Zoltan Batho G, Producer & Educator, Cradle - Breda University of Applied Sciences

Zoltan is an award-winning, PRINCE2-certified producer with over 15 years of international experience across CG animation, Virtual Production, XR, and VFX. He has worked across Europe, Australia, and the US with leading creative studios such as Digic Pictures, Rotor Studios, and S1T2, managing technically complex productions and digital storytelling projects.

Currently, Zoltan is a producer and educator at Cradle, the research and development lab of Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) in the Netherlands. At Cradle, he leads digital innovation projects focused on real-time technology, AI, virtual humans, and immersive media. He is also actively involved in multiple EU-funded initiatives (including AVENUE Cove, Virtual Production Studio Network, and Paneurama) that aim to align education with industry needs in Virtual Production and the creative sectors.

Zoltan regularly speaks at international conferences such as FMX, Cannes, Annecy, MIA, VIEW, and VAF, sharing insights on the intersection of technology, education, and the future of digital media.

He also completed the Epic Games Unreal Fellowship in Storytelling, deepening his expertise in cinematic storytelling using Unreal Engine.

He is passionate about bridging industry and academia, empowering creative professionals with future-proof skills, and shaping the next generation of storytelling tools and practices.

Nira Bozkurt, AI Officer, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg

Nira is a creative executive, producer, and screenwriter combining traditional storytelling with generative AI and next-gen media production. Since September 2025, she has served as the AI Officer at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, where she advises on GenAI strategy, tools, education, and responsible AI integration across departments, and is establishing the Filmakademie’s international GenAI network. Her background spans feature films, series, audio fiction, XR, and AI-assisted production. She develops original IP and explores artistically controllable GenAI production workflows.

Her credits include a cinematic VR experience that premiered at the Venice International Film Festival, a multi-award-winning feature film, award-nominated feature screenplays and audio dramas, and the development of a German-Turkish series project at UFA Serial Drama for Netflix. As Creative Lead Germany at Pocket FM, Nira led AI-assisted serial formats - collaborating closely with growth and data teams - that reached over 34 million plays within eight months of the platform's market entry in Germany.

She is the creator of the VSP Protocol, an open-access (DOI) industry governance framework for auditable, IP-defensible AI-assisted production. Nira also serves on the selection committee of the Kuratorium junger deutscher Film (German Federal Film Funding) and works internationally as a speaker, consultant, and advisor on generative AI, AI ethics, production workflows, and governance. Her work focuses on how generative AI is redefining who creates, who owns, and how stories are produced and distributed.

Stuart Penn, VFX Supervisor, Framestore

Since joining Framestore in 2000 Stuart has worked on some of the world’s most celebrated films and franchises, from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight to Marvel's Avengers: Endgame, and Alfonso Cuarón's Oscar-winning Gravity. On Gravity, he helped develop the techniques used to shoot zero gravity scenes, working with motion control robots and the innovative LED lighting stage. 

José A. Rodríguez, Director of Business Development, Voxel School - Centro Universitario de Artes Digitales

With over 25 years of experience in animation and VFX, José A. is a highly experienced producer and studio executive. Currently Director of Business Development at Voxel School, he has spent more than 15 years in higher education, focused on connecting academic talent with the global industry.Having been involved in the animation industry since 1999 -serving as Line Producer for the first CG animation series produced in Spain- José has held key leadership roles at some of the country’s most prominent studios. He served as Head of Studio at The SPA Studios (working with Sony, Paramount, and Warner) and Orca Studios (managing VFX for Netflix and Amazon productions). His career also includes roles as Production Manager at Berliner Film Company and Executive Producer at Ilion Animation Studios (now Skydance Animation).

Saint Walker, VFX Postgraduate Leader

Saint John Walker is Programme Leader in postgraduate media at the UK's University of Hertfordshire with over 25 years of experience of teaching and training in the games, animation and VFX industries. Most recently Saint was Dean and Director of Industry Engagement at the UK’s Escape Studios and previous to that he designed, initiated and ran the VFX degree course at Norwich University of the Arts for four years.Saint is also the convenor, designer and chair of the popular Industry panels at the London International Animation Festival each year, and features on panels about HE and Industry. As a board member of the Visual Effects Society in the UK he organises panels and screenings.

Saint is the author of the well-respected Core Skills of VFX Handbook commissioned by the UK Screen Alliance. He was Creative Director for Epic Games’ Summer of Unreal 2021, a four week pan-European course that trained over 800 animation professionals in Unreal Engine. In 2020, Saint is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), and an active member of Access:VFX.