Lea Vučko

OCTOPICS

Lea Vučko, 1991, illustrator by education and animator by profession, has animated on Prince Ki-Ki-do, Weasel, Špela Čadež’s OITNB Netflix commission and Somewhere Else, a contemporary puppet play. She is the co-creator of two site-specific projects that were selected for Animafests’ Animation goes MSU (Petris, Spring Cleaning) and cofounder of OCTOPICS production studio. The Legend of Goldhorn is her debut short film.

Damir Grbanović

OCTOPICS

Damir Grbanović, 1990, graduated in 3D animation at - IAM in Ljubljana with research about CAT system in 3DSMax. In 2013 he studied for a year in Portugal, animation on ESAD Caldas da Rainha. In 2014 he graduated with his short film Happy birthday! and theoretical work about animation rendering with V-Ray at School of arts, university of Nova Gorica. He is a cofounder of production company OCTOPICS.

Nick Cremers

STUDIO MITSI

Nick Cremers is an artist specialized in scripting, directing, editing, and visual effects (VFX). Born in Montfort, the Netherlands, he completed his education at the Film Academy in 2005, focusing on VFX. After relocating from Amsterdam to Hilversum, he started working at various agencies and gradually transitioned into the role of a 3D generalist. As a 3D generalist, Nick is responsible for various tasks, including environment creation, small animations, and commercials. Currently, he works at studio Mitsi while also undertaking VFX work for commercials and short films. However, his true passion lies in working on personal projects, ranging from short films to small VFX experiments and creating whimsical 3D characters. Nick's work is characterized by its dark themes often intertwined with a sense of nostalgia. Alongside the darker tone, he also incorporates a bold and unfiltered sense of humor into his creations. His inspirations stem from the likes of Stephen King and Anton Pieck.

Tim Alards

DIGITAL DONKEY

Tim Alards graduated in Game Art and Design from the Grafisch Lyceum Utrecht in 2014, After which he worked as a 3D Artist for video game company Stolen Couch Games in Hilversum for a year. Since October 2014, Tim has founded the Graphics and animation specialized company DIGITAL DONKEY in Sevenum, The Netherlands. Passionate about design and technology, he equally enjoys developing his drawing skills whether for 2D and as he puts it “IT-ing” with his tools and software to achieve 3D animations . Part animation - part programming, and he is most at home when technology and creativity cross. His 2022 3D animation short Bleh won Best Animated Film at the Limburg Film Festival 2022.

Albert Elings

Albert Elings is an Amsterdam based documentary maker and film editor. He studied at art school St. Joost and at the Netherlands Film Academy and holds a master degree Cultural History (Utrecht University). Many of his films are characterized by a preoccupation with the aesthetics of temporality and follow long-term processes. ‘Hinterland, the road back to Cuey Machar’, (IDFA) follows a former South-Sudanese child soldier for 11 years, A Daily life, (NFF) is a found footage film that visually recounts a family history during half a century, and Foreland (IFFR, Jury Prize Yamagata IFF) tries to capture the essence of time during 7 years on a riverbank in Holland. ‘Nader tot Máxima, the royal wedding tapes’ on the contrary is a film using footage of 120 amateur film makers who all shot during one day in Amsterdam.

He often makes films together with his partner Eugenie Jansen. As a film editor he edited more than forty documentaries. Amongst which are ‘Four Journeys’ by Louis Hothothot (opening film IDFA) and ‘Keeping & Saving, or how to live’ by Digna Sinke (IFFR). Some other films he has been working on include ‘The Day I disappeared’ by Atousa Ghiasabadi (IFFR, best Asian film), ‘Jungle Rudy’ (Golden Calf Best Editing NFF, Rob Smits) and ‘Dinner with the President’ by Sabiha Sumar (Sundance). Besides his filmmaking he acts as a director’s coach for films like ‘Those who feel the fire burning’ (Morgan Knibbe), and ‘A man and a camera’ (Guido Hendrikx). He is giving workshops at the Netherlands Film Academy, the University of Amsterdam, and at several art schools and international film festivals.

Rob O'Brien

Rob O’Brien is a former journalist turned filmmaker based in Amsterdam. With more than 20 years of experience in journalism Rob’s stories have been published in BBC World Service, New York Times, Independent and Global Post. He works as a speechwriter for the European Medicines Agency.

