Zora Xu is a illustrator and animator currently based in Los Angeles. Her work explores personal and emotional narratives through tactile visuals and often blends hand-drawn textures with digital animation. She holds a MFA in Animation at UCLA TFT and a BFA in Illustration from California College of the Arts.
Zora is an award-winning artist and filmmaker whose recent works have been recognized by several international film festivals. Her short films have been officially selected by the 22nd San Diego International Children’s Film Festival , the 15th Annual American Documentary and Animation Film Festival, Short Shot Fest (Argentina), FECEA Student Film Festival (Brazil), and others.
In 2025, she 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 UCLA Women’s Basketball 2024–2025 season. The same year, she was also selected as a recipient of the Matt Groening Production Fellowship, a fellowship established by Matthew Abram Groening — the 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
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 (2024) - Moscowt, 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)