 2017 and Lisbon 2019), and a member of the jury chaired by the French director Michel Ocelot at the second edition of the special award Donne Si Fa Storia (2019), proclaimed at the Edera festival in Vicenza and awarded during the Venice Film Festival. In 2020 he was part of the international jury for the Imaginaria animated film festival in Conversano (BA). In 2022 he was juror for the main competition at the latest edition of Zabut-International Festival of Animation Shorts (Santa Teresa di Riva, 28-31 July). In 2022 and 2023 he was a juror at the Sedicicorto International Film Festival for the AnimaLab section, and is currently the contact person for the AfNews media partnership with Lapix, a parallel event to the Festival dedicated to animation and multimedia. Since 2017 he has been a member of the cultural association “Cartùn” created in Genoa by the historian and critic of animation Giannalberto Bendazzi, representing it in various festivals and events, before taking on the role of first president following its re-foundation as aps which took place in January 2024.
JURY – GRADUATION FILM & MUSIC VIDEO COMPETITION
Sofia El Khyari is an animation filmmaker and visual artist born in Casablanca. Alongside her Master studies in cultural management in France, she taught herself the craft of animation before obtaining another Master’s Degree from the Royal College of Art in London.
Her films have since won awards and been screened at multiple international festivals, including the Locarno Film Festival, TIFF Toronto International Film Festival and Annecy animation film festival. They have also been acquired and exhibited by prestigious museums and institutions such as Institut du Monde Arabe and Musée du Quai-Branly Jacques Chirac in Paris or the Cinémathèque Française.
El Khyari’s life experience has allowed her to develop the sensitive internal universe portrayed in her work. She explores the themes of poetry, science, spirituality, absurdity and surrealism. Within her work, we see a recurring female figure, powerful and troubling, yet simultaneously soft and gentle.
Filmography
L’Ombre des papillons (Shadow of the Butterflies)
(2D animation, 2022 (9’9, Arabic, France, and Portugal)
Directors: Sofia El Khyari | Illustrations: Sofia El Khyari | Executive Producer: Yves Bouveret, Olivier Catherin | Foreign Producer: Bruno Caetano | Screenwriter: Sofia El Khyari | Voice: Sofia El Khyari | Director of Photography: Nadine Buss | Editor: Philippe Baranzini | Animation: Sofia El Khyari, Camille Gibut, Margaux Kuhn, Ala Nunu | Music Composers: Widad Broco, Khalil Epi | Special Effects: Cédric Rolando | Colorist team: Flore Leveaux, Chloe Danguy, Chloe Vendrome, Clervie Lhuillerhy, Lucie Levrangi, Camille Gibut | Grader: Andreia Bertini | Graphic designer: Sofia El Khyari | Sound Mixer: Vincent Barcelo | Sound design: Romane Millet | Executive Producer: Am Stram Gram | Foreign production company: Cola Animation
In a mysterious forest, a woman is slowly lured into a nostalgic daydream as she observes butterflies.
Le Corps poreux (The Porous Body)
(6′ 15”, UK, 2018)
Director: Sofia el Khyari | Director of Photography | Aadhar Gupta | Sound: Luke Elliott, Sofia el Khyari | Music: Anna Katherina Bauer ” Principal Cast: Marta Reis Andrade
A young woman who lives in her thoughts goes back to the sea to centre herself. As she dives into the water, she dives under her skin and penetrates her psychological wrapping.
Ayam (Days)
(3’42, 2017)
Animation assistants : Diana Ilies, Kiah Liwag
Music: Abdelhak Tikerouine
Sound mixing: Luke Elliott
Sound Recording: Sigma Technologies
Special Thanks : Ines Chaqroun
Distribution : Pentacle Production
Three generations of Moroccan women exchange feelings and anecdotes while preparing the traditional ceremony of Eid Al Adha.
Le Grain de ta peau (The texture of your skin)
(Maroc / France, 2016, animation/fiction, 15’10)
A tale that traces the story of a flower woman, delicate and mysterious, born in the hot sand of the desert. Through different media, we observe her blossom and little by little find her definition of love and happiness.
An Africanist by training, for several years now you have transformed your passion for cinema into your profession. Coordinator of the Porretta Film Festival, member of the AFIC Board – Association of Italian Film Festivals, she is also a consultant for various other film events in the field of festival fundraising and management of public and private funding calls (including Bardolino Film Festival, Animaphix, Short Film Conference). She was coordinator of the national and international short film platform MYRELOAD in its creation and launch phase, created by Sedicicorto Forlì International Film Festival and ShorTS International Film Festival, in collaboration with Mymovies.it.
She deals with promotion and support in social strategies for some short films. She collaborates and writes for in-depth sites
cinematographic Kontainer16 and Nerdface. In her free time (what remains in the often impossible fit between profession and being a mother) she relaxes between compulsive watching of films and TV series, knitting and cross-stitch and passionately reading detective stories and comics.
After the second level diploma in artistic disciplines obtained at the “Albertina Academy of Fine Arts in Turin” with a focus on “Painting and Sculpture” and the first level diploma in advertising graphics obtained at the “State professional institute for graphics and advertising Albe Steiner” of Turin began his professional experiences including Assistant in the studio of the sculptor Fabio Viale.
Since 2011 he has been involved in the web newspaper afnews@info and was present, as a photojournalist at the festivals of: Anilogue (Hungary) in 2011. Annecy (France) from 2012 to 2021.
View Conference (Italy) from year 2012 to 2020. Cartoon on the Bay (Italy) on behalf of Rai from year 2013 to year 2019. Locarno Film Festival (Switzerland) 2021.
