International and Ukrainian competition

Ülo Pikkov is an internationally renowned filmmaker, producer and film scholar. Pikkov studied animation at the Turku Arts Academy in Finland and since 1996 has directed several award-winning animation films (“Empty Space”, “Tik-Tak”, “Body Memory”, “The End”, “Dialogos”). He has published articles on film and written fiction books for children and adults. In 2005 he graduated from the Institute of Law in University of Tartu, focusing on the media and author’s rights. Pikkov is the author of “Animasophy, Theoretical Writings on the Animated Film” (2011). For 10 years Pikkov was the associate professor of the Animation Department in the Estonian Academy of Arts supporting new talents in the Estonian animation scene. Currently Pikkov is completing his doctoral studies at the Estonian Academy of Arts.

International and Ukrainian competition

Mauro Carraro was born in the North-East of Italy in 1984. After studying engraving, photography and graphic design at the Polytechnic University of Milan he continued his academic path in France. In 2010 he graduated from the renowned Supinfocom Arles where he studied CG animation. He now lives in Geneva, Switzerland, where he works at Nadasdy Film studio.

His first professional animated short film “Hasta Santiago” was awarded as the Best Debut Film at Annecy Festival in 2014 and received over two dozens of awards worldwide. With his individual technique already distinctive in his early works Mauro contributed to the award-winning full-length animated film «Approved for Adoption» (2012) as compositing supervisor.

His latest six-minute short “Aubade” prior to its release in 2014 won the project pitch at the Annecy Festival. It has been collecting awards and had over 150 selections at various festivals around the world.

Mauro has been jury member at a number of film festivals including Krok International Film Festival, the Warsaw Film Festival and was part of international jury at the Seoul Best of the Best Animation Festival.

Since 2014 his masterclas "Sensible 3d" and his workskshop "How to open your 3D eyes" were held at more then 10 different schools and festivals such as Korans Wolf  Universityin Berlin, IED Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan and Vilnius Academy of Arts in Vilnius.

International and Ukrainian Competition

Andrew AJ — stop motion animator, co-founder of Happy Hippie Lab studio that creates “magic” with character animation. He has already used such stop motion innovations as 3D printing of faces, motion control systems and ball and socket armatures. Together with Happy Hippie Lab team they make puppets, build sets and turn it all into a world of stop motion animation. They created magic for “Fedoriv”, Korogodsky, “Planeta Kino”, “Premier Palace Hotel, “Ikigai”.

Commissioned Films Competition

Yuriy Motrych has 15 years of experience in advertising as a designer, art director, and creative director of such international agencies as Adventa Lowe Lintas & Partners, D'Arcy (DMB & B, Promotion Technologies (Publicis Group), and AVA Brain Factory (Publicis Group). The works created during that period for different clients received awards at numerous advertising festivals: Kyiv International Advertising Festival, Golden Drum, Golden Hammer, Red Apple, Idea !, EuroLine, and Kakadu Awards. Since 2010, Yuriy has been a permanent member of Ukrainian branch in the European club of art directors, ADC*UA. While still an art director, he became keen for animation and in 2007 opened his first animation studio CocaMoca. Since 2010, he is the founder and director at Mokastdio animation studio.

Commissioned Films Competition

Sashko Danylenko is an independent Ukrainian filmmaker and animator from Kharkiv region. He directed many animated music videos, including those for DakhaBrakha, TNMK, Kwoon, and others. Sashko combines folk and contemporary styles, nature and digital in his works. He creates magical worlds with colourful characters and extraordinary allegories. Currently based in New York, Sashko teaches animation and works on animadoc projects for TED, The School of Life, Ukrainian Institute of America, etc. Many films by Sashko Danylenko went viral on the web; a lot of them were part of international film festivals.

Commissioned Films Competition

Denys Keleberdenko is a creative director at BBDO Ukraine, three times awarded as the most creative agency in Ukraine. He has 13 years of experience both in copyrighting and in art directing, which delivers an explosive mix of good taste and audacious voice. Owner of a heap of awards in package design, identica, and other communications, including Epica, Golden Drum, ADC*UA, and ADCE.