MISSION STATEMENT
In my journey as a director, artist, author, and professor, I've discovered one of my greatest passions besides storytelling is community development. I am seeking opportunities that
will align with all of my passions; storytelling, creativity, and empowering others through connection. I was raised in Iran but moved to America in my teens, and this experience helped to shape my life's mission - to use my voice and skill sets to create authentic connections and build communities.
BIO
Kataneh Vahdani is a director, animation creator, and head of story, as well as a professor
with over twenty-three years of teaching experience. She was born in Iran and came to the United States in pursuit of her dream—to have a voice and to be free. After earning a degree
in mathematics, she enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts (CALARTS), where she spent seven years studying animation and earned her master’s degree in film directing.
Kataneh’s animated films have been screened at numerous prestigious festivals, including Sundance, Annecy, and the New York International Film Festival, where she received the award for Best Director of Animated Shorts and won First Prize for her Best Feature Concept at Cartoon Movie.
She spent over a decade in the Story and Design Department at Walt Disney Animation Studios (Feature and TV) and also created an original short for Sesame Street. Her best-selling picture book series, KAT AND JUJU, was published in 2020, and she is currently working on her second book with Amazon Publishing. For more than five years, she directed and developed her original feature film at Netflix Feature Animation and currently leads the story team on a high-profile feature film at DreamWorks Animation.
Kataneh’s guiding purpose is to share authentic stories, amplify underrepresented voices, and lead with empathy and consciousness.