New members appointed to 3-year terms, an international community of storied animation professionals, include Deanna Morse (U.S.) as president, Thomas Renoldner (Austria) as Secretary General, Anatasia Dimitra (Hellas) as vice president, Johnchill Lee (China) as vice president, and Stefan Stratil (Austria) as Treasurer.
ASIFA, the International Animated Film Association (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation), has announced a new Executive Board, appointed to a three-year term. Founded in France in 1960 and chartered under UNESCO, ASIFA is the world’s oldest and largest international animation association.
The new executive board is as follows:
Deanna Morse, President, USA:
- With MFA in Art and Technology, Morse is an independent experimental animation artist. She has done films for Sesame Street and has pieces in permanent collections, including at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and an emerita faculty member, at Grand Valley State University, Michigan, USA, Morse is a former ASIFA Vice President. She currently lives in Southern Oregon, USA.
Anastasia Dimitra, Vice President, Hellas:
- Dimitra holds a Ph.D. in animation and is an animation professor and director. She boasts multiple awards and has had many international screenings. In addition, she has written books and papers about the art of animation and served as a jury member at several international animation festivals. She is active in ASIFA Hellas and served ASIFA International as the Coordinator of the 60th Anniversary Celebration and treasurer.
Mohamed Ghazala, Vice President, Egypt:
- Ghazala holds a Ph.D. in animation and is currently the chair of the Cinematic Arts school at Effat University, KSA. He is an award-winning animation director. His main area of research is documenting the animation practices in Africa. He has served ASIFA International as a Vice President.
Johnchill Lee, Vice President, China:
- Lee holds a Ph.D. in Digital Media Communications with a diverse background in animation, education, new technologies, and the industry of animation. He is President of the Beijing Digital Creativity Industry Association, the Secretary General of ASIFA China, and a former Vice President of ASIFA.
Annegret Richter, Vice President, Germany:
- Richter holds a Ph.D., specializing in animated documentaries, and has a background in Communication and Media Studies. She was a festival director at the International Short Film Festival in Dresden and the International Leipzig Festival of Documentary and Animated Films. In addition, she has worked as a director in the Communication Department for ASIFA.
Stefan Stratil, Treasurer, Austria:
- The current treasurer of ASIFA, Stratil has served as the President of ASIFA Austria since 2004. Educated in experimental design/animation, he is a curator and lecturer who has created comic strips and short commercials for TV and cinema.
Thomas Renoldner, Secretary General, Austria:
- An artist, curator, and lecturer, Renoldner has served as the Vice President of Communication for ASIFA over the last six years. In addition, he has served as a juror and presenter at many international film festivals and is a multiple award-winning filmmaker.
ASIFA International’s primary purpose is that of an umbrella organization to link chapters worldwide with activities, festivals, workshops, meetings, and projects in support of the animators in their own countries or regions.
The main goal of ASIFA is to celebrate the art of animation, through various forms and promote cultural understanding and peace.
Source: The International Animated Film Association
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
