Presentation of the particularities, challenges and approaches to produce animation for Virtual Reality, using the Lúcido project as a case study.
Vier Nev is a Portuguese multidisciplinary artist. Vier studied Multimedia at School of Media Arts and Design, and VR at London College of Communication, in the University of the Arts, London.
Director and animator of the award-winning short film A Mãe de Sangue/ A Mind Sang (2019), the Augmented Reality exhibition A Terra é Tela; the VR experience Dar Cria; the upcoming short film A Dança dos Fanchonos and VR experience Lúcido. He as also participated in the development of the short films L’ombre des papillons (Compositing), Herbe Verte (Compositing) and Ice Merchants (Special Effects). He taught Multimedia, AR and VR at School of Media Arts and Design.
The history of animation in Ireland is unique. In this masterclass Steve Woods will explain how Ireland went from a very small ‘cottage’ industry to be a ‘go- to’ country producing high-end world class animation.
The importance state funding, education, plus the heavy involvement of three American animation studios, which migrated in the mid-1980s to Dublin, all helped this success story.
Illustrated by artwork and clips from classic Irish animations, the talk will conclude however, that real reason why Irish animators have created a wonderful animation industry is because they simply love animation.
Steve Woods has worked in film, since 1988. His award-winning work encompasses animations, documentaries, dance films and experimental films.
As a founder member of The Galway Film Fleadh, Steve initiated the first animation competition in Ireland. He programmed the Irish animation showcase at the Annecy International Animation Festival, in 2012, when Ireland was the guest nation. In 2023, he was awarded the Murakami award at Dingle Animation for his contribution to the Irish animation industry. He wrote Drawing the Line the first book about Irish animation, published in 2024.
Steve teaches Experimental Animation at the National Film School in IADT, Ireland. In 2006 he was a guest at CINANIMA introducing a programme of student work from IADT. He is on the board of Screen Directors Guild Ireland where he established an animation subcommittee called Animation Alliance.
Kaspar Jancis workshop is based on the boardgame he designed. It’s for people who like to play with words and who are interested in unconventional narratives.
The participants will join to a fun experience with the game, learn few tricks how to move story forward and how to play around with elements and characters.
Kaspar Jancis is an animation film director, composer and set designer. Lately, he has been also designing electric vehicles, painting, and inventing board games. Multitalented creator has made over 10 animations, since 2003, when he debuted with 2D animation Weitzenberg street.
Many shorts and one feature Captain Morten and the Spider Queen followed during more than 20 years of work in animation. He has been repeatedly selected into the competition of biggest animation festivals, and won multiple awards including Cartoon d,Or that he won with his film Crocodile.
His films are humorous, absurd approach to serious topics. Playful storytelling and distinctive design make his films one of their kind to be enjoyed all over the world.
Join Niccolò Gioia on an inspiring journey through his unique career starting from his early days as a YouTuber to becoming a professional animator.
Niccolò will show how the skills he developed on YouTube, from storytelling to technical animation, translated into real-world opportunities in the animation industry. This masterclass is perfect for young aspiring animators and content creators, offering insights into how you can turn your passion into a viable career path.
Niccolò Gioia is a director and animator who gained millions of views on YouTube with his stop-motion animations on the Lumaken Studio channel.
After studying Cinema and Media Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Turin and completing the Stop Motion 2 course at the Aardman Academy, he now works as Head of Animation, Story Artist, and Director at Robin Studio, contributing as a stop-motion animator on various short films in collaboration with COLA Animation and Fantasmagorie Studio.
In this masterclass, Adriana Andrade will share her journey into the world of animation, throughout her academic career and directing short films.
Through her first co-directed short Bursting at The Seams, we reflect on her creative process, how to create personal narratives and the various stages of production.
A behind-the-scenes look at her work, highlighting teamwork, the role of animation as a form of personal expression, and finding an artistic voice.
Adriana Andrade is a young director and animator, based in Lisbon. Studied at EPI-Escola Profissional de Imagem in the 2D/3D Animation course.
Then, she enrolled in the Digital Animation BA in Universidade Lusófona, where she co-directs her first short film Bursting at The Seams, exploring for the first time her love for mix-media and irreverent materials, like fabric, beads and knick-knacks. The short was awarded in festivals like CINANIMA and Prémios Sophia Estudante.
In the last year of the BA, she co-directs the shorts The Old Man and the Lighthouse and I’ve Already Been Here.
This presentation explores the ecological dimensions of animated cinema, through the works of Norman McLaren and Phidias. McLaren’s emphasis on “what happens between images” resonates with ecological thinking focused on interdependence.
Similarly, Phidias’s Parthenon frieze interweaves figures in a manner reminiscent of keyframes, reflecting a holistic—rather than anthropocentric—worldview, one that aligns with contemporary ecological thought.
