Lesego Vorster: [Chief Animation Supervisor // Animation Director // Co-founder of The Hidden Hand Studios (THHS)] Lesego Vorster is best known for creating and directing the “You Give Me Heart” short in the award winning Disney+ Afro-futurist animated anthology series Kizazi Moto. However, as one of the co-founders of the Johannesburg-based animation production company, The Hidden Hand Studios, Vorster has long been the face of rising artistic talent from the continent. A position he does not take lightly. Lesego considers himself a teacher at heart, and with his creative partner Ross Lelliott they use their studio as a pipeline to access African talent and as a training ground to further develop Johannesburg as a hub of Black animation.

Osiokeh Ikharo: [Writer // Executive Producer // Sound Director] Osiokeh Ikharo (Ōce-yō-keh Ē-khä-rōh) is a Los Angeles-based Nigerian-American filmmaker and screenwriter with an abiding love for animation. A love which motivated her to move to Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher and craft narratives while pretending to make lesson plans. Her stories are infused with heart; centered around emotionally flawed but ultimately sympathetic characters who often struggle to relate to the world around them. In telling the story of if(fy), it was important to Osiokeh to partner with Black creatives to lend further authenticity to her characters. As a graduate from UC Berkeley in both African-American Studies and Mass Communications she believes that truly diverse storytelling can only happen if we diversify the talents that go into creating them. Everything else is blackface.

Jadyn Wilson, the creative force of Behind His Eyes, is a passionate advocate for amplifying Black voices. With her versatile skills, she not only directs but sparks meaningful conversations and challenges stereotypes. Her conscious approach reflects dedication to truthful narratives, contributing to positive social change. Jadyn hopes to inspire future generations to craft stories that resonate with diverse audiences.

Statement:

Due to my difficulty to be open with others and their lack of sensitivity, I did not have strong relationships with the people who were closest to me as I was growing up. Because of this, I regrettably missed out on several wonderful connections, which had me wondering: How can I improve? This query inspired me to create a coming-of-age story that explores all of my concerns and thoughts regarding vulnerability as well as the difficulties I have had when being open and vulnerable with Black men. As I have stated before, the thought of being resilient for Black people can be dangerous, because it portrays the idea that we have to quickly get up after every hit and given our history, there have been many. As a Black woman, when I show emotion, it is out of the ordinary, and I know my reality. However, I have observed the role of Black men in my life growing up and I wanted to dive deeper into that. I may have watched but I never will know the full experience. I don't want to give an entire history lesson (and I shouldn’t have to) but Black men don’t get the chance to be seen as soft or open, not just in America but everywhere. Even now the world is starting to see more representation of Black men in softer roles and with Behind His Eyes I want to add to that. This story is special to me because I have taken every aspect of my knowledge and incorporated it into characters. Deon represents that side of Black men who do not focus on their vulnerability and lack to have meaningful relationships with others. Tanisha represents the “Strong Black Woman” and the need to keep looking forward which can distract her from looking at the present, and Mr. Kelly represents the side of the world that wants to see Black men do better. I hope people walk away from this story wanting to do better and think about sharing themselves and allowing themselves to have those moments despite how hard it may be. Behind anyone's eyes lies a million stories and an individual that has lived a unique life, and one of the most beautiful things is to discover that person. With that being said I am confident that Behind His Eyes will successfully tell this story not just for me but for Black men who have felt that they can’t be vulnerable with others.

Cyriel Guds is born in 1988 and is a Dutch-Surinamese filmmaker. He has directed, written, and produced various short films and web series. His work includes a mix of short films, feature films, and web series, often focusing on emotional and social themes. Currently, his first feature film ‘Loverboy: no emotions’ has been screened in Dutch cinemas for weeks, and he has received the 'Golden Film' award for the significant number of visitors it has attracted.

