Sinem Vardarli

Directing Duo – United Kingdom

Luca Schenato (Italy) and Sinem Vardarli (Istanbul) are an award-winning, London-based directing duo and multidisciplinary artists specializing in narrative-driven animated films. Their work blends distinctive visual storytelling with emotional depth, spanning commercials, series, and short films.

They have directed projects for leading production companies and contributed to acclaimed television series, including Cartoon Network’s The Amazing World of Gumball and the BAFTA-winning Floogals.

Since 2010, they have written and directed several short films — Fingers Tale, A Pistol Against My Head, and The Brave Heart — which have received multiple awards and screened at international festivals such as the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Anima Mundi, and the Atlanta Film Festival.

Their latest film, Dreamwalker, recently premiered at the SITGES Film Festival and won Best Animated Short Film at FilmQuest (U.S.), marking the beginning of its festival journey.