AniMela - AMS Team
The Core TEAM
Festival President
- CEO at Toonz Media Group
- Accomplished media & entertainment professional with over a decade of proven managerial & strategic experience in the international animation industry.
- Co-Executive Producer for award winning animated television shows, feature films for media production houses like Walt Disney, Marvel Studios, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studio’s, Lions Gate, Hallmark, BBC, Sony Entertainment and Cartoon Network.
Festival Director
- 6 President’s National Film Awards
- 15 International awards besides 50+ assorted awards for defining works.
- Conceived & Co-founded: The Animation Society of India.
- Jury – Mumbai International Festival (2006 & 2020) .
- Presented ‘India Animation Retrospective’ at Annecy.
Artistic Director
- Media professional with 2 decades of experience in film & entertainment events.
- Head of Program : IIFA Film Festivals, IKFF and Indian Retrospective at Marrakech International Film Fest.
- Cross-culture facilitator between European & Indian festivals, producers & distributors.
General Secretary
- Visionary leader with expertise in IT, finance, and AVGC-XR sector, leveraging a strategic blend of skills to drive innovation.
- Founder & CEO of Bhooshans Junior, India’s first Kids Tech-Tainment company, launched in 2019.
- Established Oseye Media Technologies Pvt Ltd in 2013, focusing on Indian AVGC-XR industry.
- Former Vice President at Indiabulls Securities LTD
Event Director
- 3 decades of marketing renowned brands & IPs on national & international platforms: IIFA Awards for 7 years.
- The Times of India Film Awards in Vancouver & South Africa India Film & Television Awards 2013.
- Managed opening & closing ceremonies: 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi & launched the Mumbai Indians with Reliance Industries.
Executive Director
- Media professional with 18+ years of experience; a decade in the children’s content space.
- Artistic Director: International Kids Film Festival 2020, India.
- Producer of 75+ award-winning short films for children with 7 National Award Films.
Education & Youth Director
- Artist & storyteller who uses film, illustration & writing to inform & enlighten her audience.
- National Award recipient in 2016 for the film Hum Chitra Banate Hain(We Make Images)
- Honored with Ram Mohan award for Excellence in Animation
- Recipient of “The Legend of Indian Animation award” from Toonz Media Group in 2021.
- Jury Member at Annecy 2024
Corporate Alliances
- M&E Professional with 20+ years of experience; recognized in multiple roles as speaker, presenter, jury, etc.
- Set up content practice for Unilever at Mindshare; set up revenue vertical for Times studio
- Business development for films and series at Climb Media
Transmedia Curator
- Established career across multinational media companies, founded digital art label, led gaming startup, and established design communication agency specializing in transmedia content creation for European and Asian markets
- Specializing in transmedia approaches focusing on transforming children’s engagement from passive consumption to active digital authorship, leveraging expertise in analog-digital environments
- Currently leading GUPPY THEATRE to advance these goals, combining expertise in media, design, and child-centric creative development.
BOARD OF ADVISORS
Mickaël Marin
Director, Annecy Animation Film Festival and MIFA - France
Ashish Kulkarni
Chairman, FICCI for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comics - India
Mohit Soni
Chief Executive Officer, Media & Entertainment Skills Council (MESC) - India
Milind Shinde
Founder & CEO, 88 Pictures
India
Aneta Ozorek
Artistic Director of Kaboom Animation Festival, film curator, and education expert - Netherlands
Akash Menon
Head of Sports and Gaming, Tulsea - India
Upamanyu Bhattacharyya
Film Director, Illustrator - India
Neeraj Roy
Founder & CEO, Hungama Digital Media - India
Arjun Madhavan
CEO, Assemblage Entertainment, Animation film producer - India
