Allison has a background in fine art and went to Sheridan College for computer animation. She started her animation career in Toronto, working on TV shows and commercials, then in London at MPC and Framestore. Since 2009, she has worked at Pixar Animation Studios on projects such as Toy Story 3, Brave, Coco and many more.

Allison was a directing animator on Onward and Elemental. She received the Annie Award for Outstanding Animation in a Feature Film for her work on Inside Out.

Amanda Cawley is a British-Canadian composer known for crafting fantastical themes for a variety of visual media. In 2022, Amanda was honoured to win a Leo award for Best Musical Score in Documentary series for Visionary Gardeners, and receive a Canadian Screen Award Nomination and a Canadian Screen Music Award Nomination for Best Original Music, Non-Fiction for Ageless Gardens Season 3.

Amanda was recognized by the SOCAN foundation in 2022 with two emerging screen composer awards for Best Musical Score in Non-Fiction and Best Original Theme. Amanda has a classical education in music from the University of Victoria, BC, Canada, and a contemporary education in composition from Selkirk College, BC. Recently completed works include the animated TV series Fireman Sam Season 15, documentary TV series Ageless Gardens Season 4, and animated series American Girl.

Amanda brings a diverse flavour to projects that demand a distinguishing edge and has a particular aptitude for finding moments to interlace a true sense of enchantment. From her home studio in British Columbia, Amanda collaborates with studios, networks and productions around the world.

Originally from the UK, Anna moved to Canada in 2019 to pursue a career in animation. Since arriving in Vancouver, they have worked as a 2D animator before moving into storyboards. Their passion for storytelling extends beyond just animation, leading them to co-found queer comics group "Rat Pack Collective" with friends from England. The group is dedicated to producing a yearly anthology featuring queer creators with stories that surround a central theme. For the past few years, Anna has been working as a storyboard artist at Atomic Cartoons before joining the ACE program as Storyboard Supervisor.

The recipient of the 2023 Spark Lifetime Achievement Award, Bill Plympton is considered the King of Indie Animation, and was the first person to hand draw an entire animated feature film.

Bill moved to New York City from Portland, Oregon, in 1968 and began his career creating cartoons for publications such as New York Times, National Lampoon, Playboy and Screw. In 1987, he was nominated for an Oscar® for his animated short Your Face. In 2005, Bill received another Oscar® nomination, this time for his short Guard Dog.

After producing many shorts that appeared on MTV and Spike and Mike’s, he turned his talent to feature films. Since 1991, he’s made eleven feature films including The Tune, Mondo Plympton, I Married a Strange Person, Mutant Aliens, Hair High, Idiots and Angels, Cheatin', and Revengeance.

Bill Plympton has also collaborated with Madonna, Kanye West and Weird Al Yankovic on a number of music videos, and he's created numerous commissioned ads for Geico, Trivial Pursuit, Ford, Nike and Taco Bell. In 2006, he received the Winsor McCay Lifetime Achievement Award from The Annie Awards. Bill also animated eight opening "couch gags" for FOX-TV's The Simpsons and six Trump Bites shorts using real audio from Donald Trump, which won a 2019 Webby Award.

Most recently, Bill was awarded the Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award by unanimous vote of the National Cartoonists Society, Board of Directors. It is given for a lifetime of outstanding and accomplished work by a cartoonist.

Chris Thompson, after having gone to Sheridan College for animation, ended up going into culinary school and worked professionally as a cook up until 10 years ago when Titmouse set up shop in Vancouver. After starting as a background artist on the show Breadwinners, he has since worked his way up to the position of Art Director for Titmouse Vancouver.

Chris is terrified of heights and, therefore, enjoys climbing, along with less height-related activities such as all things Warhammer 40k, car detailing, and any sport involving a racket of some kind.

Christopher Springfield is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience. Having spent 20 years of his career working for Disney Feature Animation and contributing to movies such as Tarzan, Treasure Planet, Chicken Little, Bolt, Tangled, Wreck-It-Ralph (1 & 2), Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and Moana.

Christopher brings a unique combination of skills and insights to lead a team of varied skilled artists to develop the tools and techniques to utilize lighting as an integral storytelling device.

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 animated feature Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the Academy Award®-nominated Over the Moon, first three Hotel Transylvania films, Storks, The Emoji Movie, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Oz the Great and Powerful, The Amazing Spider-Man, Cats & Dogs 2, G-Force, Beowulf, the Academy Award-nominated Monster House, The Polar Express, and Stuart Little 2.

