Learn the unique art of animation at this fun, interactive workshop. An in-person guide will present a series of digital step by step tutorials, produced by our friends at Aardman! Make your own film! An amazing activity for the whole family. Workshop runs approximately one hour to 90 minutes. Space is limited.
Dive into the world of AI in Animation at this free panel conversation + cocktail reception! RSVP HERE French In Motion is excited to invite you to its upcoming panel discussion at the Japan House Los Angeles, on Saturday, October 21 at 12:00 PM. As part of Animation Is Film Festival — the celebrated annual … AI & Animation panel
Born in 1980, Itazu started working in the anime industry at the age of 18. He worked as an animator for “KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops” series (2004), “Paprika” (2006), and “Wind Rises” (2013). He served as the character designer, animation director, and an animator for “MISS HOKUSAI” (2015), and he was the co-assistant animation director … Yoshimi Itazu
Learn the unique art of animation at this fun, interactive workshop. An in-person guide will present a series of digital step by step tutorials, produced by our friends at Aardman! Make your own film! An amazing activity for the whole family. Workshop runs approximately one hour to 90 minutes. This event is now fully booked!
A young boy named Mahitoyearning for his motherventures into a world shared by the living and the dead.There, death comes to an end,and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasyabout life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship,from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki. Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years, The Boy and … The Boy and the Heron (Standard)
In this Oscar and BAFTA-winning classic, Wallace takes in a mysterious lodger, but Gromit’s suspicions are aroused when the new arrival shows interest in his master’s techno-trousers. Animation Is Film proudly presents this special 30th anniversary celebration of one of the most beloved animated shorts of all time! This screening is free!
Director, illustrator, and professor at ENSAD (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs), Sébastien Laudenbach has written a dozen award-winning short films selected by numerous international festivals, as well as credit packages and music videos. With his feature film The Girl Without Hands, presented at Cannes, awarded at the Annecy International Animation Festival, and in competition … Sébastian Laudenbach
Sam Fell started his career as writer/director of the short film The Big Cheese for 3 Peach Animation/Channel4. He then joined Aardman Animations as a director and animator on commercials and short projects like Pop, Chump, Peter Lord’s’ Oscar-nominated short film Wat’s Pig, and the BBC series Rex the Runt. During that time he also … Sam Fell
Liu Jian (China, 1969) majored in Chinese Painting and graduated from the Nanjing Art Institute in 1993.Since then, he has made various works that met with the criteria of modern art and that were presented in some of the most important exhibitions in China and abroad. He is one of the representative artists of Gaudy … Liu Jian
Jérémie Périn was born in 1978 in the north of France. He studied animation at the renowned Gobelins school, graduating in 2000. Since 2001, he has worked for various animation studios, acquiring solid experience in storyboarding, layout, compositing, and design. He moved on to directing in 2004 with TV series pilots and short films. In … Jérémie Périn
FilmInfo_PHOENIX Nishimi is known for his unique sense of animation style. Nishimi was the supervising animation director of Tekkonkinkreet (2006). He directed Mutafukaz, (2017) an animated film co-produced with France. It was premiered at Annecy in June 2017, and was nominated for the 46th Annie Awards in the Best Animated Independent Feature. PHOENIX Reminiscence of … Shojiro Nishimi
Han Ji-won is a Seoul-based director, illustrator and cartoonist. Her debut film, Clearer Than You Think, made her the youngest South Korean to direct a theatrically released animation film. It earned praise from moviegoers as well as fellow directors such as Yeon Sang-ho, director of Train to Busan and Pseudo, who referred to her as … Han Ji-won
Prior to directing Trolls Band Together, Dohrn made his directorial debut with DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls World Tour after serving as co-director on the first installment of the blockbuster franchise. As one of DreamWorks Animation’s most trusted story experts, Dohrn previously served as head of story on Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Shrek Forever After. A … Walt Dohrn
