Ilija Brunck, CEO, Woodblock

Ilija Brunck, partner and CEO of the German animation studio Woodblock, is dedicated to fostering a creative, sustainable, and human-friendly digital culture. With a rich background in animation, he's produced numerous short films like "458nm", "Loom", and "Bye Bear", earning accolades including Siggraph's Best in Show and the Golden Nica at Ars Electronica.

Throughout his career, Brunck has worked with a diverse range of clients, from Greenpeace and Apple to Netflix and Sphere. He's an active participant in industry panels, shares his expertise at the Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg, and has had his work featured in notable publications. He's passionate about nurturing an environment of joy and innovation in content creation.

Nicholas Cabana, co-founder, Claynosaurz

Nicholas Cabana is an Annie–nominated animation veteran whose career spans work on acclaimed projects such as Game of Thrones, Jurassic World, Bumblebee, The Suicide Squad, Fantastic Beasts, and Paddington 2. 

Nic began his career at Sony Animation, and later acted as Animation Supervisor at leading studios including Framestore, Rodeo FX, and Scanline, guiding teams to deliver world-class creature animation across both film and television. He’s also worked closely with recording artists like Kaytranada on award-winning music videos

Cabana is Co-founder of Claynosaurz, a pioneering transmedia brand recognized for its innovation in community-driven storytelling, animation, collectibles, and social-media strategies. What began as an experiment by veteran animators three years ago, "Claynos" has won over 40 industry awards and grown into an IP ecosystem spanning content, games, products, and an upcoming series.     

Fabian Driehorst, Co-Founder, CEO, Fabian&Fred

Fabian Driehorst is an animation producer and co-founder of the Hamburg based production studio Fabian&Fred and Halle based POM POM Animation. His critically acclaimed films have been widely distributed. In 2023 he was awarded the Producer Prize for International Co-Production at Filmfest Hamburg, and in 2019 he received the Documentary Producer Award at DOKfest Munich.
He is a board member of PROG - Producers of Germany and served as chairman of ASIFA Germany for 4 years until 2025. He got admitted to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the European Film Academy and Deutsche Filmakademie. Fabian is a regular lecturer at international film schools and training initiatives. In 2023 he became a mentor for WIA (Women in Animation), in 2024 for New Ways New World a program for Japanese animators.

Katharina Weser, Co-Founder, CEO, Reynard Films & Yoga Studio

Katharina Weser is a producer working at the intersection of arthouse cinema, XR, and games. She is the co-founder of Reynard Films and Yaga Studio, two companies operating across film production, immersive media, and real-time technologies.

Founded in 2016, Reynard Films focuses on international co-productions in auteur cinema, with works presented at major festivals such as Karlovy Vary, SXSW, and the Venice Biennale. Her work has received numerous international awards, including the Immersive Grand Jury Prize in Venice, the Audience Award at SXSW, a Special Mention in Karlovy Vary, and the International Producer’s Award at Filmfest Hamburg.

In 2024, Weser co-founded Yaga Studio as a creative and technological counterpart, developing interactive XR experiences, games, and immersive formats.

Together, both companies form a game engine–based ecosystem that bridges film, interactive media, and artistic research. Alongside their productions, they develop tools and workflows in real-time engines, VFX, and AI-driven pipelines—seeking scalable solutions across all formats. Their projects have received multiple awards and have been showcased internationally.