Jie Liou is a visual director and new media artist, and the founder of FPA (Floating Point Art). His work spans across visual concept design and motion graphics, continuously exploring new ways to merge sound and image through audiovisual expression. His creative practice often reflects on the philosophical and symbolic dimensions embedded within moving images.
Founded by Jie Liou in 2022, FPA builds on a foundation of 3D visual design and motion graphics, expanding into creative direction, sound art, and interdisciplinary collaborations that explore new languages of digital storytelling. We served as motion design lead for the 35th Golden Melody Awards, and have worked with brands including YSL, Porsche, BMW, Gogoro, ASUS, and MSI. Our work also spans landmark projects such as motion design for the Taiwan Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, the sustainability-themed film "A Trail to Zero" for Giant Group, and the immersive light art installation "Light UP" at Four Four South Village.
In 2024, we launched SYNZR, a platform focused on new media art and audiovisual performance, emphasizing artistic experimentation and technological integration. Co-founded with artist Ping Sheng Wu, SYNZR was selected for the Arts NOVA program at the National Taichung Theater, where it premiered its first work, "The Boundary of Sense", presenting an immersive audiovisual experience that explores spatial perception through light and sound.

Hugo Huang (Animation Director) Born into a family of traditional Taiwanese dough figurine artisans, Hugo Huang is dedicated to bringing Taiwanese culture and stop-motion animation to the global stage—delivering beauty that resonates deeply. 

Where Am I Going? received the Best Animated Short Film at the Golden Horse Awards.

Graduated from the Graduate Institute of Design at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, the director gained early international recognition with the animated short THE MAGICAL EYEBALL (2009), which won the Red Dot Design Award. He also became the first Taiwanese animation director selected for the Ars Electronica Festival in Austria.

Specializing in 3D character design and creative direction, he crafts humorous and heartwarming stories featuring engaging characters. His works are known for their charming visual style, rich detail, and strong personality, earning collaborations with brands such as Disney, LINE, MSI, Morinaga (Japan), and Tencent Games.

His original and commercial animated works — including Switch Man (2015), My Son NN (2018), Mazu’s Blessing Parade (2020), MOLOKA (2022), The Multiverse of Happy Generation (2023), The Cuckoo Clock’s Call of Happiness (2024), and MSI – Lucky Around the World (2025) — have collectively received over 300 international awards and official selections. These works have broken records for single-title award wins in Asian animated short films and have been screened in 15 countries, including the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy, Spain, Australia, Russia, South Korea, and the Czech Republic.

Waltraud Grausgruber is the festival co-director and co-founder of Tricky Women Tricky Realities in Vienna. Since 2001, the festival has held a unique position in the international festival landscape by focusing on animated films made by women and/or genderqueer artists. It has been exploring social and political issues from a feminist and artistic perspective, offering new ways of highlighting social inequalities.
Waltraud’s goal is to present animation as a powerful medium across a wide range of contexts – not only within the arts but also in civil society, where it can spark dialogue and reflection on urgent topics.
In recognition of her cultural work, she received the Outstanding Artist Award for Women’s Culture from the Austrian Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. Waltraud is also featured in Calliope – Join the Dots, a platform that celebrates women whose ideas and impact inspire others: www.calliope.at – initiated by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.

Nancy Denney-Phelps is a journalist writing about European animation and festivals, as well as a producer of music for animation. Along with her composer/musician husband, Nik Phelps, she co-founded the Sprocket Ensemble dedicated to presenting live performances of original music with screenings of contemporary animation from around the world.
Nancy's writings have appeared in such publications as CARTOON and ANIMATOON, and she writes the Sprockets blog for AWN (Animation World Network). She is also a regular correspondent for ASIFA/San Francisco, a member of the ASIFA International Board of Directors, and an Ambassador At Large for the Emile Awards.
Nancy has served on numerous International Animation Festival juries and taught time management for animators at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, School of Art and Design. She is the pitching coach at ANIMARKT in Lodz, Poland, and is a member of their Brain Trust Advisory Board. She also awards the annual Nancy Award at the Kaboom Animation Festival in Amsterdam. Her strong interest in the history of animation has led her to present programs on the history of animation traced through music at many animation festivals and conferences worldwide. She also works as an advisor to several animation festivals, and in 2019, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from ANIMAKOM Animation Festival in Bilbao, Spain. In 2023, Nancy received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Paris International Animated Film Festival.

Cécile Blondel is a veteran in animation education with 35 years of experience. She is currently the Director of the Master's in Storytelling and International Development at GOBELINS, Paris.

Starting in special effects, she shifted to storytelling, founding the International Master’s in Animation at GOBELINS in 2016. She has developed curricula for animation training worldwide and, as a script doctor, has helped student films win major awards. A frequent international speaker, she shares her expertise on education and narrative in animation.