Usman Riaz
Director of The Glassworker — Mano Animation Studios
Usman Riaz is the director of The Glassworker and founder of Mano Animation Studios. A filmmaker, artist, composer and TED Senior Fellow, he is best known for leading Pakistan’s first hand-drawn animated feature film, a project developed over more than a decade.
The Glassworker premiered in competition at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival and also screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival and Hiroshima Animation Season. The film was Pakistan’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards and qualified for consideration in the Animated Feature Film category.
At SACC, Usman will share insights from building Mano Animation Studios from the ground up and the 10-year journey of making The Glassworker, offering a close look at the creative and production process behind hand-drawn animation.