Michaela Pavlátová designed the poster for this year's Anima Mundi festival, which takes in Rio from July 11-20 and in São Paulo from July 23-27. Courtesy of Anima Mundi.

An ideal trip is to travel to Rio de Janeiro, while a dream excursion is when you're invited as a guest speaker to Anima Mundi, the annual celebration of life and animation in Rio de Janeiro. This year Anima Mundi prepares to commemorate its 11th year as an important animation festival. We asked 16 would-be cariocas about their experience as guest speakers there. Even the most taciturn artists waxed long and poetic when thinking back on their time in the cidade maravilhosa. Animators we contacted were also afraid they might have missed the deadline. (It's Monday, March 31st!) There's something about Rio that makes these artists jump to share their adventures and memories. Talking about it allows them to recapture the joy and sensual rhythms of their once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you read between the lines, you might even hear the beat of the samba in their words.

Anima Mundi's festival directors in 2002 were (left to right): Aida Queiroz, Marcos Magalhães, Cesar Coelho and Lea Zagury. Courtesy of Anima Mundi. Photo credit: Juvenal Pereira.

1993
David Silverman
Formerly the supervising animation director for The Simpsons, David co-directed Monsters, Inc. Currently, he is consulting for various companies while considering his next project.

So, what can I tell you about Anima Mundi 1993? I met Lea Zagury at a CalArts event and she invited me! At the time I was supervising director on The Simpsons, and spent most of my time at work — day and night. So, a trip to Rio was a real eye opener.

Highlights: I got to hang out with the brilliant Paul Driessen, who is as great a guy as he is a talent. New friends Lea Zagury and Marcos Magalhães took me to Sugar Loaf, to the big Christo, and to many dinners that blur together now, thanks to alcohol. I'd say the biggest thrill was doing the lecture about The Simpsons, and the overwhelming response I received. It was the first time that I got a sense of the show's impact around the world. I think I was interviewed by Brazil's MTV, but, well, my memory's fuzzy! I do recall meeting a young Brazilian voice actor who did work dubbing The Simpsons. He sounded just like Skinner — talking in Portuguese!

David Silverman (left) cherished the time he spent with fellow guest speaker Paul Driessen in 1993. Courtesy of Anima Mundi.

Paul Driessen
Nominated for a Genie Award for Best Animated Short for The Boy Who Saw the Iceberg, Dutch-born animator Paul Driessen has worked with the NFB since the early '70s. In 2000, he was nominated for an Oscar for his independent short 3 Misses. He is currently working on an animated short 2D or Not 2D with fellow Anima Mundi alumni Marcy Page co-producing.

Ah, my first (the first) Anima Mundi. Never been away from home so far in such a welcoming family. Drinking caipirinha at the special cafe and (watching) all the elegant Brazilians dancing the tango at the Lapa, and the beautiful beaches (I grew up with beaches) are still very prominent in my memories.

But also the idea that it was dangerous to stop at traffic lights impressed me with the notion that this was quite a wild country.

However, the sold-out screenings full with excited people and the small devoted group of organizers are my fondest memories.