Earlier in her career, Clara worked as a software engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Lab. Clara earned a B.S. in computer science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master’s degree in visualization sciences from Texas A&M University.

Clara is also directing and producing an animated short film in her spare time, funded by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Originally from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Denver Jackson is a self-taught animator and visual effects artist who got his start making films in high school before emigrating to Canada with his parents. As a filmmaker, he leans heavily on the fantastical while still being grounded by real-world characters and situations. He works in both live-action and animated films, blending the conventions of both mediums to create his own unique style, and is known to write, direct, film, edit and animate almost entirely on his own.

Denver’s film, The Wishing Jar (2016) has screened around the world, including at three Academy Award-qualifying festivals and won Best Animated Film at both San Diego Comic-Con International Film Festival and Heartland Film Festival. As well, Denver wrote, directed and animated three feature-length projects from a web series, Esluna: The First Monolith, to two feature films Esluna: The Crown of Babylon and Esluna: The Worlds Divide.

The world premiere of Denver’s latest film, Esluna: The Worlds Divide, will be screened at SPARK ANIMATION 2023 on Saturday, 11 November.

Desirae Witte, a Vancouver-based story artist, writer, and director, has left an indelible mark on the animation industry, known especially for her award-winning independent animated short, The Fall, which garnered acclaim in 2021 and starred Brian David Gilbert.

Originally hailing from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Desirae embarked on her creative journey by pursuing animation at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, where she earned her Bachelor of Media Arts in Animation in 2015.

Desirae's expertise in storyboarding is evidenced by her impressive portfolio, which encompasses projects for both television and feature films. Notable among her achievements is her involvement in the highly anticipated animated feature adaptation of Animal Farm, directed by Andy Serkis. She has also played a pivotal role in crafting the narrative for the Netflix/BRON Studios animated feature The Willoughbys under the direction of Kris Pearn. Her creative talents extend to several other series for renowned clients such as Pixar, Disney, Netflix, and DreamWorks.

As she continues to evolve in her career, Desirae's aspirations revolve around honing her storytelling skills and directing more short films. Her ultimate ambition is to solidify her place as a full-time director in the world of animation, promising to leave a lasting impact on the art and industry she holds dear.

Eric Cheung is a seasoned veteran in the animation industry, boasting a remarkable two-decade career that has left an indelible mark on the art of storytelling through animation. His journey began with a passion for animation and an intuitive sense of storytelling, qualities that would serve as the cornerstones of his success in the field.

Eric Cheung spent his early career honing his skills at Mainframe, Rainmaker Entertainment and Sony Pictures Imageworks before joining Cinesite in 2018 as Animation Supervisor. Since joining the Cinesite family, he has continued to elevate the quality and impact of the studio's animation projects. His tenure has been marked by an unwavering commitment to pushing the boundaries of animation, consistently delivering storytelling that resonates with audiences on a profound level.

Beyond his work on the screen, Eric is recognized for his contributions to the animation community. He actively mentors emerging talents, sharing his wisdom and insights to inspire the next generation of animators. This commitment to nurturing the industry‘s future speaks to his enduring dedication to the art form he holds dear.

Gary Ye is a seasoned director, and a deft storyboard artist, whose creative journey is adorned with a colourful array of projects that span both television and film.

As a director, Gary has helmed several animated shows, including the captivating and innovative series Agent Elvis, where he showcased his prowess in storytelling. Additionally, he has lent his directorial talents to Devil May Care, a show that has resonated with audiences for its wit and charisma.

In addition to his directorial achievements, Gary Ye has earned acclaim as a storyboard artist on such shows as The Last Kids on Earth, captivating audiences with his ability to translate script into compelling visual sequences. He has also brought his expertise to iconic franchises such as MLP G5 and Star Trek: Lower Decks, where his storyboarding skills contributed to the rich storytelling traditions of these series.

Beyond the realm of episodic television, Gary's has ventured into short films. These cinematic gems have not only garnered praise but have also graced international film festivals. Through his short films, he explores the boundaries of storytelling and animation, leaving audiences captivated and spellbound by his unique perspectives and narratives.

In 2016, Gianni embarked on a transformative journey, relocating to Vancouver, where he has graced the rosters of several esteemed studios, including Bardel Entertainment, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Atomic Cartoons, and Animal Logic. It’s within these revered establishments that Gianni's artistic ingenuity truly shines, contributing his remarkable skills to a diverse range of projects.

