Mohamed Ghazala is an assistant professor of animation and the chair of the
School of Cinematic Arts at Effat University in Saudi Arabia. In addition to his academic role, he serves as the
Vice President of the International Animated Film Association,
ASIFA. He founded its first chapter in Africa and the Arab world.
He has served as a jury member for various international Film and animation festivals, including
Annie Awards (USA 2024)
Annecy (France 2021),
Zagreb
(Croatia 2023),
Manchester (UK 2023), Stuttgart (Germany 2011), Castelli Animati (Italy 2009), SICAF (Korea 2013),
Kecskemét (Hungary 2019) Animanima (Serbia 2009), AnimaAfrik (Ghana 2009), ReAnimania (Armenia 2010), Animae Caribe (Trinidad & Tobago 2007),
Minsk (Belarus 2022) AnimaBasauri (Spain 2008), Xiamen (China 2023) Chilemonos (Chile 2012), Zanzibar Film Festival (Tanzania 2019) Madagascourt (Madagascar 2023) Baghdad, Bahrain, Sharjah (2024) besides many other festivals globally.
As a visiting lecturer, he has imparted his knowledge and expertise to several fine arts and Film schools, such as Jilin Animation Institute (China), Cologne's Academy of Media Arts (KHM- Germany), NAFTI (Ghana), Durban Art & Animation Center (South Africa), Antioquia University (Colombia).
Ghazala has directed and co-directed many award-winning films, such as “Carnival" (2001), “Crazy Works" (2002), “HM HM" (2005), “
Sayari Yetu" (2006), including the first Yemen animated film “Salma" in 2006. “Honyan's Shoe" (2009), which won the Animation Prize at The African Movie Academy Awards in Nigeria in 2010. At the Red Sea International Film Festival, his recent film “
The Pyramid" received its world premiered and was later nominated for AMAA 2021. It won the top animation award at the Egyptian National Film Festival 2022, among other international awards and recognitions.
