Symposium Perspectives on European Animation - Masters and New Voices in Greek Animation
12:00 – 12:15
Presentation of the FAN Network and International Collaborations in Animation
Maria Anestopoulou – Festival Director, ANIMASYROS International Animation Festival
The opening address will set the framework for the discussion through the presentation of the FAN – Festivals Animation Network as an active European ecosystem of festival collaboration. The talk will explore opportunities for mobility, co-productions, and knowledge exchange, as well as the broader role of cultural networks in shaping a connected and sustainable future for animation.
An introductory note will also highlight the collaboration with AKTO College of Art & Design and its contribution to strengthening animation education and professional pathways.
12:15 – 13:30
Kitsch in Animation
George Sifianos – Director, Professor Emeritus of Animation Cinema, ENSAD Paris
A thought-provoking lecture examining the aesthetic, cultural, and political dimensions of kitsch within animated cinema. Drawing on decades of artistic practice and academic research, George Sifianos explores how kitsch operates as both a stylistic device and a critical tool in animation.
13:45 – 14:00
Break
14:00 – 15:00
Education as the Foundation for Animation Development: From Academic Research to Professional Practice
Eleni Mouri & Anastasia Dimitra
This session focuses on the vital role of education in cultivating sustainable animation ecosystems. The speakers will discuss how academic research, structured training, and industry collaboration contribute to the professional development of emerging creators and the strengthening of the national animation landscape.
15:00 – 16:00
New Female Voices in Animation: From the Classroom to Creation
Anna Oikonomou, Nefeli Spiliotakou, Dimitra Papaefthymiou, Alexandra Mavroeidakou
A dynamic discussion highlighting the work and perspectives of emerging women creators in Greek animation. The session explores the transition from educational environments to independent artistic practice, emphasizing mentorship, authorship, and representation within the contemporary animation field.
Guest panel from Greece
Honorary Professor of Cinematic Animation- ENSAD
Director
Born in Greece, Georges Sifianos, Holds a PhD in Philosophy and is an honorary professor of cinematic animation in ENSAD. His films include the shorts Smile (1974), City Scent (1994), Tutu (2001), I (2007), The Blind Writer (2021) and the feature length documentary Petrochemicals: Cathedrals of the Desert (1981). His interests include the confluence of animation with Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence. His most recent object of research is ways of studying motion in the Parthenon Frieze. Has been a member of juries in many festivals and has lectured in universities in Europe, India, Korea, Japan and China. His book The Aesthetics of Cinematic Animation Film was awarded the McLaren – Lambart Prize in 2014 and the Hemingway in 2015.
Alexandra Mavroeidakou is a game designer, researcher, multidisciplinary creator, and educator whose work spans science, technology, art, education, and social innovation. With a background in game design, creative writing, translation technology, performing arts, pedagogy, and applied research in digital media, she explores how storytelling, language, and interactive design can bridge art, science, and technology to empower and connect, transforming lived experience through meaningful play.
She began her academic journey in London, studying Writing & Media with English Language & British Culture and Film Studies at Middlesex University London, and later completed an MSc at Imperial College London in Scientific, Technical and Medical Translation & Translation Technology.
Alongside her academic path, she trained in dramatic arts at the Higher Drama School “New Hellenic Theatre” (Giorgos Armenis). Most recently, bringing these strands together, she completed a BA (Hons) in Game Design from Middlesex University London | AKTO Art & Design College (First Class Honours and Award of Outstanding Academic Achievement). For her dissertation, she developed Up The Stairs, a research-based serious game application developed in both 2D and 3D, designed to empower young adults with the language disorder aphasia.
Her international experience includes working as a tour leader across four continents and engaging with EU-level Internet governance and digital culture initiatives. She has also completed a Certificate in Social Sector Leadership through Philanthropy University and the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. Her academic path has been complemented by ongoing interdisciplinary seminars and workshops that continue to inform her creative, research, and educational work. She remains active in education and language assessment, running a foreign language and informatics centre in Athens.
In November 2025, Up The Stairs was shortlisted among the top three nominees in the Serious Games Competition at the Games and Learning Alliance (GALA) International Conference, organised by the Serious Games Society in collaboration with Utrecht University. The conference was sponsored by the Centre for Advanced Preparedness and Threat Response Simulation (CAPTRS), which awarded her a travel grant and additional support, enabling her full participation.
The project was also presented at the GALA Exhibition. Its gameplay video received the Best Experimental Film - Acting Code Awards at the 4th International Epidaurus Film Festival (IEFF).
