Zuzanna Szyszak

ANIMATION DIRECTOR & ILLUSTRATOR & LECTURER

Author’s animated short films

SAFARI CLUB | animated 2D short film

„Safari Club” is a place where partygoers can cut loose, run wild and display animalistic behaviour. A girl gets ready to go out hunting and is about to have the wildest night-out of her life, in every sense of „wild”. 

AJDE! | animated 2D short film

„Ajde!” („Come on!” in Serbian) tells a story of a Serbian boy, who once had a dream of becoming the best tennis player in the world and winning Wimbledon. No matter what, and whatever it takes. 

An animated tribute to Novak Djokovic and a MA graduation film at the MA Character Animation at Central Saint Martins, University of Arts London.

GAJUSZ FOUNDATION | animated promotional video

MUSIC VIDEO

JUCHO | animated music video „Płyń Córeczko” for a Polish independent artist and songwriter Jucho. 

CZESŁAW ŚPIEWA animated music video to the song „Pożegnanie Malego Wojownika” („Farewell to the Little Warrior”) by a Polish-Danish band Czeslaw Śpiewa.

JAMAL | Opening sequence for the videoclip to the song „Defto”. Videoclip directed by Krzysztof Skonieczny.

PERSONAL PROJECTS

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BIO

Director, 2d animator and illustrator, as well as animation lecturer and doctor of arts – also interested in character design, motion graphics and art-directing. She has been working for over 10 years now, basing her practice on a mix of frame by frame animation and cut-out. Her director’s portfolio includes short films, music videos, campaigns, intros, explainers etc.

After graduating from MA Character Animation at University of Arts London she moved back to Warsaw, from where she kept working as a freelancer on domestic projects big and small, both animated and illustrated.

Her current weapon of choice is Procreate, in which she creates all of her frame-by-frame work – from short and sweet gifs to full-blown short films.

Winner of Jan Machulski Award in the “Best Animated Film” category for the film “Safari Club” (2024). Her short films and music videos were awarded and selected to such festivals as Animator, Yach Film Festival, Agrafa Biennale, O!pla, Młodzi i Film, Animateka, Polish Film Festival in Los Angeles, Sport Film Festival in Palermo and others.

FILMOGRAPHY  &  AWARDS

as Director & Scriptwriter

SAFARI CLUB | animated 2D short film 10′ 

  • Best Animated Film – Jan Machulski Polish Independent Cinema Award – Best Animated 
  • Golden Bundle Award – O!PLA Animation Festival

JUCHO | „Płyń Córeczko” animated music video 

O!PLA | festival teaser

ANIMOCJE | festival teaser

GAJUSZ FOUNDATION | animated promotional video 

POLISH FILM INSTITUTE | animated promotional video

AJDE! | Animated 2D short film 6′ 

  • Golden Paladin Award – 37th Sport Film Festival, Palermo, Italy 

CZESŁAW ŚPIEWA | „Pożegnanie małego wojownika” animated music video
AWARDS

  • Multimedia Award at X International Students’ Graphic Design Biennale – AGRAFA, Katowice
  • Best Animated Music Video – 21. YACH FILM FESTIVAL, Gdańsk
  • Best Music Video – O!PLA Film Festival

as Animator

Perception Box Stories Untangled | series by Big Think x Freethink x Unlikely Collaborators:
Michael Oher episode, Jack Osbourne episode, Shaka Senghor episode 

MŁODZI I FILM | festival teaser | character and layout design, 2d animation

WIZARD US | animated 2d short | lead animation

JAMAL DEFTO | animated footage for music video  

ŁOWY | animated 2d short | credits design