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.

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.

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.

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.