Stephen Irwin is a British animation director and writer. His films have won multiple awards and been screened at over 100 international film festivals, including three times in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2024, WORLD TO ROAM was one of six films longlisted in the British Short Animation category at the BAFTA Film Awards.

His films have been broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK and Canal+ Spain, and he has received commissions and grants from the BBC, UK Film Council/Film London, Animate Projects/Arts Council England, Channel 4, Rooftop Films, and the BFI. In 2018 he wrote his first feature length screenplay with support from Creative England and the BFI NET.WORK through their Emerging Talent Fund. He is an alumnus of Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

Awards include: the Grand Prize at the Ottawa International Animation Festival for MOXIE, and the Silver Dragon at the Krakow Film Festival for THE OBVIOUS CHILD (both Oscar qualifying). THE BLACK DOG'S PROGRESS was awarded Best Short Film at the British Animation Awards. WOOD CHILD & HIDDEN FOREST MOTHER won the Grand Prize at the New Chitose International Animation Festival, as well as both the Best of the Fest and Best UK Film at the London International Animation Festival.

Marilou Ise Haeck has always been fascinated by nature, it's beauty and it's overwhelming violence. After three years of studying 2D animation at the Cégep du Vieux Montréal, she presents her first story to the public: a bloody and dreamlike tale called Under the Canopy.

Hisham Hajir, born in 1992 in El Paso, Texas, is a distinguished Arab & Latino filmmaker with a career spanning over 15 years. His journey in the film industry began in 2009, transitioning from theater to a supporting role in a feature film. This initial foray into acting soon expanded as he delved into various facets of film production and post-production.

Hisham's diverse skills quickly garnered attention, leading him to produce and edit projects for prominent companies such as Amazon, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group. His academic pursuits paralleled his burgeoning film career, culminating in 2017 with dual bachelor's degrees in psychology & digital filmmaking from New Mexico State University, where he graduated with honors.

Currently, Hisham is a sought-after freelance video editor, crafting engaging content for social media giants like the Daily Wire, America's Funniest Home Videos, and College Humor. Despite his professional commitments, he continues to pursue his passion for storytelling through Midnight Green Films, his personal production banner. Under this banner, Hisham has written, produced, and directed multiple award-winning short films, showcasing his unique vision and dedication to the craft.

Brazil-based director

My name is Katherine Jackson - Katie for short – and I was born and raised in Wellington, New Zealand. Movies have been a part of my life since I can remember. I grew up on film sets, with both parents working in the industry. It was there, on set, amidst the noise and chaos and boundless creativity, that I discovered my own passion for filmmaking. Coming from a small city, at the bottom of the world, the ability to express yourself, to be able to tell your own stories, has always been an imperative for me.

As I grew up I would make my own movies with friends at school. This is where I learnt that filmmaking is a collaborative process, even on the smallest scale. My first job following high school was selling tickets in a movie theatre. I got to watch how people experienced films – the good and the bad. Throughout this time I was writing and playing around with developing my own stories. A few years after that I was offered the chance to shoot behind-the-scenes on the feature films Ghost in The Shell and Mortal Engines. I was able to spend time chronicling different departments, observing everything from costume to production design, camera and sound, to the endlessly busy assistant directors – all of them working together to fulfil the director’s vision.

The experience of writing, directing and editing my own first short film has been transformative. It has taught me how much intense focus and hard work is needed to create even a few fleeting moments on screen. It has also confirmed for me this is what I want to do with the rest of my life. Film is, by definition, intensely personal and yet, when it works – the experience is universal. It is inherently an emotional medium but it must also engage in ideas. You have to have something to say and you need to know why you want to say it.