16h00 | Centro Multimeios - Sala PolivalenteFORMAnimada is an event open to anyone interested in the intersection between animated cinema and education, and who wants to use animated cinema as a pedagogical and artistic tool, either now or in the future.
This meeting, part of the 49th International Animation Film Festival – CINANIMA 2025, will be an opportunity to share methodologies, strategies and knowledge accumulated over the years on practices carried out in formal and informal educational contexts, with animated cinema as the backdrop. Starting from a FRAME of a film made in an educational context, the various guests will reveal the behind-the-scenes of the making of that film. The meeting will take the form of a round table and will feature representatives from various national entities linked to education through animated cinema.
Paulo Oliveira Fernandes was born in Portugal in 1979. He is a primary and secondary school teacher, a teacher trainer, and a textbook author with a master’s degree in visual arts education. When he was younger, he developed a liking for animated films, and when he was a teacher, he realised how educational they might be. He has directed dozens of animated videos for various educational purposes since 2001.
He served on the organising committee for the CINANIMA – Espinho International Animated Film Festival in 2010 and is currently in charge of the FRAME – Ver e fazer Cinema project, which is being co-financed by the ICA – Instituto do Cinema de o Audiovisual as part of the programme to support audience development in schools.
Marina Estela Graça conducts research and experiments on the conditions and processes through which animated images are configured. She has taught at the University of Algarve, in Portugal, and Aalborg University, in Denmark. She was the first Portuguese academic researcher in animation, having created and directed the first higher education course in this field, at the University of Algarve, in 1992. She has made two films and published a book, as well as several international scientific articles.
Theme-phrase: To look around, to know and recognise the world.
Film: The Pencil that didnt know how to write
Synopsis: All for one and one for all, whatever the circumstances.
With a degree in Translation and Interpreting in Modern Languages and thirty years of teaching experience, she finds fulfilment through socio-cultural engagement and active association work. As President of the Association for Cultural Development Palha de Abrantes, she coordinates social action projects and monthly debates on the State of Humankind. Founder of the Escola do Ócio, she has spent three decades developing artistic expression and autonomy activities. Since 2002, she has led the Espalhafitas film club, promoting workshops, film cycles and projects — such as ANIMAIO and Há Cinema na Aldeia — that connect communities, cultures, and generations through the art of cinema.
Theme-phrase: Animated Cinema for a Cause
Film: A Gaze Full of Hope
Synopsis: Somaya is 16 years old and was born in Afghanistan. In 2019, she and her family fled first to Iran, then to Turkey, and finally to Greece. This film portrays her journey across borders and the challenges they had to overcome along the way.
Since 2000, Fausta Pereira has led projects in education, international development, and social impact. A National Geographic Explorer, she introduced animated cinema to refugee camps in Greece and, for this work, received the 2023 Art Explora Prize from the Académie des Beaux-Arts (France). She was head of the education department at the Portugal Telecom Foundation, where she created the programme Communicate Safely, for which she was awarded the National Trophy of the Portuguese Volunteering Association. She founded Playground Films, stop-motion workshops for primary schools in the Alentejo region, with two of the films being distinguished at Cinanima. She is co-founder of Hirundo and author of several works of fiction, the most recent, Sleeping with Lisbon, awarded in Spain with the Antón Risco Prize.
Theme-phrase: Animated films as an element of school integration
Film: The Dream Cake
Synopsis: Unlikely ingredients are mixed together to create a dream cake, where empathy and integration are the goal. A metaphorical film that shows the steps we should take towards migrants, written by students in Year 9D (24/25) at Pedrouços Primary and Secondary School.
Milton Pacheco (1989) graduated in Fine Arts from ESAD.CR and has a master's degree in Photography and Documentary Film from ESMAE. He started out in animated film at Academia RTP as director of photography, set designer and post-producer on the short film Pronto, era assim (2015), by Joana Nogueira and Patrícia Rodrigues. He worked as director of photography on Paul Bush's film Ride (2018). Since 2017, he has been collaborating with the Animais AVPL studio, where he has done a bit of everything in the production of several short films, Entre Sombras (2018) by Alice Eça Guimarães and Mónica Santos, À Tona (2018) by Filipe Abranches, O Teu Nome É (2021) by Paulo Patrício, O Casaco Rosa (2022) by Mónica Santos, Sopa Fria (2022) by Marta Monteiro, Olha (2023) by Nuno Amorim, Três Vírgula Catorze (2024) by Joana Nogueira and Patrícia Rodrigues, Water Girl (2025) by Sandra Desmazières, Porque Hoje é Sábado (2025) by Alice Eça Guimarães, among others.
Patrícia Rodrigues was born in Albufeira and lives in Porto. A director, artist and trainer, she is driven by the tactility of stop-motion. She has a degree in Communication Design and Audiovisual Production from ESART-IPCB and a master's degree in Illustration and Animation from ESD-IPCA.
She co-directed with Joana Nogueira the short films ‘Pronto, era assim’ (2015), episode 7 ‘Ornitorrincos’ of the series ‘Crias’ (2019) and ‘Três Vírgula Catorze’ (2024).He currently collaborates on auteur films and trains young people and adults in the field of animated cinema through the Caixa de Óculos collective, which he co-founded. He also teaches on the Professional Animation Course at the Soares dos Reis Art School.
Theme-phrase: A King who overcomes Admonitions
Film: A Lenda de Abidis
Synopsis: In the ancient land of Santarém, Ulysses, the Greek hero, disembarks and falls in love with the beautiful Portuguese princess Calipo. From this love, a baby is born, Abidis, who is rejected by the king for being a bastard son. Abidis is thrown into the river, where he is taken in by a she-wolf to live in the forest… Will he be able to overcome the dangers of life and ascend to the throne?
Direction: José Tiago Rocha, Sara Manuela Silva, Laura Berta Rocha, Vera Lúcia Oliveira, João Rafael Carvalho, José Eduardo, Márcio Rogério Santos
Narration: Vera Lúcia Oliveira
Beatriz Silva is an animator and illustrator with a degree in Multimedia from ESMAD. Passionate about animation, Beatriz has been practising this art since she was very young. Her first short film, ‘Creature of Habit’, developed at EASR, has been featured in multiple competitions. Focusing on frame-by-frame and stop-motion animation, her work addresses various themes about ordinary people. Her most recent film, ‘Mona Lisas’, has also been featured in several festivals and is currently in post-production. She is currently completing her studies with a Master's degree in Illustration and Animation from IPCA.
Fátima Milheiro, born in Santa Maria de Lamas, 10th child of 13. I lived in Grijó and at the age of 7 my parents moved to Espinho where I studied. I am married, have one child and currently live in Esmoriz. I have a degree in Social Sciences and a minor in Social Work. Professionally, I have been a Special Education Monitor for 38 years at Cerciespinho (Cooperative for the Education and Rehabilitation of Maladjusted Citizens), where I am responsible for ICT activities. In this role, I promote IT activities, always with the aim of helping them acquire skills that will give them equal opportunities, make them feel included and not discriminated against. In addition to this activity, we create small stop motion projects. In terms of continuing education, I seek to keep up to date on disability, technology, animated films, marketing, etc., always with a view to providing quality service to Cerciespinho's clients. Personal interests: I enjoy dancing, physical exercise in general, and being happy.
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