Dir. Statement

I can still vividly remember the intense joy with which she told me that I was going to be an uncle. But I remember even better how my nephew told me that their baby had died. The words hit me hard, but the defeated look in his eyes affected me the most. What should I say to my nephew? How do you comfort someone in such a situation? I have no idea. I have witnessed up close how their relationship ultimately fell apart: guilt, blame, depression, and loneliness. But how would I handle it if I found the love of my life and experienced something like this? Often the focus is on the woman, because she has literally lost something physical, but what about the man? "Oh, come on, he shouldn't be so worked up; he didn't carry the baby himself, and besides, it wasn't even fully developed yet." But we men feel something too, often more than we dare to show. I think people underestimate what a miscarriage can do to a man, and honestly, I have never seen a film about this; it needs to be told! The script has come about through the traumatic experience of my nephew, my empathy, online research and the question, "What if this happened to me?"

Ruben began his journey in film by making fan films and recording things around him. In high school, he created a 40-minute coming-of-age drama, and after graduating, he moved to New York to document people in his surroundings. Some nights spent with local youth led to the documentary *Lite Feet*, about a young man and his friends dancing in the subway for spare change. The film was shown at multiple festivals and even mentioned on CNN International.

While in New York, Ruben directed music videos for artists like Zebra Katz, Bijules, and Skerrit Boy. Driven by a desire to improve his screenwriting, he started a writing group in New York in 2014, followed by another in Stockholm when he returned in 2016. In 2018, he directed his first fictional short film, *Processen*.

Statement:

To make a complex question filmable, I needed to condense the larger context into a smaller, more manageable one. I aimed to use the power of film to take difficult topics and present them as accessible drama. We focused on creating a "small" story with close relationships that illustrate the human condition in this context.

Since the situation isn't just Swedish but European, I chose to have the characters speak English, even though the film is set in Sweden. I also decided not to specify their country of origin, opting for a more allegorical story that focused on personal relationships. This led me to emphasize the mother-daughter dynamic.

The film's arc follows the characters' journey from conflict and anger to reconciliation and love. The mother has witnessed terrible things she must come to terms with, while the daughter must accept and forgive her for her flaws. Forgiving our parents for their vulnerability is universal but heightened when they’ve experienced extreme horrors. Many immigrants face this challenge.

My father grew up with parents who fled to Sweden after surviving the Holocaust. I often saw how lovingly he adjusted to meet their needs. Though they never overcame their memories and traumas, the family found a way to move forward and find happiness in Sweden. This experience was important to me in making this film.

Lassa Kossangué is a Franco-Central African filmmaker born in the Central African Republic. Passionate about music, he founded the rap group "C-WA SOUL" in 1996, a pioneer in the Central African rap scene. In 2001, faced with political instability in the Central African Republic, he fled his homeland to France. After holding various jobs in France, he received audiovisual training funded by FONGECIF in 2014, becoming a director after studying at ESRA (Ecole Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle) in Paris. He interned at the sports television channel "Media 365" and directed several music videos for Central African artists. In 2023, he founded "Oubangui Films," a film production company for Francophone African countries. In April 2024, he directed his first short documentary titled *"Africa at the Gates of Paris,"* which was nominated at the 2024 Beyond the Curve International Film Festival (BCIFF) and the 2024 Swedish International Film Festival (SIFF), Official selection at the 2024 Serbest International Film Festival (SIFF) in Serbia, 2024 Vancouver Black Independent Film Festival (VBIFF) in Canada. And the 2024 the Red Movie Awards (RMA) in France(Reims).

Born and raised in Mali, Rokiatou Konaté lives in France, where she divides her time

between an office job and her film projects.

Influenced by Iranian cinema, Souleymane Cissé, and Wong Kar-Wai, her films portray the world around her, capturing its joys and sorrows.

In 2019, she joined the association 1000 Visages, where she shared her passion with other young people during writing and directing workshops. Between 2020 and 2022, she co-wrote and co-directed "The Clockwork of Sunflower," a short film produced for France Télévisions.

In 2023, she made her first solo short film "Sɛbɛn" in Mali, which she also co-produced. "Sɛbɛn" has been selected for several festivals around the world (South Africa, Nigeria, the UK, France, Ghana, and Germany).

Director Statement

With SƐBƐN, which means paper in bambara, I wanted to capture the cultural estrangement experienced by many people in the diaspora - the feeling of not really belonging to any of the worlds we inhabit.