Born in Greece, Georges Sifianos is a filmmaker, doctor of philosophy, and emeritus professor at EnsAD, where he created the animated film curriculum, in 1995. As an aesthetics specialist, he currently focuses his research on the forms of animation he has identified on the Parthenon frieze.
Author of Aesthetics of Animated Cinema, awarded best academic book, in 2014, he has received numerous awards for his films and has just been awarded the Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Animation Studies at Animafest Zagreb (2025).
The masterclass will explore the 2D image as a powerful narrative tool in animated film. Through examples and personal insights, the masterclass will delve into how visual aesthetics—composition, style, color and texture—can shape storytelling and emotional impact in animation.
uca Tóth is an award-winning animation director and illustrator, born in 1989. She studied animation at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest. After receiving her BA diploma, she went on studying in London at Royal College of Art for her Master’s degree. Her graduation film The Age of Curious won the Jury Distinction Prize, at Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
After studying and working in the UK, Luca moved back to Budapest, where she made her first independent short animation Superbia, which premiered at Critics’ Week, in Cannes, 2016, and got selected into more than 80 international festivals. Her latest independent short film Mr. Mare debuted at Berlinale, in 2019.
Storyboarding and planning animation projects directly in Virtual Reality.
Participants will have the opportunity to experiment with drawing methods in
Virtual Reality and sketch three-dimensional worlds for animation projects.
Vier Nev is a Portuguese multidisciplinary artist. Vier studied Multimedia at School of Media Arts and Design, and VR at London College of Communication, in the University of the Arts, London.
Director and animator of the award-winning short film A Mãe de Sangue/ A Mind Sang (2019), the Augmented Reality exhibition A Terra é Tela; the VR experience Dar Cria; the upcoming short film A Dança dos Fanchonos and VR experience Lúcido. He as also participated in the development of the short films L’ombre des papillons (Compositing), Herbe Verte (Compositing) and Ice Merchants (Special Effects). He taught Multimedia, AR and VR at School of Media Arts and Design.
What happens when we turn actual events into fiction?
I fell in love with the strange story of Titina, an uncanny polar traveler in an airship and decided to use her as my main character and hero in my story. By mixing real documentary footage with animation, my goal was to tell a story about small feelings in a grand and empty landscape.
Titina is based on a true story, or as I like to say; a «trueish story». It is not always easy to decide. Is it possible to treat history fair in animation? Is it a goal, or is it a director’s privilege to make her own interpretation?
She has been writing and directing animated short films, animated documentaries, music videos and commissioned films for Mikrofilm, for almost 30 years. Her short films have been shown at prestigious festivals such as Clermont-Ferrand, Annecy and Tribeca. Kajsa is known for exploring and experimenting with animation techniques and stretching genres. She often uses real-life events and stories as a starting point. She works mainly with classical animation and other 2D techniques.
Her dozen credits include It Was Mine (2015), It’s Up To You (2013), Deconstruction Workers (2008), Leonid Shower (2004) and Mother Said (1999). Her first animated feature film, Titina, was released in 2022.
Kajsa founded the Oscar winning studio Mikrofilm together with producer Lise Fearnley, in 1996.
In this masterclass, acclaimed animation film director and illustrator Lucija Mrzljak explores the art of storytelling through her creative process.
Focusing on the interplay between image, sound, and timing, she reveals how visual language, rhythm and composition shape narrative and emotion. Through examples from her own work, participants gain insight into the creative process and learn how audiovisual elements can powerfully convey stories without relying on words.
Lucija Mrzljak is an animation director and illustrator based in Tallinn, Estonia. She studied animation at esteemed art academies in Zagreb, Krakow, Prague, and Tallinn, completing her MA under Priit and Olga Pärn at the Estonian Academy of Arts. Her student films, Shuma and Corner (2016), gained festival attention. She has co-directed short films with Estonian director Morten Tšinakov, including A Demonstration of Brilliance in Four Acts (2018) and The Stork (2020), both awarded at numerous international festivals. Their latest short, Eeva (2022), premiered at Berlinale 2023, was shortlisted for the 2024 Academy Awards, won over 30 awards globally, and received the Emile Award for Best Visual Design.
In addition to her film work, Lucija directed animated music videos for Glen Hansard (The Closing Door, 2019) and Mari Kalkun (Maaimä, 2024). Lucija is also an accomplished illustrator, her work spans political satire, poetic children’s books, and poster design. Since 2019, she has taught at the Estonian Academy of Arts and has been a visiting lecturer at institutions including Aalto University in Helsinki, Turku Arts Academy, Lusófona University in Lisbon, and Aichi University of the Arts in Japan.
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