Gianni has lent his talent to an array of memorable projects, including the monstrous comedy Hotel Transylvania 3, the groundbreaking and visually striking Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the heartwarming and visually innovative The Mitchells vs. The Machines, the superheroic adventure of DC League of Super-Pets, and the intriguing world of Leo Each of these films bears the indelible mark of Gianni's craft, his careful orchestration of light and composition contributing to the immersive power of these cinematic gems.

Isabel Ribeiro works at Cinesite as an Assistant Editor, aspiring to be a feature editor in the future. After studying Production and Post Production for TV and movies in Montreal, she has worked in the animation industry for about three and a half years. She was selected as an Editor, for Round 3 of WIA Vancouver’s ACE Program, and is editing their short film, Ostinato. Reading about this amazing career and watching a lot of animation, films and TV series are some of her hobbies besides walking her beautiful golden retriever, Zoe.

Jane Wu is at the helm as the Producer and Supervising Director of the highly anticipated series Blue Eye Samurai. An emotionally grounded animated drama with a live-action cinematic attitude set to debut on Netflix, the series follows the epic journey of a mixed-race master of the sword, cloaked in disguise as she seeks revenge in Edo-period Japan.

Born in Taiwan and raised in Los Angeles, Jane found an early outlet in comic books, where she discovered a passion for storytelling and art. Her skills led her to the Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design, but upon graduating with a degree in Fashion, she was presented with an opportunity to work in animation. Starting as a character designer, she eventually directed and produced such animated series as Men in Black and Jackie Chan Adventures.

Today, Jane’s unique background has made her an in-demand collaborator, and she has built a formidable career in film and television that spans multiple genres. Inspired by her martial arts background, she has boarded action sequences for features such as Mulan, Into the Spider-Verse, and multiple Marvel movies, including The Avengers and Shang Chi. Her series credits include Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Interview with a Vampire. She has worked with the likes of David Chase and Alan Taylor, among many others.

As one of the few women in a predominantly male industry, she also has had the pleasure of mentoring young artists at her alma mater, UCLA, and the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena.

Jeff Rowe is a writer and director known for his exceptional contributions to the world of animation. Most recently, Rowe made his directorial and writing debut with the animated feature Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.

Additionally, Rowe co-wrote and co-directed the Academy Award-nominated film The Mitchells vs. the Machines. The film was hailed as one of the year’s best animated features and has been recognized for its unique visual style. It became Netflix’ biggest animated film of the year and is still one of the platform’s most-streamed animated works of all time.

On the television side, Rowe served as a writer on the Primetime Emmy award-winning Disney Channel animated series Gravity Falls from 2014 to 2016, before going on to write on the animated series Disenchantment for Netflix.

After completing her studies in 2018 in Character Animation at Animation Mentor, Jenny was accepted in the Sony iCAD internship program. While finishing her Masters in Mechanical Engineering, she worked on The Mitchells vs. The Machines and Vivo for Sony Pictures Animation. Jenny joined Animal Logic's Vancouver studio in 2020 as an Animator to work on DC League of Super-Pets and has just wrapped on Leo, which is set for release in November this year.

Joe Darko was a senior animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks, most recently completing work on the acclaimed sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Darko joined Imageworks in 2017. 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 Machines, Smallfoot, The Angry Birds Movie 2, and Vivo.

Darko’s earlier credits include Thor: Ragnarok, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, and The Son of Bigfoot.

Darko attended Bournemouth University in the south of England and graduated with a degree in Computer Animation.

Justin is a dedicated Canadian production coordinator with a passion for animation. His journey in the animation industry began as an intern in human resources, and by 2020, he had been hired as a production coordinator. Throughout his career, Justin has collaborated closely with teams of talented artists across various stages of the animation pipeline. With unfaltering energy, as the wind in his sails, he hopes to support all artists who partake in the intricate process of crafting animated masterpieces.

Justin’s production experience includes projects like Chip and Potato and Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City. Currently serving as a production coordinator at Animal Logic, he helped coordinate artists in the production of the film Leo. Additionally, Justin contributes his time and skills as the Volunteer Coordinator for Spark CG, showcasing his commitment to the animation community.

Kaitlin Sutherland is an industry director living and creating in Vancouver, British Columbia. A graduate of Sheridan College, Kaitlin is currently working on a personal short film after having risen through the ranks from layout/posing artist to Assistant Director at WildBrain Studios. At WildBrain Kaitlin has overseen productions including LEGO Monkie Kid, The Snoopy Show, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, and most recently, Snoopy Presents: One-of-a-Kind Marcie.

