back

Signe: Biography

Signe was born in Latvia and educated in Moscow. She has BA degree in Philosophy. Although she was a published writer since age 14, philosophy inspired Signe to turn to an animated story telling. She started to work at Riga's Animated Film Studio at the lowest possible position - cell painter. In few years she gained enough experience to write, direct, design 3 animated shorts, produced at the studio on government grants. The films were recognized at the international festival circle. Signe had a good reputation as a new Latvian animation director.

Longing for a stronger challenge and a bigger pond, Signe left Riga in 1995 for New York, where she started to work at independent animation star Bill Plympton's studio at the lowest possible position - cell painter. In few years she gained enough experience of the wild capitalism to start producing film on her own and in 2002 she left Bill's studio to start her own small studio.

Since her arrival to New York she has produced and co-produced, written, directed and designed eight independent animated shorts. Signe has also continued her collaboration with Latvia's leading animation studio, Rija Films, where she has directed two of her own stories since 1995.

Her films have been screened at such prestigious festivals as Annecy, Tribeca, Sundance, Berlin, and Ottawa, and have received numerous awards.

Signe is a member of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a Fellow in Film from the New York Foundation for the Arts.

Besides her own career Signe is also interested in promoting other people's work. She advises series of film festivals in USA on their animation programs, as well as she curates special shows where she personally presents films and filmmakers. Animation is a passion for Signe, as well as a lifestyle.

Filmography:

2009: Birth, 12 min, USA/Italy. A young woman (17), Amina is pregnant and afraid to give birth. For consolation and adcise she goes to older women but their stories scare her even more.

2007: Teat Beat of Sex: Episodes 8, 9, 10, 11, 7 min, USA/Italy. A take on first kiss, first make out session, first sex from a girl's point of view. Awards: Best Animation at Florida Film Festival, Honorable mention at BeFilm Festival, 3rd Place at ASIFA-East Animation Awards

2007: The Very First Desire Now and Forever, 1 min, New York. Do you remeber your first desire?

2007: Veterinarian, 17 min, Rija Animated film studio, Latvia. A story about a vet with a broken heart. Awards: Honorable Mention for the Best International Short Animation Award at GIRAF, Excellence in Animation at ASIFA-East Animation Awards, Best Animated Short at Staten Island Film festival, Special Prize for Ecological Film at Animator 2008 - the 1st International Animated Film Festival Poland

2007: Teat Beat of Sex, 4 min, USA/Italy/Latvia/Switzerland. A take on sex exclusively from a woman's point of view. Shocking! Awards: Second Place in Animation category at BeFilm The Underground Film Festival 2007, Excellence in Writing/Humor at ASIFA-East Festival 2007, Jury Award at The First Sundays Film Festival, Best Film Award at FunFest, Honorable Mention at Ottawa Int'l Animation Festival 2007, Honorable Mention at Woodstock Film Festival, Fez d'Or Award at Darryl's Hard Liquor and Porn Film Festival, Honorable Mention at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival - Animated Dreams, Film Brigade : Best Of 2007, The Eileen Maitland Award at the 46th Ann Arbor Film Festival (2008), The Best International Animation of FIAE 2007, Special Mention at International Women's Film Festival FEMINA 2008, Winner of ?K? award at Molise Film Festival, Best Animation at 10th Annual Hi Mom! Film Festival

2005: Five Infomercials for Dentists, 4 min, New York. The five bizarre infomercials introduce dentists to the essential tools of their trade - latex gloves, anesthesia, crowns and chocolate. Writing, directing, design, animation. Awards: Second Place in the category of promotional and commercial films at 36th ASIFA -East Festival (2005), Second Prize Indpendent Exposure 2006

2005: Dentist, 10 min, New York. An enthusiastic dentist, a reluctant patient and a strange picture on the wall... Writing, directing, design, animation. Awards: Best Animation (Audience Award) at Red Shift Film Festival 2005 (New York), Third Best Animation award of Tribeca Underground Film Festival 2005, Best Short Animation Award at Wreck Beach International Film Festival, Best Picture - Short Film and Best Auteur at Blue November Micro Film Festival 2005, Audience Award at L'Alternativa 2005 12th Barcelona Independent Film Festival, Honorable Mention at Hi Mom! Film Festival 2005, Monthly Prize Winner (for August) at The Moviefone Short Film Festival 2005, Honorable Mention at 25th Black Maria Festival 2006, Finalist for the Pawky.com Little Contest, Best Film From Baltics at Third Vilnius Independent Film and Video Art Festival -"Next Festival 2006", Palme d'Schnorrer for Best in Show at Heeb Film Festival 2006

2002: Woman, 10 min, Rija Animated Film Studio, Latvia. A personal myth of creation of a woman and her two ways to encounter a man. Script, directing, design. Awards: First Place at ASIFA East Festival, Kristaps Award (Latvian equivalent of Oscars) for Best Design in Animated Films Category, Silver at New York Exposition of Short Film and Video, First Place Award for Best Cell Animation at 2nd Annual Garden State Film Festival

2002: Five Fucking Fables, 7 min, New York City. 5 separate, slightly immoral stories. Writing, directing, design, animation. Awards: Special Jury Award at Woodstock Film Festival, Honorable Mention at Boston Underground Film Festival, Jury Award at The First Sundays Film Festival - The Very Best of Short Comedy Films 2004, Best Animation Award at Coney Island Film Festival 2004

2001: Natasha, 10 minutes, New York City. Conceived and rendered with Josh Rechnitz. A story about a neglected housewife who falls in love with a vacuum cleaner. Awards: Second Place at Caroline's Comedy Club Funny Shorts Festival

1999: The Threatened One, 4 minutes, New York City. An animated, visual interpretation of the poem by Jorge Luis Borges. Direction, design, animation. Awards: Silver at Worldfest - Houston Film Festival 2000, Robbie Burns Award at Cin(e) Poetry Festival 2000, Jury Award at 34th New York Exposition of Short Film and Video 2000

1998: Love Story, 3 minutes, New York City. Script, design, and animation. A story about the separation of love and sex. Awards: First award in category of animated films at Montevideo International Film Festival, Uruguay,1999, Best animated short at 99? Long Island Film Festival, Bronze Award at Worldfest - Houston International Film Festival, 1999

1995: The Gold of the Tigers, 21 minutes, Dauka Animation Studio, Riga, Latvia. Script, design, and direction. A Borges-like tale about tigers that switch the customary places of dream and reality.

1993: Tiny Shoes, 10 minutes, Dauka Animation Studio, Riga, Latvia. Script, design, and direction. A modern Freudian fairy tale about a girl, her father, a prince, and a dragon. Awards: Grand Prix recipient at Minsk International Women's Film Festival, Belorussia, 1995

1991: The Witch and the Cow, 2 minutes, Dauka Animation Studio, Riga, Latvia. Script, design, and direction. A tiny witch tries to milk an immense cow. Things get out of her control.