Nuno Taborda

Director and Animator of “Alvéolos” – 2D Animated Short Film

Self Employed • Autônomo

Mar 2025 - Jun 2026 • 1 yr 3 mos

"Alvéolos" is my most ambitious personal project to date: an original 2D animated short film currently in awaiting +$100,000 funding approval. It combines artistic storytelling with a distinctive visual style and is designed for an international festival audience. The goal is to produce a high-quality independent animated film while also documenting the creative process behind it. The project includes behind-the-scenes content, development updates, and a deep exploration of the animation pipeline from concept to production. As creator and director, I developed the story, visual identity, teaser animation, character designs, and environment concepts. The project has already been presented at pitch sessions at Portugal’s leading animation festivals, CINANIMA and MONSTRA, where it was introduced to industry professionals and potential partners. "Alvéolos" is currently being submitted for a $125,000 production grant and already involves a multidisciplinary team of 10 collaborators, with plans to expand significantly once funding is secured and full production begins. I lead the creative direction of the project, overseeing story development, visual design, animation planning, and production coordination while guiding the team throughout the development process.

Lighting, Shadows & Mask Painting for "Old Dog" Short-Film

company • Freelance

Sep 2025 - Nov 2025 • 2 mos

As a freelance 2D Animator, I joined the international production of Old Dog, a 2D animated short film co-produced by Sardinha em Lata (Portugal), Midralgar (France), Martin Calme (France/Korea), and Worksheep Studio (Romania). Working remotely as part of the Worksheep Studio team, I collaborated with artists from multiple countries on one of the most ambitious European independent animation productions of its year. My primary responsibilities focused on the final visual treatment of animated scenes. I painted shadows, highlights, and cast shadows on character animation that had already been completed by the animation team, ensuring every shot matched the film's artistic direction and maintained visual consistency throughout production. This required careful attention to lighting, shadows and character volume while working within an established production pipeline. The project gave me valuable experience collaborating on a large-scale international production involving multiple studios, where precision, communication, and consistency across teams were essential. It strengthened my ability to integrate seamlessly into professional workflows and deliver production-ready work that met the high visual standards expected from an internationally co-produced animated film.

Director and Animator of "Nuno" – Award-Winning 2D Animated Short Film

Self Employed • Autônomo

Jan 2024 - Dec 2024 • 11 mos

"Nuno" (2024) is a 4-minute multiple award-winning independent 2D animated short film that I directed, created, and animated from concept to completion. The film explores themes of family, memory, and personal identity through visual storytelling. My goal was to create an emotionally engaging film while showcasing strong character animation and a distinctive cinematic style. I handled the full production process, including concept development, storyboarding, character design, animation, compositing, editing, and direction. The project required managing every stage of production independently over a full year, ensuring narrative cohesion and visual consistency from start to finish. "Nuno" has received multiple international awards, including Audience Award (Revoluções Curtas 2025 – FILMIN Film Festival), Best Sound (12th Top Indie Film Awards), and Best Animated Short Film (3rd Makizhmithran International Film Festival). It also received several nominations and Honorable Mentions across international festivals. The film has been selected at over 25 international film festivals, including IndieLisboa (Portugal), Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (Germany), Torino Underground Cinefest (Italy), and Athens Animfest (Greece), among others. It is also distributed on FILMIN (2025–2027) and included in the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Market (2026).