Hi there! 🦋
I'm Rita Castro, a Portuguese storyteller, animator, and illustrator of witchy worlds creating under the name Rasto.
I work full-time as animator in the Animation Film Industry, in Belgium, since 2020 and on my own work since around 2016.
My art and writing focus on motivation and mindset immersed in storytelling and intriguing visuals.
It's for those who want to bring their unique magic into this world by carving their own healthy, joyful, and successful creative path.
My goal is to inspire them to become happy and healthy artists who never give up and contribute to the creative community.
And for the ones who enjoy a more biography-like introduction…
I am currently based in Ghent, Belgium but I was born in 1995 in Vila Nova de Famalicão, in Portugal.
I studied Media Art in Porto’s Fine Art Faculty for three years and did my last full year of the Bachelor in Ghent, Belgium, at KASK School of Arts (Erasmus+ Program).
It was supposed to be only one semester but I fell in love with Ghent, and realized Animation and Illustration were my core passions and what I really wanted to pursue with my career.
After one year in Portugal, working as an Illustrator, and Arts Expression Teacher, I realized I was homesick for Ghent. So I came back, did my Master in Animation Film, and stayed here in Belgium!
I work locally full-time in the Animation Industry while keeping work and connections with Portugal, my beautiful homeland. Yes, I got the best of both worlds and I am so grateful for that 😄
If you want to know more about my films or my experience, or just take a peek at my experience so far, feel free to check the links/buttons for my CV and Portfolio (above).
Thank you for being here, stay safe and inspired! ✨
Animation Shorts:
2019 - "aqui entre nós" // "here between us"
Official Selection SCUM ANI, May 2022 (Event)
Invited Film at Shortcutz Leiria, October 2020
Official Selection at PORTO FEMME international film festival 2020
"Star of Students" Selection by HIROSHIMA International Animation Festival 2020
Invited Film at ITFS - International Animation Film Festival of Stuttgart 2020
Official Selection Athens AnimFest 2020
Award at Students Competition at Festa Mundial da Animação (Caldas da Rainha) 2019
Official Selection Students Competition at YMOTION (Famalicão) 2019
2017 - "The Pancakes' House"
Official Selection SCUM ANI, May 2022 (Event)
Students Competition at Anim!Arte Film Festival (Brasil) 2018
Non-Competitive Selection at BIKY Festival (Busan, South Korea) 2018
Students Competition MONSTRA Festival (Lisbon, Portugal) 2018
Internationalization Support by The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation 2018
Award "Best Animation" at YMOTION Festival (Famalicão, Portugal) 2017
Official International Grand Panorama at CINANIMA Festival (Espinho) 2017
2016 - "Dwalen"
Official Competition Festival YMOTION (Famalicão) 2017
Interviews:
2024 - Canvas Rebel: Conversations with Rita Castro – CanvasRebel Magazine
Expositions/Events:
2021-Present – Participation in Belgian Art Markets: “Zine Happening”, Gent; “Potloodvenster”, Kortrijk; “TUIG MARKT”, Antwerp; “PRENTE”, Knokke; “PRINT PRINT”, Brussels…
2023 - Animated Portrait exhibited as part of the Film Fest Ghent 2023, an exhibition organized by 50 x Animated and Maï Calon.
2023 – Illustration Selected to be Featured in the “TUIG KRANT” Newspaper, Edition #9.
2017 – Two animation films present in the art event "MAYDAY MAYDAY", Gent, Belgium.
2016 – Invited Artist at Street Art event "Magenta - Singularidades Femininas em Contexto Urbano", in Matosinhos.
2016 – Exhibition “Procura e Contacto”, at República das Artes, in Cerveira.
2016 – Collective Exhibition “Sobre Relação”, in Galeria Geraldes da Silva, part of Bachelor assignment of Media Art, at FBAUP.
2015 – Collective Exhibition "Pre Ocupação", FDUP, Porto.
2015 – Collective Exhibition "Começar...", FBAUP, Porto.
2014 – Street Photography Workshop Collective Exhibition "Exposição Colectiva | Fotografia de Rua", Casa da Juventude, Famalicão.
2013 – Collective Exhibition "Bichos", Parque da Devesa, Famalicão, organized by the Art Center "A Casa ao Lado".