Jarelle Dampier is a director and story artist at Sony Pictures Animation. Dampier started his entertainment career in television as a story artist on various Justice League animated shows, Skybound’s Invincible, Marvel’s What If… and Marvel’s Spider-Man before moving on to feature animation boards. After teaming up with Sony to direct for the LENS program, … Jarelle Dampier
Gina Shay has over 25 years of experience producing animated films, whichincludes a full decade of films and specials for DreamWorks Animation. Most recently,she produced Trolls Band Together, the third installment of the blockbuster franchisestarring Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake. Shay has been instrumental in thesuccess of the property, having also served as a producer … Gina Shay
Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Tim Heitz has played a key role in numerous DreamWorks Animation’s most celebrated and iconic films over his fifteen-year tenure with the company. Most recently, he served as co-director on Trolls Band Together, the third installment of the blockbuster franchise starring Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake. Over the years, Heitz … Tim Heitz
Joe Darko was a senior animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks, most recently completing work on the highly anticipated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Darko joined Imageworks in 2017 and his credits include the Academy Award®-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the Academy Award-nominated The Sea Beast, for which he served as animation lead, The Mitchells vs. The … Joe Darko
Khaila Amazan is a writer at Sony Pictures Animation. Prior to starting in the LENS program, Amazan began her entertainment career as a story trainee in the creative development department at Columbia Pictures, followed by executive assistant positions at the development departments of Walt Disney Studios and Netflix’s Original Independent Films group. Amazan’s TV writing … Khaila Amazan
Clara Chan is a visual effects Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks with over two decades of industry experience. In 2001, Chan joined Imageworks as a technical director in the lighting department. Her credits include the upcoming animated feature Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the Academy Award®-nominated Over the Moon, first three Hotel Transylvania films, Storks, The … Clara Chan
Chiara Malta has directed several short films including a trilogy on childhood that have been selected for and awarded at numerous international festivals. After her feature-length documentary Armando e la politica for la Lucarne (Arte/ZDF), she became an artist-in-residence at the Villa Medici (Rome). Her first feature film, Simple Women, featuring Jasmine Trinca and Elina … Chiara Malta
Pamela Ribon is the Academy Award®-nominated creator and writer of MY YEAR OF DICKS, an adaptation of her critically-acclaimed comedic memoir NOTES TO BOYS (AND OTHER THINGS I SHOULDN’T SHARE IN PUBLIC), which was nominated for Best Animated Short Film for the 95th Academy Awards. Her recent work includes the animated adaptation Nimona.Pamela is a … Pamela Ribon
Aubry Mintz has worked as a feature animator (ILM, Square USA) and directed projects for Smirnoff, McDonalds, MuchMusic and General Mills and the Canadian rock band Rush.
Monica Lago-Kaytis is a Latin-American producer, who made her live-action debut with Netflix’s feature The Christmas Chronicles with Chris Columbus and starring Kurt Russell
Ramin Zahed (Editor-in-Chief for Animation Magazine) Ramin Zahed is an LA-based author and journalist who specializes in animation, visual effects, pop culture and indie films. He is the Editor in Chief of Animation Magazine and has written for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, Sight and Sound and others. Among his recent books are The … Ramin Zahed
Nora Twomey is an Academy Award®, BAFTA & Golden Globe nominated Director. She is also Partner & Creative Director at Cartoon Saloon, Ireland. In a career spanning over two decades, Nora has worked in a number of capacities on Cartoon Saloon’s creative output. She was co-director to Tomm Moore’s Academy Award® nominated The Secret of Kells while also … Nora Twomey
Oscar-winning director of THE LOST THING
Marge Dean is an Emmy®-winning producer/executive and as Head of Animation Studio at Skybound Entertainment, she is responsible for the development and production of original animated content and is establishing a new production facility for the production of Skybound properties including Invincible for Amazon Prime.
After a misunderstanding Paulette is racked with familiar parental guilt and vows to make it up to her daughter Linda. The only problem is Linda’s one request, to make the chicken and peppers dish her late father always made, is difficult not just because Paulette can’t cook, but an ongoing strike means she can’t even … Chicken for Linda!
