Andreas Deja is a legendary Disney animator known for bringing iconic characters to life, including Gaston (Beauty and the Beast), Jafar (Aladdin), Scar (The Lion King), and Hercules (Hercules). Since joining Disney in 1980, he has learned directly from the famous Nine Old Men and become a leading animation figure.

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Andreas is also the creator of Mushka, a hand-drawn animated film nearly 10 years in the making. Inspired by the art style of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians,.

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Honored as a Disney Legend and recipient of the Winsor McCay Award, Andreas continues to celebrate the craft of animation through his work, writing, and exhibitions.

With a career spanning over 25 years, Gianluca Dentici is an accomplished VFX Supervisor and Compositing Supervisor with extensive experience in the film industry. Having contributed to more than 85 films he has played a pivotal role in crafting visual effects for some of the most iconic and visually groundbreaking films, including Gladiator II, The Lion King, The Marvels, and many more.

A few years ago he was also part of the VFX team who won the Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects on Jungle book.

Gianluca is also the Visual Effects Society Co-Chair.

Stuart is the Video Game Manager in the Certification & Video Games department at the British Film Institute and works closely with developers from around the country on video game projects that apply for British certification. He also assists on video game cultural projects within the wider organisation and writes game features for the BFI website. He regularly talks at events around the country such as EGX, EGX Rezzed, London Games Festival, and many others.

Maria Elena Gutierrez has been CEO and executive director of the VIEW Conference since 2005. She took a very small national event and put it on the world scene. Maria Elena is also the Director of VIEW Conference’s digital movie Festival, The VIEWFEST. Born in Mexico and raised in California, Maria Elena Gutierrez first studied at the University of California in Santa Cruz and then at Stanford University, where she received her masters in 1990 and her doctorate in 1995. Maria Elena taught Cinema and Italian Literature at the State University of New York SUNY in Buffalo, where she became an associate "tenured" professor in 2000. Throughout her career she has received numerous fellowships and awards, including the Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities, the Cesare Pavese award and the Milton Plesur Award of Excellence for university teaching.

Ere Santos is a self-taught animator with a global career spanning iconic studios like Pixar, DNEG, Jellyfish, and MPC. Currently an Animation Supervisor at Walt Disney Animation Studios, he recently completed work on Disney’s highly anticipated musical Moana 2. With 8 years of professional experience in feature film animation, Ere’s journey began long before his industry success, teaching himself animation while studying mathematics and computer science at Trinity Western University in Vancouver. His passion for film, computers, and performance fueled his growth, and after years of dedication, Ere earned an internship at Pixar, where he refined his skills and began to shape his career as a character animator. Today, Ere continues to push the boundaries of animation, bringing life and storytelling to the big and little screens with every project.

Hayley Miller is the founder of World VFX Day, an initiative launched in 2023 to celebrate and recognize the contributions of the visual effects (VFX) and animation industry. With over a decade of experience in marketing and public relations across entertainment and technology. The last six years of her career has been dedicated to visual effects, working with companies like Pixomondo, MPC/Technicolor Studios, and Territory Studio. World VFX Day aims to raise the profile of the industry and the artistry and skills involved, to foster a greater appreciation across the wider industry and beyond.

Ricardo is an award-winning Digital Compositor working at the cinematography industry since 2009, he made part of the team that won the Oscar for best Visual Effects in 2015 on Interstellar in 2016 on Ex-Machina. He has been working on both areas, film and commercial projects for Industrial Light Magic, DesignStudio, Cinesite Prime Focus, MPC, DoubleNegative, Polarmedia, etc, this has come after completing the two compositing courses at Escape Studios, in London. Before starting his VFX career he finished a master's in Architecture and worked as a 3D Artist with 3ds Max/Maya and Vray for Architectural Visualization. This work required him the skills to look at things from both a technical and aesthetic viewpoint, which is the key to being successful in the Visual Effects industry. Ricardo holds a PhD in Visual Effects, is board manager at Visual Effects Society and is also a Compositor Supervisor.

Charles Chorein is a VFX supervisor in London with 16 years of experience. He has been working in London since 2009 and has achieved various movies such as The Hobbit, Prometheus, The Hunger Games 2, Superman: man of steel, Harry Potter 7, Pirate of the Caribbean 4, Despicable Me and is working for 4 years in TV and recently finished Dark Crystal for Netflix.

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Charles is also the Vice-Chair of the VES London

Adele Khawli is a communications and marketing strategist with over a decade of experience in the animation, VFX, and entertainment industries. She combines her marketing expertise with a solid understanding of design, animation, and technical fields to create strategic
communication strategies that build brands and forge lasting connections with audiences.

Previously the Head of Marketing at Axis Studios, Adele now collaborates with clients to craft tailored strategies that align marketing initiatives with business objectives and foster long-term success. Adele is passionate about celebrating the people and processes behind creative projects, bringing their stories to life in a way that resonates with clients and
audiences.

Adele is committed to promoting diversity in the industry and enhancing Scotland’s global presence. She actively participates in Animated Women UK Scotland and is a member of the Board of Directors for Animation Scotland.

Kev McCrae is the Founder and Creative Director of Revenant, an award-winning VFX house specializing in animation, motion graphics, and cutting-edge real-time visuals, including VR, AR, CG environments, and virtual production. With over 20 years of experience in the visual arts industry, Kev leads a carefully selected team known for delivering innovative and thought-provoking creative solutions across broadcast, film, digital media, experiential marketing, gaming, and commercial sectors.

