International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) and Women in Animation (WIA) have announced the selection of the five delegates of the second edition of the Stories x Women program.
Stories x Womens works to support and provide opportunities for African, Asia-Pacific Islander and Latin American women animators who want to tell their authentic stories. The program is sponsored by the Walt Disney Company, with additional support from Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The five are Superpunk (Brazil) led by Mirtes Santana and Guilherme Petreca, Negocio de Brujas (Chile) led by Paulina Sanhueza Melndez and Alejandra Jaramillo Fanta, Nerea (Dominican Republic) led by Fabiola Contreras Rosso and Arima Lon, The Golden Pig(Malaysia) led by Hwei Ling Owand Kate Goodwin and Papo Hapo (Trkiye/Kenya) led by Irmak Atabek Ndungu and Mbithi Masya.
Those selected were chosen from a pool of 130-plus candidates and will receive a series of mentoring sessions led by animation experts, as well as one-on-one coaching sessions. The program prepares the delegates to pitch at the 2023Annecy International Animation Film Festivaland Market (MIFA).
Stories x Women supports the work of women animators from regions that are less visible in the international market and is an extra contribution to the collective efforts made by this industry in that field, said Luis Alberto Scalella, president of FIAPF.
For 10 years, WIA has been focused on reaching 50/50 gender parity in animation by 2025. The Stories x Women program aligns perfectly with our mission of supporting and empowering people of underrepresented gender identities in animation. Its actively removing barriers faced by women and gender non-conforming creatives and making space for them to tell their authentic stories, said Marge Dean, WIA president.