Reza Riahi is a French-Iranian animation filmmaker and visual artist, author and director of several award-winning animated shorts. Born in Tehran, Iran, in 1988, he studied Fine Arts in Iran before continuing his training at the École Européenne Supérieure de l'Image (EESI) in Angoulême. He later specialized in animation directing at La Poudrière, graduating in 2014.
Reza’s films are known for their distinctive artistic direction and diverse animation techniques, including paper-cut stop motion, painting on glass, traditional 2D, digital animation, and clay animation. His approach blends poetic storytelling with visually rich craftsmanship.
His graduation film, Entre Chien et Loup (The Twilight Hour) (2014), was highly acclaimed, selected for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2015, and pre-bought by ARTE.
Reza was the artistic director of The Breadwinner (2017), directed by Nora Twomey, which was nominated for the Oscars®, Golden Globes, and Annies. The film won the Audience and Jury Prizes at Annecy and the Best Art Direction Award at the European Animation Awards.
His latest short film, Navozande, The Musician (2020), also pre-bought by ARTE, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was selected for over 80 festivals worldwide, winning Best Animated Short at Tribeca, Nashville, and Ficie. This film was also acquired by Paramount+ and was shortlisted for the 2022 Oscars.
Based in Paris and currently living in Madrid, Reza is developing his next animated short Assou, Song of the Valley, as well as his new multimedia project, inspired by The Conference of the Birds by Attar of Nishapur. During his artistic residency at Casa de Velázquez, he is expanding this universe through an animated film and a musical video-theatre performance. He also collaborates with TED-Ed and various artists and directors, including Kristin Scott Thomas on her debut feature film.
He is also dedicated to teaching and mentoring emerging animation talent in France through institutions such as Gobelins school,BAW animation residency, Les Femmes s’Animent, and MIFA Campus, fostering the next generation of creative voices.
