Motion North 55 | One6th | Cookie Studio | Sian Warren

One6th
Based on the poem by Dean Atta and narrated by Jordan Stephens, Two Black Boys in Paradise is a short stop-motion film exploring the intimate and emotional world of Edan (19) and Dula (18), two young Black men navigating the nuances of love and identity. The film takes viewers on a poetic journey that echoes the emotional highs and lows of coming into oneself and out to the world. Here, paradise is not just a place, but a state of being—fragile and threatened by internalised fear, shame, and societal expectations.

------
Cookie Studio
Thiago Maia is a Brazilian-born creative director, animator, and occasional troublemaker who has been shaping the animation and motion design industry since 1999 — despite once being described (accurately) as a “naughty young monkey” from the concrete jungle of São Paulo.

Now based in London, Thiago is the founder and creative director of Cookie Studio, a boutique animation studio known for bold design and playful storytelling, creating work for clients including BBC, Amazon, Cartoon Network, and Pringles.

------
Sian Warren
A Creature Modeler with almost a decade of experience, working for large VFX houses like ILM London, MPC Film character Lab, Trixter and more.

She has worked on a broad range of species; alive, extinct and alien for films, advertising, tv production and realtime. To publications with The Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology; collaborating alongside Professor of Biology: Dr Stuart Sumida and The Museums of Natural History. Recent credits include: Monarch Season 2, The Dinosaurs and Mufasa: The Lion King. She is now working as a Freelance Snr Creature Artist at Taken Media Arts, Facts Dinosaurs, Exetinct and creating educational model tutorials with FXPHD and Maxon Zbrush.