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ABOUT

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Niv is an award-winning animation filmmaker, illustrator, and Professor of Visual Arts in Games & Immersive Media at The Black Forest University (HFU) in southern Germany. He creates distinctive worlds, characters, and narrative-driven designs for Animation, Film, Games, and interactive media.

Alongside his creative practice, he consults with studios, teams, and independent creators, helping them develop strong visual storytelling — from early concept to final experience.
 

His work spans short films, feature productions, and video games. Niv’s films have screened at more than 60 festivals worldwide and received numerous awards, including 1st Prize at the Oscar-qualified Santa Barbara Film Festival for his film LOAD.
 

As a passionate teacher, Niv has taught visual arts and visual storytelling for games, films and animation since 2018 at SRH University of Applied Sciences Berlin and the Berlin School of Business and Innovation. His teaching philosophy focuses on developing analytical thinking, a growth mindset, and the ability to set and achieve personal goals.
 

Consultancy / Mentorship / Project Guidance:
nivshpigel@gmail.com


HFU Games & Immersive Media Program:
www.hs-furtwangen.de/en/study/programmes/games-immersive-media-bachelor

AWARDS AND PRIZES

  • 1st Prize, Draft Sketch Animation Pitching Contest, Israel, 2017

  • Best Animation Film, Plymouth Film Festival, UK, 2015

  • Best Sound, Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival, Germany, 2015

  • Best International Short Film, Chilemonos International Animation Festival, Chile, 2015

  • Best Short Film, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, USA, 2014
    Oscar-qualified award

  • 1st Prize, Experimental Film, Rhode Island International Film Festival, USA, 2014

  • 1st Prize, Best Short Film, Utopia Fest, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2014

  • Best Script, Maratoon Film Contest, Israel, 2013

EXHIBITIONS

  • Animation mit historischem Zugang, Schloss Burg, Solingen, Germany, 2025–present

  • Weltuntergang, Natural History Museum Bern, Switzerland, 2017–2022

FESTIVALS AND SCREENINGS

  • Ciclope Festival, Berlin, Germany, 2017

  • Tokyo Anime Award Festival, Tokyo, Japan, 2016

  • Plymouth Film Festival, UK, 2015

  • Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival, Germany, 2015

  • Chilemonos International Animation Festival, Chile, 2015

  • CINEQUEST Film Festival, California, USA, 2015

  • Dam Short Film Festival, Nevada, USA, 2015

  • FirstGlance Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA, 2015

  • Changing Perspectives Short Film Festival, Turkey, 2015

  • Animatricks Animation Festival, Finland, 2015

  • KingBonn China Short Film Festival, China, 2015

  • SouthSide Film Festival, Pennsylvania, USA, 2015

  • Reno Tahoe International Film Festival, Nevada, USA, 2015

  • New York No Limits Film Series, New York, USA, 2015

  • Greenwich International Film Festival, USA, 2015

  • Calgary International Film Festival, Canada, 2015

  • SERET, The London Israeli Film and Television Festival, UK, year incomplete in source

  • Palm Springs International ShortFest, California, USA, 2014

  • Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival, South Korea, 2014

  • Anima Mundi, Brazil, 2014

  • LA Shorts Fest, Los Angeles, USA, 2014

  • Encounters Film Festival, UK, 2014

  • Jerusalem International Film Festival, Israel, 2014

  • Cortoons Festival, Italy, 2014

  • Edinburgh Short Film Festival, Scotland, 2014

  • Euganea Film Festival, Italy, 2014

  • Imaginaria International Animation Film Festival, Italy, 2014

  • Animix Festival / ASIF, Israel, 2014

  • NociCortinfestival, Italy, 2014

  • Montreal Student Film Festival, Canada, 2014

  • Fresh Film Fest, Czech Republic, 2014

  • Animest International Animation Film Festival, Romania, 2014

  • Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, USA, 2014

  • Heartland Film Festival, Indiana, USA, 2014

  • XII Multivision Festival, Russia, 2014

  • SIGGRAPH Asia, China, 2014

  • Ottawa International Animation Festival, Canada, 2014

  • Warsaw International Film Festival, Poland, 2014

  • Santa Barbara International Film Festival, USA, 2014

  • Rhode Island International Film Festival, USA, 2014

  • Utopia Fest, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2014

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

  • Professor of Visual Arts in Games & Immersive Media, HFU Furtwangen University - the Black Forest University since 2025

  • Drawing for Animation and Concept Art, SRH University of Applied Sciences Berlin, 2022–2025

  • Drawing for Animation and Concept Art, Berlin School of Business and Innovation, Animation Programme, Hamburg Campus, 2022–2024

  • Visual Storytelling, SRH University of Applied Sciences Berlin, 2020–2025

  • Workshops and Masterclasses, SAE Institute Berlin, 2019–2020

  • Concept Art and Visual Development, SRH University of Applied Sciences Berlin, 2018–2025

  • Bachelor’s Thesis Supervision, SRH University of Applied Sciences Berlin, 2018–2025

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