Kaitlin is inspired by the storytelling and art styles of French and Eastern animation. She wants to continue working with a motivated team on fun, creatively fulfilling projects while telling impactful stories.

Katherine Jones is a CG Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Her credits include: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Vivo, the Academy Award®-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Smallfoot, Storks, and The Emoji Movie.

Prior to Imageworks, Katherine worked at Stereo D LLC as a VFX supervisor, FX stereo supervisor, stereo lead and compositing crew member. Her credits include, Truth, Terminator Genisys, Jurassic World, San Andreas, Mad Max:Fury Road, Avengers:Age of Ultron, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Hercules, Guardians of the Galaxy, Godzilla, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Need for Speed, and Thor: The Dark World. Katherine started her career at Angel Studios as a digital composer, where she also tracked artists working on La Vaca-Holy Cow.

Katherine's hometown is Osceola, Indiana. She graduated from The University of Oregon with an Associates Degree in Fine Arts and a Minor in Film Studies She also received a degree in Computer Animation from Full Sail University. She is a member of Women in Animation.

Vancouver-born and raised, Keith Blackmore is a passionate supporter for all things animated in the Vancouver area. A producer for the SPARK ANIMATION Festival, Keith has presented, interviewed and moderated at many festivals and studios. Most recently, he was on the Film Jury for the 2022 Taiwan International Student Design Competition, the largest student design competition around the world. Keith is also the host of the monthly Vancouver Civic Theatres’ film series, Silent Movie Mondays, at the opulent and historic Orpheum Theatre.

Besides his work with the Spark CG Society, Keith continues to educate and inspire students at the Vancouver Film School, in his weekly History of Animation classes.

Kelsey Wagner is a Supervising Animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks, most recently completing work on the visually innovative Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Previously, Wagner served as Supervising Animator on numerous features including the Academy Award®-nominated The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, The Meg, The Angry Birds Movie and The Angry Birds Movie 2.

With over two decades of industry experience, Wagner’s additional animation credits include The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank, Escape From Planet Earth, Arthur Christmas, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Wagner attended Trinity Western University and the University of Victoria.

Kristen has over 15 years experience in Film and TV. She has worked as a set designer and art director for live-action TV and film, and, more recently, as a digital set designer and art director on animated features.

Kristen first joined Animal Logic’s Sydney Studio in 2012 as a concept artist and designer on The LEGO Movie. She was Set Designer for The LEGO Batman Movie and Digital Set Designer for The LEGO Ninjago Movie. In 2016, Kristen moved to Vancouver to take on the role of Art Director on The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part, where she worked closely with the Director and Production Designer to develop and execute the look of the film. She then worked on DC League of Super-Pets as the Art Director. She has just wrapped on Animal Logic’s latest film, Leo.

Kristen’s additional credits include Top of the Lake, Gods of Egypt, Narnia, Wolverine, Terra Nova, Australia, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Matrix 2 & 3, and Superman Returns.

Marina has been writing and discussing film for over 15 years, first on a personal blog, followed by a decade-long tenure on the now retired Row Three. In 2008, she joined the writing staff at Quiet Earth, becoming Editor-In-Chief in 2014, a role she still holds. Over the years, she has also produced and hosted a number of podcasts including Before the Dawn, a long-running podcast on the Twilight franchise, Girls on Pop, a podcast on film and popular entertainment from women’s perspective and After the Credits, bi-monthly film podcast with nearly 300 episodes.

Marina is a member of ACM and ACM SIGGRAPH, the Online Film Critics Society, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the Visual Effects Society. She is the President of Spark CG Society and the Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH chapter. She has also served on juries for several film festivals including DOXA, St. Louis International Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival. She joined the Spark CG Society in 2014.

Stories have a way of resonating with hearts. Pursuing that has always been an ongoing goal for May-Yun. Harmonizing a captivating story with great visuals has always been second nature, and helping others achieve this is also extremely fulfilling. Meeting people who have come from such a variety of backgrounds has influenced and inspired the development and creative direction of my own artwork. Enthusiastic to dive into new domains and creative fields in order to further reinforce and broaden my understanding of the diversity of this industry, to be a part of this vibrant community will open many possibilities and opportunities to enhance my potential as a young professional.

