ANIMATOR PRO - poznaj program spotkań branżowych 19. Animatora

W tym roku Festiwal Animator PRO wraca z programem dla branży, który nie tylko opowiada o animacji, ale też o świecie, który ją tworzy, w tym o procesach, zmianach, technologiach i przede wszystkim o ludziach stojących za animacjami.

W tym roku na jednej scenie (i poza nią) spotkają się m.in. Tim Allen, Greg Grabianski, Daniele Zannone i Krzysztof Rusinek, żeby rozmawiać o tym, jak AI i CGI zmieniają sposób myślenia o obrazie. O voice actingu i tworzeniu postaci opowie Marc Silk (głos Johnnego Bravo), a legendarny John R. Dilworth (twórca "Chojrak i tchórzliwy pies") pokaże, jak z małego studia robi się światowy serial.

Będzie też Nespy5euro, który zaczynał od MTV i „nie wiedział jak animować, ale wiedział, że chce”, Zoe Roellin przenosząca rysunek do VR, oraz Mark Taynton, który bez owijania w bawełnę mówi o przyszłości animacji dla dorosłych w Europie.

Do tego dochodzi perspektywa społeczna i narracyjna: Naima Alam o animacji jako narzędziu zmiany, Karolina Specht i Jędrzej Skrzypczyk (BluBlu Studios) o „Porcelain War”, oraz rozmowy o powrocie do rzemiosła z Julia Orlik, Maciekiem Szczerbowskim i resztą panelu.

Animator PRO 2026
7-10.07.2026
Location: Słodownia +3 /third floor, Stary Browar 

Day 1, July 7th, 2026 | the 90. 

9.00 Speed Friendling / coffee, snacks and small talk  

Grab a cup of coffee and have an inspiring chat with our guests. 

10.00 | Dail MTV   

Script – How to create a story for animation? | guest: Greg Grabianski; host: Wojciech Tutaj| 30’ 

Howard Stern called his writing "one of the edgiest things I've ever seen on late night TV" and comics legend Jay Lynch is quoted in a book calling him one of the greatest satirical minds of our time. Greg is an established writer/producer/show creator with a long list of credits. He's created kid shows that have been optioned and in development at Disney EMEA and BBC Studios in the UK, TeamTo and APC Kids/Zephyr in Paris. 

He's known, among of all, for writing episodes of Beavis & Butthead (from 1996 through the upcoming 2025 season) which will be the main topic of the talk hosting by Jacek Rokosz who is a director, an animator and absolutely fan of the Beavis & Butthead series. 

I Didn’t Know How to Animate. So, I Made Music Videos | Nespy5euro | 30’ 

Growing up, he spent hours watching MTV during its golden era, fascinated by its music videos and strange late-night programs, always imagining what it would be like to make one himself. Years later, he ended up making his first music video without knowing how to animate. What began as a naïve experiment gradually led to collaborations with artists such as Flea, Thom Yorke, Nick Cave, members of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Deerhoof, Viagra Boys, Sean Lennon, and others. 

Part story and part reflection, the talk explores how animation can translate sound into images, why music videos remain a powerful playground for visual experimentation, and how sometimes not knowing exactly what you’re doing can be the best way to start. 

11.30 coffee break 

12.00 Digital Dreams of the 90. and what have we learned  | Tim Allen, Krzysztof Rusinek, Daniele Zannone | host: Anna Głowińska | 60 min 

Every technological revolution begins with a promise—of greater efficiency, new possibilities, and the democratization of tools. While the 1990s saw the rise of CGI, reshaping visual effects and animation, today the industry faces a similarly transformative boom in artificial intelligence. Both moments bring familiar tensions: between innovation and uncertainty, automation, and the role of the creator. 

“Digital Dreams of the 90s. and what have we learned” will explore how these shifts impact production, pipelines, budgets, skills, and questions of authorship. The panel features Tim Allen, Krzysztof Rusinek, and Daniele Zannone, asking: where does AI bring real value—and where does it only appear to? 

Day 2, July 8th, 2026 | Cartoon Cartoons 

• 9.00 Speed Friendling / coffee, snacks and small talk  

Grab a cup of coffee and have an inspiring chat with our guests. 

• 10.00 Vocal Magic - Voice Acting for Animation and Beyond - with voice actor Marc Silk | Marc Silk | 30’ 

Join voice actor Marc Silk for a fun, interactive talk; creating character voices for cartoons, films, games, theme parks and more!  

Creating New Character Voices 

What makes a good voice - GREAT! 

Where do your character voices come from 

How to lose an audition! 

Getting Started - Creative Survival 

Tech tips 

Staying Fresh - unlocking new layers of your creativity 

•  10.45 coffee break 
• 11.00 How a small Indy studio created a big TV series | John R. Dilworth | 30’ 

Academy Award nominated director John R. Dilworth is a New York-based animation director and filmmaker whose work has appeared on Netflix, Showtime, HBO, FOX, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, MTV, Canal+, and Arte. His films have screened in museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. He is the founder of Stretch Films, Inc., an independent animation studio, producing the Cartoon Network TV series, “Courage The Cowardly Dog”, which he created. During the masterclass Dilworth will talk about his experience in creating well known animated TV series and how it all begun. 