Animation Is Film is once again proud to shine a light on some of the year’s most extraordinary animated short films in three separate Short Film presentations. For Shorts 3: Student Showcase, Animation Is Film proudly presents a showcase of films from the next generation of artists, courtesy of our Educational Partners – CalArts, USC, … Shorts 3: Student Showcase
IMAX A young boy named Mahitoyearning for his motherventures into a world shared by the living and the dead.There, death comes to an end,and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasyabout life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship,from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki. Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years, The Boy … The Boy and the Heron (IMAX)
IN-PERSON Q&A with Director Sam Fell and Executive Producer Peter Lord (director of the original CHICKEN RUN)! From the multi-Academy and BAFTA award-winning Aardman (Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep), and Academy Award® and BAFTA-nominated director Sam Fell (ParaNorman and Flushed Away, respectively), comes Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the eagerly … Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Liu Jian’s loosely autobiographical portrait of art students in the mid 90s will feel loosely autobiographical to anyone who’s ever spent any time at college (or high school) and awkwardly smoked a cigarette while aimlessly pontificating on the meaning of it all – art, sex, love. While both the place and time – a Chinese … Art College 1994
Step into the enchanting Hokkyoku Department Store where the shoppers are animals “of all shapes and sizes.” Big-hearted newcomer Akino aims to emulate her colleague, Mori, as the perfect concierge. Tested by the demands of her unique clientele, Akino must learn how to flourish in her dream role all while under the watchful (and intense!) … The Concierge
Aline Ruby is a private detective who tries to outrun her own demons by chasing other people’s troubles. She’s aided by her loyal partner, Carlos Rivera, or, more specifically, the android replica of him. Their current mission is to track down the disappearance of Jun Chow, a young cybernetics student. When the two detectives realize … Mars Express
Following a tragedy on the desolate planet Eden17, Romi is placed in a state of cryopreservation. When she wakes over a thousand years in the future, alone but embraced as royalty on the now civilized planet, she embarks on a journey to fulfill a promise she made to her young son: to return to Earth.Adapting … Phoenix: Reminiscence of Flower
Q+A with Director Pablo Berger! Set in the 1980s East Village, this uniquely New York tale introduces us to Dog, a glum bipedal pooch whose nightly routine consists cable TV and prepackaged frozen dinners for one. A respite from the solitude comes via a late night informercial advertising a Robot Companion. Before you can say … Robot Dreams
What happens when you get literally lost inside your favorite book? Adventure seeking Juliette and her sister Carmen are faced with these very questions when they are dropped off at their neighbor’s house and quite literally drop into Juliette’s favorite fantasy book, featuring the mysterious Sirocco and The Kingdom of the Winds. The sisters are … Sirocco and the Kingdom of the Winds
IN-PERSON intro and Q&A with Academy Award® winner Chris Buck (Frozen) and Fawn Veerasunthorn to present WISH presentation! IN-PERSON intro and Q&A with directors Dan Abraham and Trent Correy to present ONCE UPON A STUDIO! On the occasion of Disney Animation’s 100th anniversary, Animation Is Film is enormously proud to celebrate its past, present, and … Disney 100: Walt Disney Animation’s Wish & Once Upon a Studio
IN-PERSON Q&A with Alex Kirwan, Aaron Spurgeon, Dan Haskett, Max Winston, and Eric Bauza. Moderated by Jerry Beck! Over the span of 6 seasons, “Looney Tunes Cartoons” delivered over 250 new animated shorts starring the beloved Looney Tunes characters. Echoing the high production value and process of the original Looney Tunes theatrical shorts, with a … Warner Bros 100: Looney Tunes Cartoons
IN-PERSON intro and Q&A with director Walt Dohrn, co-director Tim Heitz and producer Gina Shay! Animation Is Film is pleased to present this Special Presentation of Dreamworks Animation’s latest feature – Trolls Band Together. This holiday season, get ready for an action-packed, all-star, rainbow-colored family reunion like no other as Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake … Trolls Band Together
Miles Morales struggles to balance his responsibilities as a teenager, friend, and student while acting as Brooklyn’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. After a particularly challenging day living with these pressures, Miles experiences a panic attack that forces him to confront the manifestations of his anxiety and learn that reaching out for help can be just as … The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story
Batman battles a dangerous new foe who is trying to frame the Dark Knight for the murder of a Gotham City crime boss. Featuring the voices of Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Dana Delaney, Batman: MOTP underperformed financially in its initial theatrical run, but found great success on home video. Today it is frequently cited … Batman: Mask of the Phantasm – 30th Anniversary Screening!