Passionate about design, typography, layout, and composition, Kev ensures that every project at Revenant is driven by strong creative concepts and executed with precision. Under his leadership, Revenant continues to push the boundaries of visual storytelling, crafting compelling narratives that inspire and engage audiences worldwide. As the studio expands and evolves, Kev is dedicated to growing Revenant’s roster of talented directors, shaping the future of the industry with bold and innovative work.

Game industry veteran with 30+ years of experience across 20+ titles, including The Last of Us, Uncharted, God of War, and League of Legends. I've contributed to some of the most successful games, working at leading studios like Naughty Dog, Guerrilla Games, and Riot Games, with a focus on achieving the best in our field.

Passionate about the future of gaming, I’m excited by how new technologies continue to reshape quality and workflows. As a board member of the Visual Effects Society (VES) and a recipient of the VES award for Best Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project for Uncharted 4, I’m committed to advancing the craft further.

I'm the co-founder of FlippedNormals, a marketplace for 3D artists. I used to work as a character artist in the VFX industry (MPC, DNEG), and now I make YouTube videos and premium tutorials and mentor students.

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Some of Hennings' Credits include: Venom, Pacific Rim: Uprising, The Mummy, Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge, Alien: Covenant, Suicide Squad, Ghostbusters, Batman Vs Superman, Paddington, and many more!

Simone Giampaolo is a London-based Swiss Director with an insatiable appetite for meaningful storytelling, emotional narratives and humorous characters. In 2013 he graduates with distinction from the BA (Hons) Computer Animation Art & Design course at the National Centre for Computer Animation in Bournemouth (UK). Throughout his career, he's written and directed over ten multi-award-winning original short films, including the Oscar®-shortlisted and BAFTA-nominated 'Only a Child'.

In the past years, he's been working on a multitude of commissioned projects for clients such as Netflix, Google, Cartoon Network, Disney, LEGO, Nickelodeon, Marvel, Pokémon and BBC, collaborating with world-class studios like Jellyfish Pictures, Axis Studios, Nathan Love, Blue Zoo, Ritzy Animation and Aardman.
He's just finished directing the Netflix animated hit show ‘Bad Dinosaurs’ and is currently working on the new Paramount animated series 'Stan & Gran', while also developing an unannounced feature film project at Timeless Films.

Michael is an acclaimed and multi-award-winning Creative Producer with a rich history of innovation in the art world and creative industries. Renowned for his expertise at the intersection of creativity and technology, Michael is an influential ambassador within the industry.

As the Founder & CEO of the RENDR Festival, he possesses a broad knowledge of the film, gaming, animation, and immersive industries. Michael has partnered with industry titans such as Lucasfilm, Netflix, Warner Bros., HBO, Bethesda, and CD Projekt Red to name a few, continually working to push the boundaries of creative collaboration.

Dedicated to fostering the creative community, Michael actively engages in speaking, judging, and reviewing at prestigious international festivals and conferences, contributing his insights and expertise to inspire the next generation of creatives.

Nene is an Advertising Creative Director. With a love for all things visual, she has been a commercial side Art Director for over 2 decades. Having recently worked at Amazon Prime Video Studios, she has directed advertising campaigns, content, and brand activations for House of the Dragon, Black Panther, Disney, Dove, Dior, Shea Moisture, Lego, L'Oréal, and Lewis Hamilton's initiative Mission 44.

I'm Amanda Heppner, currently serving as Vice Chair of the Visual Effects Society's Toronto Section. With nearly eight years in the VFX industry, I've had the privilege of working on projects like The Mandalorian, From, Halo, and What We Do in the Shadows. As a portfolio teacher and program liaison at Humber College, I'm passionate about nurturing the next generation of VFX artists. I also enjoy sharing my experiences with high schools in Ontario, inspiring students to explore careers in visual effects. I'm excited to connect and share insights with you!

Rodrigo Roldan-Romero is an Intermediate Programmer with three years of experience in the games industry, specializing in engine, platforms, performance, and optimization at Tanglewood Games. Teesside University alumni, Rodrigo has contributed to several high-profile AAA projects, including Minecraft Dungeons, Hogwarts Legacy, F1 Manager 24, and most recently, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions.

While working on Hogwarts Legacy, Rodrigo was part of the Core Engine team, focusing on improving and optimizing the game for PS4 and Xbox One. At Minecraft Dungeons, he played a key role in enhancing the base game and developing content for new DLCs, including the implementation of the pause system and cinematics for 'Echoing Void'.

Currently at Tanglewood Games, Rodrigo specializes in Unreal Engine and C++

My career encompasses various creative roles and a number of managerial ones in the creation of high end commercials, broadcast programmes and feature films. I have over 30 years experience in the media industry and an in-depth knowledge of both production and post-production, specialising in 2D VFX and grading.

I have worked on numerous commercials for major brands including Sony, Lenovo, Walkers, Sainsbury’s, Coca-Cola, BMW, Mars, Guinness and Homebase.

My film credits include 'Captain America', 'Jason Bourne', 'Bridget Jones's Baby', ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’, ‘Never Let Me Go’, 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'​, 'Troy'​, 'Babe-Pig in the City'​ and VFX Oscar winning 'Gladiator'​.

I am the author of the book ‘How to Get Into and Survive Film, Advertising and TV Post-production – The Alternative Guide’.