Juries & Awards
JURIES
Manuel Cristóbal
Any person that loves animation should and must love Japanese animation. As a producer I have had many special moments and awards but having my film “Wrinkles” being distributed in Japan by Ghibli and having the chance to have met Isao Takahata is one of them. At the time he was very generous endorsing the film and even writing a very moving letter about it. Now I think it is time for me to give that support back as President of the Niigata International Animation Film Festival.
Being a Spanish speaker, a Japanese culture enthusiast and a seasoned producer between Europe and the Americas, my message for this collaboration is clear: animation is a universal language that, by connecting Europe, Latin America, and Japan, reminds us that creativity knows no borders and that stories can transcend any physical distance. In an increasingly globalized world, animated productions are a reflection of humanity's ability to share, learn, and move forward together.
Let’s enjoy animation in Japan, by far the best plan I could have ever dreamt.
Film producer, PhD and Director of the Seville European Film Festival. AMPAS and Spanish Film Academy member. Five time Goya awards winner, twice winner of the Jury award at Annecy. WIA mentor. Producer of eleven films. Among them “Wrinkles”, the only Spanish film ever distributed by Studio Ghibli, and “The Glassworker” a Pakistani anime film by Usman Riaz.
Christine Panushka
Thank you for the honor to serve as a jury member for the Niigata International Animation Film Festival. Animation is the most amazing and important art form in the world today. As the core language of digital media, we must support and encourage the continuing development of the animation field through festivals and screening venues such as the Niigata International Animation Film Festival
I look forward to visiting the city of Niigata and screening the films selected for the festival. Whether narrative or non-narrative, I will be looking for works with a unique point of view, a well conceived structure, thoughtful design, and animation that is appropriate for the idea.
Christine Panushka is an internationally known award-winning artist, filmmaker/animator and educator. Her films are regularly screened at many film festivals and have won numerous awards including Blood of Family Tree (2021) .Currently, she is Professor Emerita in Expanded Animation Research + Practice, in the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California.
Noriko Matsumoto
I love NIAFF, so I am super excited to participate this year as a judge. I’m Noriko Matsumoto. At Dwarf Studios, where I am Animation Producer, we are skilled at character design and stop-motion filming, but it takes more than technique and visual appeal to make a work interesting. The story matters, and there can be many things that the storyteller wants to say. I am really looking forward to these few days when I can get to know these animation creations from different countries, and talk to the people involved with them.
She started her career in the TV commercial industry. The turning points came with ""Domo-kun"" in 1998 and ""Komaneko"" in 2003, after which she joined the founding of Dwarf. By producing high-quality stop-motion films that could be enjoyed timelessly, She played a leading role in positioning the studio as one of the first Japanese studios to collaborate with global streamers. The Netflix series Rilakkuma and Kaoru (2019) and Rilakkuma's Theme Park Adventure (2022) gained widespread attention.
Currently, she specializes in stop-motion animation and character design, aiming to go beyond conventional norms. She focuses on creating works that incorporate new talents and technologies, transcending traditional methods and company frameworks. Her latest projects include Bottle George, a short film directed by Dice Tsutsumi (former Pixar Director), and HIDARI, even with a pilot that made a major impact on the industry.