Vessela Dantcheva is a Bulgarian animation director and producer and the creative force behind some of the most acclaimed independent Bulgarian animated shorts of the past 15 years. She is the driving force behind Compote Collective, which she co-founded in 2008 and which has grown into one of Bulgaria’s leading animation production companies for artistic and independent short films.
Compote Collective is a platform for animation artists with distinctive individual styles and a creative hub bringing together more than 15 animation directors. Over the past 15 years, the collective has produced 17 animated short films, selected for more than 650 international film festivals and receiving over 70 awards.
Vessela is also a lecturer in animation at New Bulgarian University and the National Academy of Arts in Sofia. She is frequently invited as a guest lecturer at European universities and serves as a jury member at animation festivals and pitching events, while also being involved in national and international cultural organisations and advocating for Bulgarian animation.