Team AniMate
Paolo Polimeni, Festival Director
As a true animation lover, I can never find enough animation around me and wanted to create both an opportunity for the local community to enjoy more excellent animation content, while promoting the amazing creative work of animation filmmakers. After years of tests and preparation, AniMate was finally born in January 2020!
I started my career in Television and Media in 1992 producing content for national and international broadcasters. I soon moved my focus on TV-Film content assessment, working with Channel 44, NHK World and several Film Festivals monitoring, assessing and classifying their content. I currently classify for SBS (Australia).
With a strong focus and passion for editorial excellence, I keep striving to find more opportunities for new and established filmmakers, as well as organising screenings in Sydney to share more great content with the community.
Join Team AniMate
If you are an animation enthusiast and wish to dedicate some time helping our community festival, please be in touch! Roles very from practical help at our events, to joining the Selection Committee.
Join our Jury Panel
We are currently looking for experienced industry professionals to join our Jury Panel. You will help us select the best projects submitted to our competitions. If that sounds like you, please get in touch today!
Dana Orrock-Binnington
Events Volunteer
Daniel Tissot
Events and Selection Committee Volunteer
Futoshi Sasaki and Paolo Polimeni
Events Volunteer and Festival Director
Rowan Rapisarda
Selection Committee Volunteer
Annie Lam
Marketing Assistant
Ada Basford
Volunteer Graphic Designer
Taylor Whitehead
Events and Photographer Volunteer
Leo Hoang
Events Volunteer
Ken Cantrill
Selection Committee Volunteer
Adriana Zamora Arceo
Selection Committee Volunteer
Jacqueline Qin
Events and Social Media Volunteer
Meet the AniMate Jury
Sean Callinan
Sean has been a designer and director working in live action, animation, motion graphics, and visual communication since 1980. He was nominated for a Best Art Direction AFI Award in 1988, was part of the team that won the first ever ARIA Award for Music Video and has received multiple other accolades. He has been an educator in screen-based design for over thirty years and is currently Head of Department for Animation and Game Design at JMC Academy in Sydney, Australia.
Soheil Seraji
Soheil Seraji was born in 1992 in Iran. He is an Animation artist, a university lecturer, and a researcher. Additionally, he is a video and new media artist. He studied for a B.A. in painting and an M.A. in illustration at the University of Tehran, and he is currently a Ph.D. student in art studies at the same institution. His works have been screened, exhibited and awarded in various countries, including the USA, Canada, Germany, Iran, Italy, Greece, Spain, India, France, Poland, Brazil, Argentina, Romania, and Russia. Among his other activities are research and writing books in the field of animation, co-founding and being the secretary of the Forum of Animation at the University of Tehran, serving as a jury member in some art and animation events, and teaching at the University of Tehran.
Tanja Barjaktarevic
As the Director and Art Director of Aenima, a 3D animation production company based in Sydney, Australia, Tanja has played a pivotal role in nurturing and cultivating the company's network of industry connections. Her rich and diverse background spans a spectrum of responsibilities, including art direction, production, and artistic leadership across numerous animated series and projects. Driven by her diverse skill set and an enduring love for narrative through animation, Tanja continues to be a vibrant presence in the domains of film and animation.