Mike Cozens is a Senior Animation Supervisor based in Vancouver, supervising on many films, including The Hobbit, Alita: Battle Angel, The Suicide Squad and recently Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. As an Animation Supervisor, Mike Cozens executes the director’s vision for the story by populating films with rich performances on photoreal digital characters and creatures. His team uses a wide variety of techniques to create fresh, believable performances for characters.

Mike has been working in visual effects for over 20 years. He spent three years as Lead Animator on multiple sequences on James Cameron’s Avatar and went on to supervise the extended edition of the film. He worked as a senior animator on the first two films in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy before moving into the role of Animation Supervisor on The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. In between The Hobbit films, he was Animation Supervisor on Ridley Scott’s Prometheus and James Mangold’s The Wolverine.

He grew up in an artistic environment with his mother designing clothing for Christine Lingerie and his father, a creative director and partner in a successful advertising agency. His father studied design at the Art Center in Los Angeles in the 1960’s and was a friend of Marv Newland, a well-known Canadian animator. When Mike was a kid, his father would take him to animation festivals to see Marv’s films. This was a big inspiration to where Mike’s artistic energy would later land. He went on to study classical animation in 1999 and completed a CG short called Broker in 2000, which played on the festival circuit and was nominated for several awards.

Mike’s most recent work as Animation Supervisor has been David Lowery’s Pete’s Dragon, Avatar: Flight of Passage and Robert Rodriguez’ Alita: Battle Angel.

Award-winning author, historian, filmmaker, educator, musician and more, Mindy Johnson’s creative accomplishments reflect the diversity of her talents and experience. A leading expert on women’s roles in animation and film history, Mindy writes and speaks on early cinema, animation, women’s history, and creativity.

A recipient of the prestigious ASIFA-Hollywood June Foray Award, given to individuals who've made a significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation. Mindy's honours also include the Academy Film Scholar Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences/Oscars.org, and the ASIFA-Hollywood AEF Grant for continued research and writing on the contributions of the earliest women within our collective animated past. With several forthcoming volumes underway, Mindy's groundbreaking discoveries continue to cast light on the invisible narrative of women’s presence within the first century of the motion picture industry. Her latest landmark breakthrough is the discovery of Bessie Mae Kelley and her surviving films believed to be the earliest surviving hand-drawn animation, animated and directed by a woman, forever busting the myth of women no longer present at the dawn of the animation industry.

A sought-after speaker, Mindy explores a wide range of subjects within her presentations and appearances at numerous studios, campuses, international festivals and conferences including: The Smithsonian Speakers Series, Ottawa International Animation Festival, NAFF Festival Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lucasfilm, DreamWorks, TCM Classic Film Festival, Film Forum-NYC, D23 Expo, ABC-Network Specials, San Diego Comi-Con, CTN Expo, World Animation Festival and more.

Mindy has produced record-breaking global campaigns, creative content, exhibitions and events for a growing list of clients, including The Walt Disney Company, AMPAS/Oscars.org, WNET/American Masters, Stage Nine Productions, The Walt Disney Family Museum, Spark CG Society, Film Forum-NYC, SiriusXM Radio, and Horipro Entertainment.

In addition to her continuing research, various literary efforts, and consulting, Mindy is also an award-winning playwright, songwriter, and contributing artist on several internationally acclaimed recordings and published compositions. Mindy teaches film and animation courses in the Los Angeles area, including a first-of-its-kind course on the history of women in animation, based on her continued ground-breaking research, at CalArts — California Institute of the Arts, in Los Angeles, and Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA.

Animation Director, 2D Lead Animator, Animator and Rigging Artist Holder of a B.A.C in Animation Arts and Science (2D/3D animation) and a D.E.C. in Visual Arts, Molly has been in the animation industry since 2016. Molly specializes in character animation and rigging in 2D, using Toon Boom Harmony. Her passion for character animation started by watching Looney Tunes, and was developed further by analyzing the work of her favourite artist, Chuck Jones.

A French speaker from Québec, Molly learned English traveling across Canada, experiencing a variety of pipelines in different animation studios, while adding new techniques to her skill set. During her journey, Molly discovered a passion for the world of production and enrolled in WIA’s ACE program as an Animation Director. She has worked in various positions in the animation industry, such as rigger, 2D animator, lead animator, tutor and most recently animation director.

Rick and Morty's spin-off Vindicator, Last Kids on Earth, Trailer Park Boys, Curious George the Movie 5 and 6, Pinecone and Pony, and much more.

