Partial reprint from CSUF News. By: Vanessa Siguenza As a child, Cristina Zuniga watched in awe as a swirl of magic transformed Maleficent into a fire-breathing dragon in Disney’s animated film “Sleeping Beauty.” That moment inspired Zuniga to pursue a career in animation. Born into a family of artists, Zuniga’s mother and older sister taught […]
Cristina Zuniga: WIA Stories of Impact Read More »
What do a jinn, a genius, an alien, and a family curse have in common? They are all at the heart of the extraordinary projects from our Stories x Women 2025 winning teams, and now they’re being celebrated on a global stage. We are incredibly proud to share that Animation World Network (AWN) has published
AWN Highlights 2025 Stories x Women Teams Read More »
Meet Margarita Beglaryan, a dynamic creative who has made WIA a vital part of her journey into the animation industry. From the WIA Scholarship to participating in the WIA Mentorship Circles program, Beglaryan has leveraged many of WIA’s programs to her advantage. She not only learned valuable practical lessons but also forged essential relationships
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The ninth annual WIAWorld Summit, held on June 9th at Annecy’s Impérial Palace Hotel, brought together 350+ attendees and sparked dynamic conversations on gender equity, innovation, and the evolving animation landscape. Under the theme “The Future is Animated,” the day-long symposium featured industry leaders, filmmakers, and executives exploring how to create a more inclusive and
WIA World Summit 2025 Recap Read More »
Today, WIA announced the lineup for this year’s WIA WORLD SUMMIT at the Annecy International Animation Festival and Mifa 2025. This year’s summit, themed “The Future is Animated,” will examine emerging industry innovations and the power of community as we navigate the evolving animation landscape. The ninth annual WIA WORLD SUMMIT will take place on
WIA World Summit line up, theme announced Read More »
Meet Hungarian animation director and illustrator, Luca Tóth, chosen to create this year’s WIA World Summit artwork. As the Annecy International Animation Film Festival – host of this year’s Summit – spotlights Hungary as its featured country, Tóth’s selection carries special significance. Born in 1989, the artist honed her craft at Budapest’s Moholy-Nagy University of
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Today, WIA announced the five teams selected for the 2025 cohort for Stories x Women, a program aimed at increasing the diversity of voices in animation globally. Stories x Women’s concrete goal is to support access to international opportunities for women animators from emerging national film and audio-visual animation communities of Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin
WIA SELECTS FIVE TEAMS FOR 2025 STORIES X WOMEN PROGRAM Read More »
WIA recently announced the 55 global recipients — the largest group of award recipients to date — of the WIA Scholarship fund. The WIA Scholarship Program is an annual award committed to furthering deserving students who demonstrate artistic talent, a passion for animation, a financial need, and a promising future in animation, VFX, or gaming.
WIA AWARDS 55 EMERGING CREATIVES WITH 2024-2025 WIA SCHOLARSHIPS Read More »
WIA is seeking to commission our next featured artist for the 9th Annual WIA World Summit at Annecy. As part of our ongoing commitment to spotlighting diverse artistic voices, we are looking for an artist from Hungary to create the official summit artwork, representing Hungary as the featured country of the Annecy International Animation Film
OPEN CALL FOR ARTISTS FROM HUNGARY Read More »
Remembering Fumi Kitahara We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved friend, colleague, and longtime board member, Fumi Kitahara. She was a premier publicist, renowned awards consultant, passionate advocate, and cherished member of the animation community. Kitahara passed away on February 24, 2025 at age 56 due to complications related to her
WIA MOURNS PASSING OF BOARD MEMBER, RENOWNED PUBLICITY EXECUTIVE FUMI KITAHARA Read More »