Tineke van Veen

Tineke van Veen made her first experimental film aware about the nuclear landscape! 2014 in Fukushima, Japan. The film illustrates the impact of invisible radioactive contamination and how it has changed the way we view safety, not only as a local but also as a global issue. The film consists of two parts, an experimental impression of the decontamination activities in Fukushima and, in part 2, interviews with the cleaners who explain and reflect on their relationship to this landscape.

Chinh Tran

Chinh Tran is originally from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and is now based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2018, Chinh moved to Europe to obtain her M.A. in screenwriting from the Kinoeyes Erasmus Mundus program. Since then, her work has been selected in various short film festivals and short development schemes in Europe, including Finland, Portugal, and Scotland. In 2019, she was awarded a grant from Germany’s Crossing Borders Foundation to conduct a research trip to Leipzig and Berlin for her mini-series project "Be Happy, Or Else!". In 2022, she participated in the SHIFT Film Pitch Competition with the short project "To The Moon". In 2023, she will be joining the Finnish Saari artist residency to work on her first novella.

Hanna Fleer

Hanna Fleer is a writer, theatre maker, and screenwriter with a focus on posthumanism and technology in storytelling. In 2021, she graduated from HKU with a degree in writing for performance. Since then, she has collaborated with renowned companies such as TG Kwatta, Theater Kwezel, Sanne Vogel, TG Komma, Theater Utrecht, and Schuur Productions. Throughout her career, Hanna has created three short films: 'Delven', 'Doe eens mens’' and 'Een Doodgewone Dag’' She brings her extensive experience and enthusiasm for innovative narrative techniques to both independent writing and theatre productions, as well as educational workshops.

Sando Heijnen

Sando Heijnen is a self-taught filmmaker with a focus on experimental socially engaged fictional work. He started as an actor in theatre and made his transition to film direction during his Media and Culture (film) studies at the University of Amsterdam; for which he currently writes his thesis, exploring anti-capitalism in the oeuvre of Yorgos Lanthimos. Since 2019, he has directed six short films: ‘I Post therefore I am’, ‘Leviticus 18:22’, ‘Oost West’ and the award-winning films: 'Complex,' 'Doe Eens Mens' and 'Een Doodgewone Dag'. During his internship at Lemming Film, Sando acquired professional production skills and insights.

Gillian Graven

As a Dutch/Scottish presenter/moderator, stand-up comedian and filmmaker, Gillian Graven thrives on learning new things and being challenged. Her passion for storytelling and her love for both science and social justice are reflected in her work. Whether she is presenting or moderating an event, writing a screenplay, or performing stand-up comedy, she brings her unique perspective, critical thinking, creativity, and empathy to everything she does. She believes that the key to great storytelling is connecting with the audience on an emotional level, and she strives to achieve that with every project.

Lena Lapschina

Lena Lapschina is a visual artist and filmmaker known for monumental multi-channel video installations which she performs in museums and at filmfestivals alike. Apart from turning alpine stuff into film, sculptures and murals, Lena loves the mountains first and foremost for sunbathing and extended sessions of cross-country skiing. She even developed a new discipline called rooftop skiing, because the steeper the hill, the bigger the fun. As a visual artist, Lena Lapschina has been exhibited at leading institutions, like Kunsthaus Zürich, Museum der Moderne Salzburg, Landesgalerie Niederösterreich, Kunsthalle Wien, Steirischer Herbst, Kunsthal KAdE Amersfoort, Kulturens Hus Luleå, Museo Municipal Tecleño, Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art Richmond, FLACC, MAK, OK, among others. She has won the Austrian State Grant for Video and Media Art.

Coen Leuven

Coen Leuven, a passionate storyteller who wields both cameras and musical instruments with finesse. Currently residing in Heerlen, this Dutch filmmaker is committed to capturing the best imagery possible. Coen's approach emphasizes authenticity, favoring in-camera photography over digital manipulation. Whether through photos or film, he strives for a 'real' feel, minimizing post-production effects and embracing the magic of the moment. While Coen primarily works with digital filming due to budget constraints, his philosophy remains the same—crafting the desired image on set, without relying on post-production fixes.

Holger Wimmer

Holger Wimmer is a filmmaker from Germany. He has worked on various films and projects. He works for Pinecone films. Pinecone Films is a collective born and raised in the Black Forest and now based in Berlin and Freiburg. We have a deep connection to outdoor, nature and sports. Holger and David Schultheiß, the other owner of Pinecone films, love tricky tasks and use creativity to overcome obstacles. No matter if it’s architecture, cars or studio shoots. These projects are just as special, beauty is everywhere and we can reveal it.