• 12.00 free time for VR experiences at VR Space at Słodownia + 1 / first floor 

Day 3, July 9th, 2026 | Leaving Frames 

• 9.00 Speed Friendling / coffee, snacks and small talk   

Grab a cup of coffee and have an inspiring chat with our guests. 

• 10.00 Adult Animation in Europe: Creating What's Next | Mark Taynton | 60’ 

Despite our individual and collective creative strength and storytelling prowess, European adult animation still faces a defining challenge to establish itself as a scalable and globally competitive category.  

Hosted by seasoned international adult animation executive Mark Taynton, this session will examine the current landscape and forces limiting its evolution. 

With ongoing challenges around visibility, financing, perceived audience appeal, and cross-border collaboration, this interactive, audience led discussion will unpack the structural realities holding the sector back—while exploring practical pathways toward greater alignment, investment, and long-term growth. 

• 11.00 coffee break 
• 11.30 When Animation Leaves the Frame – Creating Hand-drawn Stories in VR | Zoe Roellin| 60’ 

Artist Zoe Roellin has spent the past seven years channeling her love for visual storytelling into creating immersive stories. In collaboration with clients such as Meta, Atlantic Productions, and the World Bank Group, she’s worked as a director, art director, environmental artist, and animator across a range of VR animation shorts and documentary projects.

In this masterclass, Zoe shares her experience moving from traditional 2D illustration and animation into the complex world of spatial storytelling. She talks about her workflow with the VR art tool quill which lets her create hand-drawn 3D art, reflects on finding her footing as an animator and storyteller, and lays out the opportunities and challenges working in the medium has brought.

Central to the session is a deeper look at the process behind Perennials, her VR animation short which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2023. Going from initial concept and pitch to visual development, animation, and final delivery, Zoe will unpack the full journey behind the film, and her experience of getting to create an original project. 

•  12.30 free time for VR experiences at VR Space at Słodownia + 1 / first floor 

Day 4, July 10th, 2026 | to be human 

• 9.00 Speed Friendling / coffee, snacks and small talk   
• 10.00 Animation as a tool in social campaign | Naima Alam | 60’ 

This masterclass provides an overview of the development of animated role models to create awareness on social issues. I will share examples from an animated series from the Global South, the Meena Communication Initiative (MCI), which was developed in the 1990s by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). The years 1990 to 2000 were named the Decade of the Girl Child in South Asia. This inspired the birth of MCI as a women’s empowerment campaign to educate both children and adults.   

First, I will provide a short introduction to Entertainment Education and parabolic storytelling. Then we will delve directly into the development of the Meena cartoons. We will look at the specific issues tackled, the theories applied, and the in-depth formative research, which led to the stories and characters who represent a very diverse community with similar views towards women. Throughout the talk you will get glimpses into animator experiences and audience reception. We will also look at the radio show, comics, and video game, which continue to help Meena remain a successful role model for women’s empowerment in South Asia today. Finally, we will see how Meena cartoons have changed throughout the years and the influences they have had on current animated campaigns from Bangladesh.  

About Meena:  

https://www.unicef.org/bangladesh/en/meena-and-unicef 

• 11.00 coffee break 
• 11.15 Case Study: Porcelain War | Karolina Specht i Jędrzej Skrzypczyk | BluBlu Studios | 60’ (note: talk in Polish with English translation) 

The Porcelain War - a Sundance award-winning and Oscar-nominated feature-length documentary telling the story of Ukrainian artists who became soldiers and bravely find inspiration and beauty in difficult times, while defending their culture and country. 

Creative director Jędrzej Skrzypczyk and animator Karolina Specht from based in Warsaw the BluBlu Studios will talk about the process of creating animations for the film inspired by the art of the documentary's protagonists - Slava Leontyev and Anya Stasenko. 

• 12.15 coffee break 
• 12.30 Is there a real coming back to the time before the CGI era? | Julia Orlik, Maciek Szczerbowski, Mark Taynton, Tim Allen | host: Anna Głowińska 

From The Walt Disney Company revisiting hand-drawn and hybrid aesthetics, through the continued success of studios like Aardman Animations, to new stop-motion initiatives led by filmmakers such as Guillermo del Toro, the industry is witnessing a renewed interest in handcrafted techniques. Is there a coming back to the time before the CGI era? - this discussion takes that question as its starting point, exploring whether today’s “analogue turn” signals a genuine shift or a response to digital saturation.  

Rather than rejecting technology, this movement reflects a search for texture, imperfection, and a more tangible, human presence in image-making. The conversation will look at what “handmade” means today—both as an aesthetic choice and a cultural statement. Bringing together diverse perspectives, the panel will feature Julia Orlik, Maciek Szczerbowski, Mark Taynton, and Tim Allen.