Špela Čadež is a Slovenian independent animation director and producer, born on November 28, 1977, in Ljubljana. She has been working as a producer and director of independent animated films since 2008. After completing her graphic design studies (2002) at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana, she continued her studies at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, Germany. Already during her studies, she gained international recognition with her puppet animations Zasukanec (2004) and Liebeskrank (2007). Her animated film Boles (2013) was screened worldwide and won a number of awards, accolades, and nominations. In 2018, she was invited to become a member of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Her film Steakhouse (2021) was shortlisted for an Oscar nomination in the animated short film category. She lives and works in Ljubljana.