Katarzyna started her professional career as a production manager and set manager in commercials and music videos production, as well as working for numerous film festivals. In 2010 she joined Se-ma-for studio as events coordinator and production assistant. From 2012 to 2015 she worked as production manager and line producer in Se-ma-for. Co-founder of Momakin and co-organizer of Animarkt Stopmotion Forum, she is currently acting as an executive producer, coordinating work of stop motion artists from all around the world. She is a member of Polish Filmmakers Association (SFP) and Polish Animation Producers Association (SPPA).

Raluca Mănescu graduated from the National University of Theater and Cinema in Romania, screenwriting and film critic section. She wrote and produced a few short films which received high praise and awards at international film festivals like Cottbus IFF, Sarajevo IFF, Thessaloniki IFF, Namur IFF. Her debut in scriptwriting for the feature film ”The world is mine”, directed by Nicolae Constantin Tănase received the special mention of the jury at the Karlovy Vary IFF and also the debut award at TIFF, both in 2015. Presently, Raluca works as a screenwriter and story designer in national and international projects for various action films, documentaries and series.

Matea MILIĆ  works since 2012 for the production company Hulahop, where she has collaborated in production and distribution of documentaries and feature projects and the distribution of feature animated films. Since 2015 serves as the festival producer of the World Festival of Animated Film - Animafest Zagreb and is responsible for fundraising, team management and collaboration with partners (film festivals, national film centers, international professional initiatives, training programs, studios, art schools). She has participated in the work of juries and selection committees of festivals in the country and abroad and coordinates the AFN - Animation Festival Network, network of animation festivals from the CEE region.

Daria Kashcheeva is an independent film director based in Prague, a fresh FAMU graduate.

Her student films featured at many international festivals. Daria’s original To Accept won the Nespresso Talents 2017 film competition in Cannes. Her Bachelor’s puppet animation Daughter had a premiere at Annecy Animation Film Festival and got Cristal for the best Student film. Daughter has won the Student Academy Award in the category Animation (International Film Schools) and was nominated to the 92nd Oscar Academy Award.

In her master degree film Electra, she experiments with a combination of live action and animation techniques. Working with actors and human sized puppets, exploring a topic of domestic violence, sexuality and body perception, Daria aims to extend the limits of animation film genre.

Waltraud Grausgruber, festival directress and co-founder of the Tricky Women/Tricky Reaities Festival in Vienna, Austria. TRICKY WOMEN/TRICKY REALITIES focuses on animated films made by women and/or genderqueer artists and therefore fills a unique position within the international festival landscape since 2001. Waltraud Grausgruber studied theatre, film and media studies at the University of Vienna and tourism at the University of Economics of Vienna. She wrote her master‘s thesis about African cinema, did research in France, Senegal and Burkina Faso, conceptualised film festivals and curated international film programmes. She got the Outstanding Artists Award of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture in 2010. She published books on Art and Film, among others Tricky Women – Animations Film Kunst von Frauen (Women in Animation).

Foto credits: Renate Nakowitz

Moetion Films CEO Moe Honan lives in Galway in the West of Ireland. She is an independent Producer and a Voice Director for animation feature films and TV series. She has developed, co-produced and voice directed many international series and five feature films including Moetion Films’ 2015 debut - the global hit Two by Two Ooops! The Ark has Gone. Moetion Films picked up the Producer of the Year Award at Cartoon Movie 2016.

The sequel Two by Two -Overboard! was released internationally in 2020/21 topping the box office in the UK, Spain, Germany and Norway. She is currently in production with Niko - Beyond The Northern Lights, the third film in the international hit franchise - Niko

Previous Screen credits include:(2012) Niko 2 – Little Brother, Big Trouble Producer & Voice Director (2010) Thor – Legends of Valhalla – Producer & Voice Director; (2009) Simsala Grimm II (animated tv series) NDR - Producer & Voice Director, (2008) Niko and The Way to the Stars (feature film) - Producer & Voice Director; ( 2006) Lilly the Witch (animated series) BBC - Producer & Voice Director (2005) The Ugly Duckling & Me - Feature Film and animated series), among others.

Moe is the Industry Chair for Animation Ireland the trade association for  animation production companies in Ireland, and is also on the board of Animation In Europe, an umbrella organisation for producer associations across Europe which now has 20 conutry members from across eastern and western Europe.

Lawyer, partener at SCPA Pârvu și Asociații

Theo’s main field of specialization is Intellectual property rights. He provides legal assistance in the field of copyright, advertising and music production, with an in-depth practice in the field of cinematography, confirmed by participating in numerous award-winning projects with high-value film budgets.

Damian Groves is a director, writer and producer. Interested in the art of storytelling from an early age, Damian found his voice in cinema and his passion took him to Romania, where he and his brother Anton Groves and other filmmakers founded the Studioset production company. Together they have over the years told stories through commercials, music videos and films, winning a selection of international awards including at the Cannes Film Festival and London BFI. His latest short animated film, Opinci, won the grand prize at the Clermont Ferrand International Film Festival in 2020.

grovesbrothers.com