Bulgarian animator, multimedia artist and film director Theodore Ushev tops the list of the most influential figures in world animation in the last quarter century. Ushev was ranked first in an international poll conducted among 25 leading critics, journalists, curators and festival directors from around the world, BTA reports, based on information from the artist's team. 

The survey was organized by the curators of the International Animated Film Festival in Lleida (Animac) and Barcelona Contemporary Culture Center. Portuguese animation director Regina Pessoa, Japanese animator Koji Yamamura and Igor Kovalyov (Russia / USA) place right after Theodore Ushev.

In the past 15 years, Theodore Ushev has worked for the National Film Board of Canada. His creative biography contains more than 15 films, which brought him over 200 international awards, including an Oscar nomination for best animated short film for Blind Vaysha in 2017 and making it into the short list for the same award for The Physics of Sorrow in 2019. 

Radio Bulgaria also played an important role at the beginning of Theodore Ushev's career.