Lina Kalcheva is an award-winning animation director from Bulgaria, and a recent graduate from the UK's National Film and Television School. Coming from a painting background, Lina has studied Fine Art, Theatre, Film and Animation. Her NFTS graduation film Other Half premiered in Cannes Festival’s Cinéfondation selection and has screened in multiple film festivals, notably winning the Anima't Award for Best Short Animation at the Oscar-qualifying Sitges Film Festival, as well as awards in Cardiff Animation Festival, Premiers Plans Angers, Mecal Pro, Fancine and In the Palace IFF. In 2023 it became a Vimeo Staff pick, and currently has about 25K views.
Lina works in 2D, multiplane, stop-motion and in-between; using combinations of drawing, painting, clay and found natural materials. She is interested in experimenting and mixing techniques that can illustrate strange and exciting character-driven stories. Her films are inspired by mythology, nature, the occult, identity and human relationships.
I'm currently securing fincance for my next short, Dawn Chorus, which is ready for pre-production, as well as developing another short, Members Only.
I'm available for freelance work - storyboarding, character design, art direction, animation, teaching or workshops; in/around London or remote.
FILMOGRAPHY
Tea is Served (in development), co-dir. with Casey Lodge, script by Hannah Kelso and prod. by Michelle Brøndum
(short VR game)
artistic director
Dawn Chorus (in development), written by Laura Jayne Tunbridge and produced by Michelle Brøndum
(stop-motion animated short)
director/animator
Attenborough’s Wonder of Song (2022), dir. by Beth Jones and Mike Birkhead
(2D animated segments in natural history film)
2D illustrator/animator
Other Half (2021), written by Laura Jayne Tunbridge and produced by Michelle Brøndum
(mixed media multiplane stop-motion; premiered at Cannes Cinéfondation; Award Winner Anima't Sitges)
director/animator
something’s bugging me (2019)
(multiplane stop-motion)
director/animator
Birthmark (2019), written by Laura Jayne Tunbridge and Tom van Overloop
(2D charcoal paper animation)
director/animator
A Peach (2018)
(2D digital animation)
director/animator/writer/producer/editor
Sloom Circus (2018), co-directed with Asheila Amara and Bibie Wataniyakun
(VR paint-on-glass experimental short)
co-director/animator
Paula Rego: Making the Real Thing (2017), made in collaboration between LCC and TATE
(2D digital short with oil-painted textures)
director/animator
Pinky’s Pleasure Park (2016), made for exchange exhibition in Shanghai
(stop-motion with natural materials)
director/animator
EDUCATION
MA Directing Animation, National Film and Television School (grad. 2021)
MA Animation, London College of Communication, UAL (grad. 2018)
BA Art and Film & Theatre, University of Reading (grad. 2017)
American College of Sofia (grad. 2013)