Zora Xu is a visual artist, animator, and illustrator whose work explores personal and emotional narratives through tactile, story-driven visuals. Her practice spans illustration, animation, visual development, storyboarding, and art direction, often blending hand-drawn textures, stop-motion, and digital animation to create distinctive visual worlds.
She holds an MFA in Animation from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and a BFA in Illustration from California College of the Arts. Her work has screened at several international film festivals, including the San Diego International Children's Film Festival, the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AmDocs), Short Shot Fest in Moscow, and FECEA Student Film Festival in Brazil.
In 2025, Xu received the Student Honor Award from the American Advertising Federation of Los Angeles for designing the official UCLA "Josie Bruin" mascot, which was launched during the 2024–2025 UCLA Women's Basketball season. She was also selected as a recipient of the Matt Groening Production Fellowship, founded by Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, to support emerging animation artists and filmmakers.
EDUCATION
University of California, Los Angeles(UCLA) - Los Angeles, CA
MFA in Animation
09/2023 - 06/2026
California College of the Art (CCA) - San Francisco, CA
BFA in Illustration (Distinction)
09/2020 - 05/2022
Pasadena City College (PCC) - Pasadena, CA
Associate in Studio Art (Dean’s Honors)
08/2017 - 06/2020
FILM FESTIVAL
Almamoura Festival (2026) - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Loon International Film Festival (2026) - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Carmel International Film Festival (2026) - Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA, United State
Bondi Film Festival (2026) - Bondi, Australia
Breaking Down Barriers (2026) - Moscow, Russian Federation
22nd San Diego International Children’s Film Festival (2026) - San Diego
ANNY: Animation Nights New York (2026) - New York
15th Annual American Documentary And Animation Film Festival (2026) - Los Angeles
Festival International Gbaka Animation (FIGA) (2025) - French
Cinema of the World International Film Festival (2025) - New Delhi
PLANETA. doc (2025) - Brazil
SERIES WEB AWARDS (2024) - Lima, Peru
Festival Cartón (2024) - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Short Shot Fest (2026, 2024) - Moscovt, Russian Federation
London Film & Television Festival (2024) - London
FECEA - Festival Internacional de Cinema Escolar de Alvorada (2024) - Alvorada, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
WeMakeFilms International Film Festival (2024) - Wallington, Surrey
The Chico Independent Film Festival (2024) - Chico, CA, United States
San Diego Asian Film Festival (2024) - San Diego, CA, United States
Lift-Off First-Time Filmmaker Sessions (2024) - England, United Kingdom
Lift-Off Filmmaker Sessions by Lift-Off Global Network (2024) - Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom
AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS
Matt Groening Production Fellowship (2025)
The longlists for the Dots x Circles Illustration Awards (2025)
American Advertising Federation of Los Angeles - Honorable Mention: Student - Josie Bruin Logo Design (2025)
Bold Journey - Artist Interview (2024)
Artist Interview with “Shoutoutla” (2024)
Artist Interview with “Voyage LA” (2023)
Certificate of Merit from Illiustration West 61 show by “SOLA”. (2023)
Member of the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles (2022&2023)
Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship of New York (2022)
"Vitality," a highlighted work exhibited on the CCA's showcase (2022)