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.

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 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 Market, 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).

Michaela Mihalyi was born in Michalovce, eastern Slovakia, in 1991, the year of Nirvana's Nevermind. She studied animation at both the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava and FAMU in Prague. During her studies, she created several extremely short films of various genres and animation techniques. Her most recent film, SH_ T HAPPENS, which she co-directed with David Štumpf, premiered at the 76th Venice Film Festival in the Orizzonti short film category. Since its premiere, it has been screened at several international film festivals, including Sundance, Clermont-Ferrand, and Palm Springs. She is currently working on her next short animated film, Period Drama, which is inspired by menstruation. She makes a living as an occasional illustrator, animation director, and vintage clothing up-cycler. She has a dog named Berta and enjoys films, coffee and beer equally.

Anastasiya Verlinska has worked as a project manager for one of the biggest Eastern European film companies, FILM.UA Group, implementing projects to promote both film and animation in Ukraine. In 2014, she joined the team of the LINOLEUM animation festival as a program coordinator, and in 2016, she became its director. Apart from the festival, Anastasiya organizes screenings of both international and Ukrainian animation, as well as educational projects that help develop the local animation industry. She also works as an expert at the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, the Ukrainian State Film Agency as well as part of the RES-POL (The Rapid Expert Support for Culture and Media Policies in Ukraine) project expert group.

Chris Robinson is a writer, author, and the Artistic Director of the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), where he has shaped the festival’s vision since 1991. A leading voice in animation, he has received numerous honors, including the Animafest Zagreb Award for Outstanding Contribution to Animation Studies (2020) and the Prix René Jodoin (2022) for his impact on Canadian animation.

Widely regarded as “one of the most stylistically original and provocative experts in the history of animation,” Robinson has authored over 15 books, including Animation Pimp (2007), Ballad of a Thin Man: In Search of Ryan Larkin (2008), Animators Unearthed (2010),  Earmarked for Collision: A Highly Biased Tour of Collage Animation(2022), and Dreaming a way (of) Life: The Films of Lewis Klahr (2025). His writing blends criticism, memoir, and cultural analysis, making him one of animation’s most distinctive and engaging voices.

Beyond his work as a critic and historian, Robinson co-wrote the award-winning animated short Lipsett Diaries (2010), directed by Theodore Ushev, and wrote the script for Ushev’s upcoming feature, Idling. He is currently working on Raw Outrage: The Films of Phil Mulloy, set for release in Fall 2025.

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.

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