Additionally, an extended abstract on the project’s research and development appears in the GALA 2025 Games Competition & Exhibition Book of Abstracts, hosted by the University of Southampton (UK).
This project embodies Alexandra’s ongoing vision of advancing meaningful and accessible play as a tool for social impact, empowering individuals and communities to learn, evolve, and transform.
President ASIFA International GR/EU
Animation educator, researcher, and director, Anastasia Dimitra is the former President of ASIFA’s Animation Workshop Group (AWG) and now serves as Director of Special Projects at ASIFA International. A member of ASIFA Hellas/ASIFA International, she has published widely on animation and served on juries at numerous international festivals.
Professor of Animation
Department of Graphic Design and Visual Communication
School of Applied Arts and Culture
University of West Attica (UNIWA)
Dr. Eleni Mouri is Professor of Animation at the Department of Graphic Design and Visual Communication at the University of West Attica. She holds a BA in Graphic Design (1983), a BA in Animation (1987), an MSc (2004), and a PhD (2009). With a career spanning more than four decades, she combines extensive professional experience in animation production with a strong academic and research profile.
From 1979 to 1999, she worked as a freelance animator in the production of animated television commercials, collaborating with leading Greek studios such as Kounoupi, Blitz, Artoon, and Kouak. This long-standing professional engagement with applied animation significantly shaped her pedagogical and research approach.
Since 1994, Dr. Mouri has been a full-time faculty member (Professor) at UNIWA, where she is responsible for courses in storyboarding, cartoon art, and animation. She previously served (1987–1994) as a scientific associate at the Department of Graphic Design of the former Technological Educational Institute of Athens, teaching Animation and TV Graphics.
Her teaching portfolio also includes postgraduate courses in History of the Moving Image, Motion Graphics, Audiovisual Content Production, and Audiovisual Literacy. Between 2021 and 2025, she served as Director of the MSc Programme “Animation (2D and 3D)” at UNIWA, where she taught Principles of Screenwriting and Cinematic Narrative, as well as 2D Animation (character animation, timing, animated spots). She has also been a member of the Hellenic Open University teaching staff (2019–2021, MA in Graphic Arts – Multimedia; 2024–present, Undergraduate Programme in Film Writing, Practice and Research).
Dr. Mouri is the author of the books Frame by Frame (on the art and techniques of animation) and Greek Animation 1960–2000, published by NEXUS Publications. She has also contributed open academic textbooks to the KALLIPOS platform and has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, collective volumes, and international conference proceedings.
Through her work, Dr. Mouri has played a key role in shaping animation education in Greece, bridging professional practice, academic research, and creative experimentation while mentoring generations of animators and visual communication professionals.
2D Animator & Visual Storyteller
Dimitra Papaefthymiou is a 2D animator, director, screenwriter, and storyboard artist based in Athens, Greece. She specializes in frame-by-frame 2D animation, hand-drawn. Her first short film, “When You Left Spring,” was created during her postgraduate studies at AKTO College and was selected for festivals such as Animasyros and the Drama International Short Film Festival. Alongside her work in audiovisual productions, she also develops independent projects in the fields of animation, illustration, and game design.
Motion Designer, Animation Director
Nefeli Spiliotakou is an animation director whose primary artistic focus lies in the intersection of documentary filmmaking, animation, and motion graphics.
Her first encounter with animation took place during her studies in Graphic Design at the Technological Educational Institute (TEI) of Athens. She initially worked as a graphic and web designer in the fields of print and digital advertising. Since 2017, she has been working exclusively as a motion designer and video editor, contributing to television productions, advertising campaigns, and music projects.
Her work has also been presented in festival contexts, including screenings at Animasyros International Animation Festival. She was a member of the creative team behind the documentary On.Off., which received multiple distinctions, including the Best Documentary Award at the Greenspace NYC Sustainable Film Festival.
In 2023, she completed her MSc in 2D & 3D Animation at the University of West Attica. It was during her postgraduate studies that the idea for her short animated documentary The Last Performance was developed. Supported by the Greek Film Centre and ERT (Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation), the film is currently in production.
Anna Oikonomou is an animator/illustrator/graphic designer based in Athens, Greece. Originally from Kos island, Greece, Anna moved to Athens in 2013 to study Graphic Design and Visual Communication in the University of West Attica from which she graduated in February 2022. Since then, Anna has been continuing her studies at UNIWA in the MA - “2D and 3D Animation” and is also working as an animator in Athens, Greece.
