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Avni Shira
Born in Petakh Tikvah, Israel in 1974, Shira Avni was raised in Montreal. She graduated with a BFA in Animation from Concordia University in 1998, and has worked as a director and animator at the National Film Board of Canada from 1997 to the present. Her first film, From Far Away, part of the Talespinners Collection, has screened in over 30 festivals worldwide and has won several prizes, including the Golden Sheaf Award for Best Children's Production at the Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival.
Shira received her MFA in Film/Video/New Media from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in May 2003, and returned to Montreal to pursue her teaching and filmmaking career. She is currently a part-time faculty member at Concordia University's Cinema program, and has taught numerous animation workshops in Montreal, Chicago, and Seoul. Her 2004 film, John and Michael, continues her passion for creating innovative and challenging children's media.