IN-PERSON Q&A with Andrew Ruhemann (director, THE DAY I BECAME A BIRD), Mitra Shahidi (STARLING), and Ethan Barrett (ROSEMARY A.D.) Animation Is Film is once again proud to shine a light on some of the year’s most extraordinary animated short films in three separate Short Film presentations. For Shorts 1: Award-winning Animated Shorts, a collection … Shorts 1: Award-Winning Animated Shorts
Animation Is Film is once again proud to shine a light on some of the year’s most extraordinary animated short films in three separate Short Film presentations. For Shorts 2: Best of Annecy, in partnership with Women In Animation, AIF brings back its most celebrated shorts anthology for its fifth iteration. A collection of short … Shorts 2: Best of Annecy, in Partnership With Women in Animation
Life in the countryside is quiet and mundane for bookish Yi-gyeong until an errant ball sends star athlete Su-yi crashing into her life. The connection between the two girls is instantaneous, and simmers until their mutual attraction bubbles up into love. But just as their feelings for each other start to make sense, Yi-gyeong’s ambitions … The Summer
A young boy named Mahitoyearning for his motherventures into a world shared by the living and the dead.There, death comes to an end,and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasyabout life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship,from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki. Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years, The Boy and … The Boy and the Heron
From the multi-Academy and BAFTA award-winning Aardman (Creature Comforts, Wallace & Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep), and Academy Award® and BAFTA-nominated director Sam Fell (ParaNorman and Flushed Away, respectively), comes Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the eagerly anticipated sequel to the beloved and highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time, Chicken Run. Having pulled … Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
Liu Jian’s loosely autobiographical portrait of art students in the mid 90s will feel loosely autobiographical to anyone who’s ever spent any time at college (or high school) and awkwardly smoked a cigarette while aimlessly pontificating on the meaning of it all – art, sex, love. While both the place and time – a Chinese … Art College 1994
Step into the enchanting Hokkyoku Department Store where the shoppers are animals “of all shapes and sizes.” Big-hearted newcomer Akino aims to emulate her colleague, Mori, as the perfect concierge. Tested by the demands of her unique clientele, Akino must learn how to flourish in her dream role all while under the watchful (and intense!) … The Concierge
Aline Ruby is a private detective who tries to outrun her own demons by chasing other people’s troubles. She’s aided by her loyal partner, Carlos Rivera, or, more specifically, the android replica of him. Their current mission is to track down the disappearance of Jun Chow, a young cybernetics student. When the two detectives realize … Mars Express
In-person Q&A with Director Pablo Berger! Set in the 1980s East Village, this uniquely New York tale introduces us to Dog, a glum bipedal pooch whose nightly routine consists cable TV and prepackaged frozen dinners for one. A respite from the solitude comes via a late night informercial advertising a Robot Companion. Before you can … Robot Dreams
Life in the countryside is quiet and mundane for bookish Yi-gyeong until an errant ball sends star athlete Su-yi crashing into her life. The connection between the two girls is instantaneous, and simmers until their mutual attraction bubbles up into love. But just as their feelings for each other start to make sense, Yi-gyeong’s ambitions … The Summer
Batman battles a dangerous new foe who is trying to frame the Dark Knight for the murder of a Gotham City crime boss. Featuring the voices of Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Dana Delaney, Batman: MOTP underperformed financially in its initial theatrical run, but found great success on home video. Today it is frequently cited … Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
After a misunderstanding Paulette is racked with familiar parental guilt and vows to make it up to her daughter Linda. The only problem is Linda’s one request, to make the chicken and peppers dish her late father always made, is difficult not just because Paulette can’t cook, but an ongoing strike means she can’t even … Chicken for Linda!
Bill Desowitz, the Crafts & Animation Editor at IndieWire, specializes in below-the-line and animation coverage, with an emphasis on Oscar and Emmy Awards season reporting/analysis.
Peter Debruge is Variety’s Chief International Film Critic.
An internationally respected critic and historian of animation.