Detours

In 2024, Jesualdo wrote, illustrated, and produced his debut animated short, 50 Kwanzas. The film made history as the first Angolan production to be screened and awarded at the Paris International Animation Film Festival (PIAFF), where it won prizes for Best Soundtrack and “Importance of the Message”. His work has since been recognized globally, earning an Honorable Mention at the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival, a Special Jury Prize at Cine Minhocão in Brazil and recently the “Best Short Film” award at Short Cutz Luanda.

Beyond cinema, Jesualdo’s creative reach spans across graphic design and fine arts. He designed the national kits for the Angolan National Football Team used in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and was a winner in the National Bank of Angola’s contest for the 20th Anniversary of Peace commemorative coin.

Through his studio, Mwiloo, he continues to explore urban narratives using a signature “mixed-media” approach—painting over real photography—to bridge the gap between the rawness of reality and the boundlessness of imagination.

Aiana Baimuratova, Alina Alybekova, Fatima Chorobekova, Rosita Keneshova, Alisa Tyan, Sayazhan Ispolganova & Dariya Murzulukova are teenagers living in Kyrgyzstan.

Olha Cherpak was born in 2003 in Kyiv, Ukraine. At the age of 12, she moved to Poland with her family.

Since 2021, she has been studying Animated Film and Special Effects at the Polish National Film School in Lodz.

In her work, she enjoys making visual references to analog techniques and draws significant inspiration from real life.

Antanas Skučas is a film director and data artist teaching at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. His films have won “Silver Crane” awards, are broadcast on ARTE television, and travel to international festivals. He is the founder of the film production company Tylus kinas. He works with new media, XR, VR, AR, and artificial intelligence technologies.

Julius Zubavičius obtained a Multimedia Director BA degree. In 2011, Julius moved to London to further his film sound designer career, where he continues to live and work. Julius has been working on more than 30 film projects as a sound designer, recordist, and composer.

Independent animation filmmaker. Her short films have been selected at numerous festivals around the world, including Locarno, Annecy, Clermont Ferrand, Warsaw, PÖFF, Zinebi. She is currently working on her first feature film, MY DAD THE TRUCK, supported by the Hubert Bals Fund, and the Colombian Film Fund FDC.

Tung Pham is a Vietnam-based animation director and visual artist working across animation, illustration, and design. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Multimedia Design from RMIT University Vietnam and a Master of Arts in Animation from the University of the West of England, Bristol. With a background spanning television, advertising, and independent animation, Tung’s work is driven by a personal approach to visual storytelling, often drawing from memory, place, and intimate human relationships. His practice focuses on hand-drawn imagery and mood-driven narratives that explore absence, waiting, and the emotional weight of everyday moments.

Siera Deshishku is a 2D animation filmmaker from Kosovo, recently graduated from Leeds Arts University. She focuses on socially driven narratives told through mixed media and has received multiple awards for her work, including Best Animation at the Kodak Nahemi Awards 2024 and a Craft Award for 1 ROOM at the RTS Student Awards.

Siera is passionately working towards becoming a filmmaker who tells stories that live beyond the screen. She is not limited by technique, but rather embraces diverse artistic approaches for the power they bring to storytelling.

Sameh Alaa is an Egyptian director and producer based between Cairo and Brussels. His first short film, Fifteen, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and won several international awards. His second short film, I Am Afraid to Forget Your Face, became the first Egyptian film to win the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival in 2020. The film screened at major international festivals including San Sebastián, Clermont-Ferrand, Palm Springs, and Busan, and was later featured at the Museum of Modern Art. His work has been broadcast on Canal+, ARTE, and Shahid. His first animated short, S the Wolf premiered at SXSW in 2025. He is currently developing his first feature film, When I Close My Eyes, I See Yours, developed at the Cinéfondation Residency and Ikusmira Berriak.

After an arts degree and two years of preparatory class at the Atelier de Sèvre, Robin Vouters started working in animation having directed a few commissioned films and music videos. Today, he is opening up to new art forms in order to enrich its personal culture, all the while still directing films. He is also planning on opening a hybrid location dedicated to arts, culture, and wellness.

Born 1981, Beirut, Lebanon. He started drawing at an early age, maybe even earlier.

After years of drawing on school books, he studied graphic design at the Lebanese American University, but maintained a zeal for cartooning and animation.

Since then he has worked in the animation department of Future Television, Beirut, while doing freelance illustration and children’s books.

In 2009 he completed an MA in animation at Kingston university, London.

In 2012 he received the “Kitabi” prize for arab children’s literature and in 2016 he received the Mahmoud Kahil award for best illustrator in the arab world.

He taught animation and illustration at the Lebanese American University.

His list of clients includes Cartoon Network Arabia, Netflix and The New York Times. His short films have been shown in various festivals around the world (UK, Italy, Brazil, Russia etc…)

In 2026 he completed his short film Bisou Sauvage with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

He now spends his time deriving pleasure out of the act of drawing and hopes to continue doing so for the rest of his life. He is now in Toronto, Canada seeking new ventures.