Gerben Schermer (1959, The Netherlands)  is director of the Holland Animation Film Festival (Utrecht) which he started in 1985.

His passion for the continuation of animation as an independent art form has lead to a distinguished career in festival selection and programming.

Schermer has held positions as a member of the board for the Holland Animation Association, ASIFA, CARTOON, House of Shorts, and was a founding member of the Netherlands Institute for Animated Films until 1996. He composed guest programs for numerous festivals around the world, and served as a jury member for renowned film festivals.

Marcel Jean became director of the Animation Studio in the French Program of the National Film Board of Canada in 1999 and produced several internationally recognized films: Martine Chartrand's Black Soul (winner of twenty-two prizes including the Golden Bear in Berlin), Patrick Bouchard's The Brainwashers (2002, five awards), Michèle Lemieux's Stormy Night (2003, twelve awards, including the Crystal Bear in Berlin), Michèle Cournoyer's Accordion (2004, screened in competition at the Cannes Festival, prize winner in Leipzig and Dresden). Marcel Jean believes in a pro-active policy of international co-production which has led him to co-produce films by the Norwegian director Pjotr Sapegin (Aria, 2001, ten awards); Through My Thick Glasses, (2004, twelve awards), the Dane Lejf Marcussen (Angeli, 2002, prize winner in Zagreb), the Portuguese Abi Feijo (Stowaway, 2000, eight awards), the Swiss Georges Schwizgebel (L'homme sans ombre, 2004, twelve awards; Jeu, 2006, prizes in Hiroshima and Ottawa) and French director Philippe Jullien (Ruzz and Ben, 2005). Under his aegis the NFB linked up with the French studio Folimage to create a residence program for animation filmmakers. Among such co-productions are, most notably, Carles Porta Garcia's Francesc lo Valent (2002, four awards), Isabelle Favez's Circuit marine (2003, five awards) and Regina Pessoa's Tragic Story with a Happy Ending (2005). Marcel Jean left the National Film Board of Canada in 2005 to set up his own production company.

Matija Pisačić, born in Zagreb, 8th May 1975, graduated from the Zagreb School of Applied Arts and Design in 1994 with a thesis on comics. He studied philosophy and religion at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Society of Jesus in Zagreb. He is an active member of ULUPUH (Association of Croatian Visual Artists in Applied Arts) and Croatian Freelance Artists’ Association.

Illustrations and comics: In the 1995-1997 period he took part in the activities of the artists group Kolektiv Variete Radikale, publishing a series of illustrations and comics in their editions. His works from that period were also published in Novi List, Modra Lasta, Kult, Arkzin, Homo Volans. In the years to come, he published comics and illustrations in children’s magazines Šalji dalje and Modra Lasta, often collaborating with Krešimir Zimonić. Together, they created a comic book serial Vatrene ulice. In the 1999-2004 period he drew the Svebor i Plamena comic for Modra Lasta, based on Darko Macan’s script, and worked as illustrator on a number of books published by Egmont, Herceg Press, Abc naklada, Alfa and Znanje. His works regularly appear in Jutarnji list and OK! magazine, and he often collaborates with Q magazine. In 2007 and 2009 he was one of the associates of the Animafest management, designing posters for the world festival of animated film in Zagreb. He participated in numerous illustration and comic exhibitions in Croatia and internationally.

Animated film: In 2002 he was the author of script, visual design, animation and direction for a 45-second animated film entitled Muško NE nasilju nad ženama!, produced by the animation studio Plop. The film was screened on Croatian Television on several occasions. In 2006 the Croatian Ministry of Culture granted him the funds for the animated film Fantastična odiseja doktora Zodiaka. It was produced by the Croatian Film Clubs’ Association. In 2008 it premiered at Animafest Zagreb in the international competition programme. In 2009 it was screened at film festivals around the world (Slovenia, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, Ukraine, France, China etc.). In 2009 Matija Pisačić collaborated on the animated film Zlatkine žute minute by Krešimir Zimonić, produced by Zagreb Film, as an animator and head cartoonist.

Advertising agencies: Pisačić works with a number of advertising agencies, designing their visual solutions for print ads and TV commercials. Through these agencies he worked for clients such as Coca Cola, Microsoft and Croatian Tourist Board. For the latter, he designed three animated TV clips in 2009.

Awards: 1997 – with the comic authors and illustrators’ group Kolektiv Variete Radikale, innovation in comics award, Comic Book Salon in Vinkovci
1997 – 2nd prize for comics, Comic Book Salon in Vinkovci
1999 – 1st prize for the comic Vatrene ulice, Comic Book Salon in Vinkovci
2009 – Oktavijan award for best animated film, Fantastična odiseja d. Zodiaka, 18th Croatian Film Days