Regina Maria Póvoa Pessoa Martins (born 16 December 1969) is a Portuguese animator.
Regina Pessoa was born in Coimbra, but lived in a village near the city until she was seventeen. Without a TV, she spent her time reading, listening to the older ones telling stories and also painting her grandmother's house doors and walls using charcoal, encouraged by her uncle.[1]
She graduated in painting from University of Porto in 1998 and during her time as a student took part in different animation workshops, having participated in Espace Projets (Annecy, 1995) with the short A Noite, which she would finish in 1999.[2]
In 1992 she started working in Filmógrafo - Estúdio de Cinema de Animação do Porto, where she collaborated as animator in various films.
Her short Tragic Story with Happy Ending is the most awarded Portuguese film ever.[3]
Her short animated film, "Kali, the Little Vampire" was awarded the Hiroshima prize at the 2012 Hiroshima international animation festival, the "1st Prize Animated Short Film – CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL 2013", "The Golden Gate Award for Best Animation Short - 56th SAN FRANCISCO INT. FILM FESTIVAL 2013", "40TH Annie Awards Nomination in the Best Animated Short Subject Category 2013", Nomination for the Cartoon d’Or 2013.