COMPETITION

The animation director and producer Georges Schwizgebel (1944) has created a remarkably original body of work. His films-whose technical execution is always masterful-are marked by a playful approach to narrative, spectacular formalism and the intermingling of visuals and music. His first film, The Flyght of Icarus (1974) begins a career that currently numbers 22 films, which have gone to win numerous awards at prestigious international festivals (such as Cannes, Berlin, Chicago, Locarno, Hiroshima, Stuttgart and Ottawa. The Ride to the Abyss (1992) is regularly cited as one of the finest animated films of all time. In 2017 Georges Schwizgebel receives the Honorary Cristal of Annecy festival, in 2018 the Swiss film award of Honor, and becomes a member of the Oscar’s academy, in 2019 he was appointed officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (France) and receives the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Zagreb Animafest 2020, and get the Grand Prix in HAS 2022 with Darwin’s Notebook.

Elizabeth Hobbs is an award-winning animated filmmaker based in London, UK. Her films are often based on moments from history or from literary adaptations, and they are created using traditional techniques under a rostrum camera. In the production of her films she uses paint and ink on paper as well as relief print on 35mm film, butterfly prints, a typewriter and paint on a bathroom tile. The experimental techniques are used in conjunction with traditional narratives and humour is an important aspect of her work. She has worked with production company Animate Projects for many years, and her films have travelled widely to international film festivals and won many awards. I’m OK was nominated for a BAFTA in 2019, and in 2022, The Debutante won 15 awards and was shortlisted for an Academy Award. Elizabeth is Senior Tutor at The National Film & Television School and Associate Lecturer at London College of Communication.
www.lizzyhobbs.com/

Cinematic Arts at Effat University in Saudi Arabia. In addition to his academic role, he serves as the Vice President of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA. He founded its first chapter in Africa and the Arab world.
He has served as a jury member for various international Film and animation festivals, including Zagreb (Croatia 2023), Annecy (France 2021), Manchester (UK 2023), Stuttgart (Germany 2011), Castelli Animati (Italy 2009), SICAF (Korea 2013), Kecskemét (Hungary 2019) Animanima (Serbia 2009), AnimaAfrik (Ghana 2009), ReAnimania (Armenia 2010), Animae Caribe (Trinidad & Tobago 2007), Minsk (Belarus 2022) AnimaBasauri (Spain 2008), Xiamen (China 2023) Chilemonos (Chile 2012), Zanzibar Film Festival (Tanzania 2019) Madagascourt (Madagascar 2023) besides many other festivals globally.
As a visiting lecturer, he has imparted his knowledge and expertise to several fine arts and Film schools, such as Jilin Animation Institute (China), Cologne’s Academy of Media Arts (KHM- Germany), NAFTI (Ghana), Durban Art & Animation Centre (South Africa), and Antioquia University (Colombia).
Ghazala has directed and co-directed numerous award-winning films, including “Carnival” (2001), “Crazy Works” (2002), “HM HM” (2005), and “Sayari Yetu ” (2006), as well as the first Yemeni animated film, “Salma” (2006). “Honyan’s Shoe” (2009), which won the Animation Prize at The African Movie Academy Awards in Nigeria in 2010. At the Red Sea International Film Festival, his recent film “The Pyramid​” received its world premiere and was later nominated for AMAA 2021. It won the top animation award at the Egyptian National Film Festival 2022, among other international awards and recognitions.
In 2011, his first book, “Animation in the Arab World“, was published in Germany. His second book, “Animation in Africa​“, was initially published in Egypt in 2013 and republished in 2021. In addition, he has contributed chapters to essential references such as “Animation, World History” (2016) and “Animation in the Middle East. “

Director of the Etiuda&Anima International Film Festival (Krakow, Poland) A graduate of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. In 2004–2006 she was the director of the Rotunda Film Discussion Club and was responsible for programming the Cinema's film repertoire. Since 2002 she has been working on the organization of Etiuda&Anima International Film Festival and other cultural and film events. For many years she participated in the selection of animations submitted to competitions. She is currently the Director of the Etiuda&Anima International Film Festival and Curator of many film projects on a national scale and internationally. She has been the curator of the Polish School of Animation project since 2011 - the project has been presented in 42 countries in Europe, North, South and Central America and Asia, including Korea, Mexico, Brazil, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Italy, Japan, China and France. Since 2024 she is the programmer of the CREATIVE LAB E&A project dedicated to animation, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and various arts from the borderland.

Beyond C.・STUDIO4℃ President and CEO. Graduated from Aoyama Gakuin University. After working as a producer on TV series such as “Alice in Wonderland”, she served as line producer for Studio Ghibli’s “My Neighbor Totoro” (1988) and “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (1989) before founding STUDIO4℃. Produced diverse visual works including theatrical films such as “MEMORIES” (1995), “Mind Game” (2004), “Tekkonkinkreet” (2006), “Berserk: The Golden Age Arc” trilogy (2012-2013), and “Children of the Sea” (2019), as well as short films, music videos, commercials, and international co-productions. STUDIO4℃‘s latest work, “ChaO”, won the Jury Prize at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. She maintains a creator-focused approach, continually challenging himself with ambitious projects that pursue distinctive visual expression. In 2026, “ALL YOU NEED IS KILL” was released in theaters on January 9th and “Poupelle of Chimney Town: The Clock Tower of Promise” will be released on March 27th.