Manchester Animation Festival

Founder of the Human Made Mark, William Grave previously worked as a writer director. His films have earned BBC news coverage and won awards at international film festivals. Passionate about the human village that comes together to create and collaborate on a film, he developed the Human Made Mark as an antidote to the threat of generative AI for the millions of artists working across animation and live-acton film, TV and commercials. The Human Made Mark certifies and celebrates the fact no human artists were replaced by generative AI in the making of a film. Backed by Academy Award winners and by guilds and unions around the world, the Human Made Mark has certified films that have premiered at Cannes, Tribeca and the Toronto International Film festival, including Fanny Capu’s stop-motion film Pickled which will also be playing at MAF this year. The Human Made Mark features as an animated ident before a verified film, created by the BAFTA-longlisted animator Gagandeep Kaur Chahal, and as a certified mark in the end credits. Just as the Fairtrade label nudges people in the right direction in the supermarkets, the certification give audiences the opportunity to make an ethical decision in their viewing habits by choosing authenticity over artificial intelligence. It is a clear signal to those watching that a production put artists first, algorithms second. You can discover more about William and the Human Made Mark’s animation team on thehumanmademark.com/animation as well as follow their journey on Instagram @makeithumanmade