Regina Pessoa

Born

1969-12-16

Birthplace

Coimbra, Portugal

Biography

Regina Pessoa is a Portuguese animator and director who was born on the 16th of December, 1969. She was born in Coimbra, Portugal, but lived in a village near the city until she was seventeen years old. Without a TV, she spent her time reading, listening to the older ones telling stories and also painting her grandmother's house doors and walls using charcoal, encouraged by her uncle. She graduated in painting from University of Porto in 1998 and during her time as a student she took part in different animation workshops, having participated in Espace Projets (Annecy, 1995) with the short "A Noite", which she would finish in 1999. In 1992 she started working in Filmógrafo - Estúdio de Cinema de Animação do Porto, where she collaborated as animator in various films. Her short "Tragic Story with Happy Ending" is the most awarded Portuguese film ever. Her short animated film, "Kali, the Little Vampire" was awarded the Hiroshima prize at the 2012 Hiroshima international animation festival, the "1st Prize Animated Short Film – CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL 2013", "The Golden Gate Award for Best Animation Short - 56th SAN FRANCISCO INT. FILM FESTIVAL 2013", "40TH Annie Awards Nomination in the Best Animated Short Subject Category 2013", Nomination for the Cartoon d’Or 2013.