AT A GLANCE
Dr. Sandeep Ashwath
Professor
Area of Practice:
OVERVIEW
Sandeep is an animator and scholar with expertise in different forms of hand-crafted animation techniques and experimental modes of storytelling. His research interests are in social anthropology, animation research, animation education and practice research.
EDUCATION
PhD in Social Anthropology, University of Surrey, UK
MA in Animation, Royal College of Art – London
M.Des in Anination, National Institute of Design – Ahmedabad
BSc, Environmental Science, St Joseph’s College – Bangalore
WORK EXPERIENCE
Sandeep joined Srishti in 2012 and has been instrumental in building the BFA program in Digital Media Arts, the BVoc program in Digital Media Production and the MA program in animation. He has served in the capacity of Head of Program for these courses and Dean of the School of Media, Arts and Sciences. He is currently Professor in the field of animation, film, and social anthropology.
INTEREST AREAS
- Animation Education
- Indian Animation
- Mythology
- Constructions of Sacredness
- Practice Research
CURRENT PRACTICE AT SRISHTI
Sandeep is a professor in the field of animation, film, and social anthropology. He teaches classes across the UG, PG and doctoral programs.
TEACHING PORTFOLIO
Art and Aesthetics
Film Appreciation
Writing Workshop
Scripting and Screenplay
History of Animation
Term paper
Liberal Arts – General Studies
Qualitative Research Methods
CREATIVE PRACTICE & OUTREACH
Publications:
Ashwath, Sandeep. “Mythical Past, Animated Present.” Animation Studies Journal 17 (2022).
Ashwath, Sandeep. “Local Is What I know, Global Is a Bonus.” In India Animated: Essays on Contemporary Practice, pp. 317-337. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2026.
Selection of Film Festivals:
- Home, in competition- Toonz Animation Film Festival 2000, Trivandrum, India.
- Home, part of school showreel- Ottawa international 2000 Student Animation Festival.
- Sakhi, in competition, Stuttgart Animation Festival 2004, Stuttgart, Germany.
- Sakhi and By my table, in competition, Zebra Poetry Film Festival 2004, Berlin, Germany.
- Sakhi and By my table, Interfilm Berlin 2004, Berlin, Germany.
- Sakhi, Tehran Film Festival 2005, Tehran.
- Sakhi and Home screened at India Week Hamburg, November 2019.
- Grihastha screened as part of the program ‘Poetics of Breath in Experimental Film, Alternative Cinema,’ Colgate University, 21st April 2020
- Rogue screened at India Week Hamburg, November 2021.
- Grihastha screened at Revolutions Per Minute Film Festival – Harvard CAMlabs- March 2024.
- Boat Song, in competition, Zebra Poetry Film Festival 2025, Berlin, Germany.
- Lines, special program World Mirror of Poetry, Weimar Poetry Film Award, 2025
- Pralaya, curated program, ARKIPEL- Jakarta International Documentary and Experimental Film Festival 2026
Conferences:
- Animation Education in India, Chitrakatha Animation Festival, NID, 2013.
- Itinerant Illustrator, Chitrakatha Animation Festival, NID, 2015.
- Jury member, Experimenta 2015, Experimental Film Festival-Bangalore.
- Mythical Past, Animated Present, Society for Animation Studies (SAS) conference, Concordia, Montreal, 2018.
- Indian Independent Animation, paper presentation, Image Forum, Tokyo, 2018
- Cubes on a Carpet, Society for Animation Studies (SAS) conference, Lusofona, Lisbon, 2019
- Dismantling Patriarchy in the Cultural Memory of Indian Cinema, Society for Animation Studies (SAS) conference, Rowan University, New Jersey, June 2023.
- Artist in Residence, Tidal Art Centre, BC, Canada, 2024 and 2026.
