Award-winning director Ana Gusson’s PIVOT challenges female perceptions in an overbearing society

Growing up in a world where there are many differing opinions on how a girl should behave can be challenging. Ana Gusson’s incredible animation short PIVOT which is based on a true story and written by Robyn Campbell shares the story of 12-year-old Ashley who is being forced to wear a frilly frock by her mother whilst Ashley has other aspirations in life.

Pivot is the story of 12-year-old Ashley, a girl who doesn’t align with her mother’s perfect image of who she should be.

Ana Gusson is an award-winning director (ISABEL & NICKI’S SUPER DUPER TWIN ADVENTURES) and accomplished 2D Animator based in Vancouver. She has worked as an animator in productions like MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE, Netflix’s ARCHIBALDS NEXT BIG THING and Dreamworks’ TROLLSTOPIA. Most recently, Ana directed PIVOT an award-winning short film that is on its festival run with great success.

Robyn Campbell is an award-winning Canadian screenwriter with a passion for animated content, currently writing for LEGO FRIENDS produced by The LEGO Group. As a bisexual female millennial, Robyn creates characters and stories that are inclusive, diverse and encourage audiences to be themselves, even when it’s difficult.

Producer Tini Wider who is currently based in Canada owns her own production company Wider Entertainment Inc which has been a huge milestone in her career. After producing PIVOT she is now working as a VFX Producer on an animated CG feature film at Industrial Light and Magic.

Cindey Chiang is an award-winning Art Director and Visual Development Artist. She has contributed to a variety of productions ranging from animating on the Beatles “Covers” ad for Apple to working on both of THE ANGRY BIRDS movies as a Visual Development Artist. Cindey is currently a Visual Development Artist on the GARFIELD animated feature, set to release in 2024.

Erica Miles is an award-winning Animation Director living in Vancouver. She has worked on a number of exciting projects including the award-winning HILDA, 101 DALMATION STREET, TROLLSTOPIA , and YOUNG LOVE for clients like Netflix, Disney, Dreamworks, and Sony/HBO Max. Erica is currently working on a series for Disney at Atomic Cartoons.

Eva Pekárová is a composer and musician crafting compelling scores in documentaries, films, and animations. Notably, Eva earned recognition as the chosen composer for the WIA ACE program where she collaborated with her team to create the short film, PIVOT, which has since gained widespread international acclaim. Presently, Eva is expanding her creative horizons by working with live orchestras and weaving the rich tapestry of Eastern European folk instruments into her genre-defying upcoming album.

This thought-provoking and culturally influential animated short has qualified to be considered for a 2024 Academy® Award.