Artist Talks
Meet the Filmmakers
OIAF Artistic Director Chris Robinson moderates a revealing, moderately amusing, and occasionally silly open forum that connects audiences and filmmakers, and allows for deeper insight into the creative thinking behind some of your favourite Festival films.
Short Film Competition 1
Thursday, September 24, 9:30 am
Arts Court Theatre
Attending filmmakers
Honami Yano, Eri (Japan)
Kyle Brooks, Fit Check (United States)
Zachary Margolis, How to Walk, A Guide for Fun and Profit (United States)
Diane Obomsawin, Je ne t’aime plus (I Don’t Love You Anymore) (Canada)
Skip Battaglia, Local Squalls (United States)
Short Film Competition 2
Friday, September 25, 9:30 am
Arts Court Theatre
Attending filmmakers:
Mamuka Tkeshelashvili, როცა ზღვა იყო მშვიდი (When The Sea Was Calm) (Georgia)
Jordan Minkoff, Mad Barrowsky ft. Joseph Shabason ‘It Didn’t Really Matter’ (Canada)
Kyle Brooks, XYZ (United States)
Sara Priorelli, My Good Boy (Italy)
Gina Kamentsky, Roll over and Play Dead (United States)
Short Film Competition 3
Saturday, September 26, 9:30 am
Arts Court Theatre
Attending filmmakers:
Winston Hacking, Action Bog (Canada)
Zsuzsanna Kreif, Adgwa-ata (Hungary, France)
Christopher and Daniel Rutledge, Street Race (United States)
Short Film Competition 4
Saturday, September 26, 11:00 am
Arts Court Theatre
Attending Filmmakers
Laurence Thérien, Ball Face (Canada)
Joe Hsieh, Praying Mantis (Taiwan, Hong Kong)
Romy Côté, Barber for the Queen ‘My Hang Up’ (Canada)
Sarina Nihei, Five Orphans (France, Japan, Germany)
Nathan Jurevicius, BLON ‘2025 Teaser’ (Lithuania, Canada)
Stella Chen, Bootstrapping for the Boobied (United States)
Stacey Steers, The Stars Watch From Long Ago (United States)
Short Film Competition 5
Sunday, September 27, 9:30 am
Attending filmmakers:
Eleni Aerts, Cold Bathroom (Belgium, Switzerland)
Conor Kehelly, A Pint of Bitter (Ireland)
Peter Millard, yellow orange green blue red cut (United Kingdom)
Ivan Li, Jelly Baddies (Canada)
OIAF Indie Talks
New Way, New World: Connecting Japanese Animators to the World
Sunday, September 27, 2025, 11:00 am
Arts Court Theatre
New Way, New World: Connecting Japanese Animators to the World (NeW NeW) is a pioneering initiative by the Agency for Cultural Affairs (Japan), the Japan Arts Council, and the CG-ARTS association that empowers Japanese animation creators on the global stage. By fostering international connections and providing access to premier animation festivals, NeW NeW helps filmmakers build collaborative partnerships.The program has previously supported creators including Honami Yano and Sarina Nihei, both selected for this year’s OIAF competition, and Sumito Sakakibara, whose work is featured in a retrospective.
In this special program, we are delighted to welcome world-renowned artist Sawako Kabuki (Anal Juke, Don’t Tell Mom, and 2020 Vimeo Staff Pick Award winner Southpaw) to explore the creative process behind her work. Additionally, Shinobu Soejima, Masa Kudo, and Shohei Ohmae—creators currently supported by NeW NeW—will join the conversation to discuss their recent activities and projects in development.
Guest Speakers:
Sawako Kabuki
Shinobu Soejima
Masa Kudo
Shohei Ohmae
Animation Exposé Artist Talks
Saturday, September 26, 2026
National Arts Centre: O’Born Room (Terrace Level)
Get the ultimate animation experience at Animation Exposé! Meet the wizards behind the curtain at the Artist Talk Series, showcasing artists from your favourite projects, including never-before-seen surprises and tips on a career in animation!
Entry to the Exhibitor Fair is free and open to the public. A ticket or AnimaPass is required to enter Artist Talks at Animation Exposé.