Molly is located in Ottawa with her Bernese mountain dog Luffy and is on the lookout for new opportunities in order to continue her journey as animation director and supervisor.

Nathan Jurevicius is an illustrator, director, toy designer, author, and concept artist. His work has appeared in numerous publications, advertising campaigns, and galleries.

He specializes in creating immersive worlds inhabited by unique characters. His most acclaimed concept is Scarygirl, an ever-evolving plethora of characters manifested through limited edition figures, video games, and a recent feature film.

Nathan’s also known for the Australian Academy Award-winning Peleda universe, part of his ongoing owl-centric Lithuanian mythology series that includes collaborations with Kidrobot and IKEA.

Nicolle Cornute-Sutton is a Texture Paint Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks most recently completing work on the critically-acclaimed Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Cornute-Sutton joined Imageworks in 2001 doing live-action set extensions, plate clean-up, and rotoscoping on a variety of films including Stuart Little 2, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, I Am Legend, Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3. She loves the idea of bringing never-before-seen worlds and creatures to life and, in 2008, began work on her first animated feature Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. She has been working on full CG features ever since. In 2015, Cornute-Sutton was promoted to Texture Paint Lead, a job she loves as it allows her to teach, mentor, and share her deep love for animation as a cinematic art form.

Nicolle’s additional Imageworks credits include: Hotel Transylvania, The Smurfs, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, and Over The Moon. With over two decades of industry experience, she is happy to finally see people who look like her and her family in the movies she helps create.

Rob Valley is an award-winning illustrator, animator and director based in Vancouver, whose unmistakable style stands apart with its particularly angled line-work, sharp shadows and selective colour palette. Rob’s career has spanned far and wide: designing and directing a string of Gorillaz music videos, character design for feature films like Disney’s TRON: Uprising, as well as directing commercials for Nike, Levis and Coke amongst others.

In 2017, Rob’s short film Pear Cider and Cigarettes — which he illustrated and animated himself — won an Annie award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 2019, as part of Netflix’ Love, Death + Robots, Rob directed the critically acclaimed short film Zima Blue and most recently picked up two Emmy Awards — one for Ice, a short produced as part of the same anthology series, and another for his work as Production Designer on that short.

Robert continues to work on a variety of short and long-form animated projects while shooting pool at Carlos O'Bryan's with his homies.

Rose-Ann Tisserand is the Founder and Executive Producer of Women in Animation Vancouver’s National Animation Career EXCELerator Program (ACE). ACE’s mission is to advance mid-career women into 8 key creative roles while making a short film and telling their authentic stories. The ACE program has been a passion project for Rose-Ann for over 6 years, successfully completing 3 award-winning short films and advancing 19 women from across Canada in the roles of Writer, Producer, Director, Art Director, Animation Director, Story Supervisor, Editor and Composer.

Rose-Ann is also Co-Founder and Executive Producer of Flying Kraken Creative Studios, a boutique studio that creates original animation content and specializes in award-winning animation design services.

Rose-Ann has worked as a production executive for 23 years in film and television production. She was a supervising producer at Bardel Entertainment and a consulting creative producer with the National Film Board of Canada on Zeb’s Spider. She is currently Executive Producer/Co-Creator of a series in development with Sony Entertainment.

Rose-Ann has been active in the animation industry and women-led initiatives for over 10 years, including sitting on the Spark Animation Leadership Board, Chair of Drawn Together Vancouver, and Executive Advisor and Co-Chair on the WIA Vancouver Board.

Rowan Young is a Compositing Lead at Sony Pictures Imageworks, most recently completing work on the ground-breaking Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Young joined Imageworks in 2017 and served as Compositing Lead on Vivo and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and as Compositor on Mulan, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

They began their industry career in 2010, working on numerous projects including, Star Trek Beyond, Deadpool, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, Maleficent and The Amazing Spiderman.

Young attended the University of Calgary, where they received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Sam Fell started his career as writer/director of the short film The Big Cheese for 3 Peach Animation/Channel 4. He then joined Aardman as a director and animator on commercials and short projects like Pop, Chump, and Peter Lord’s’ Oscar-nominated short film Wat’s Pig, and the BBC series Rex the Runt.

During that time, he also developed a children’s TV series called Rabbits! and several feature animation projects, including Flushed Away. When Flushed Away was greenlit to become Aardman’s first CG project, he moved to Los Angeles to direct the movie (with David Bowers) at DreamWorks Animation Studios. The film was nominated for a BAFTA in 2007.

From 2008 to 2009, he directed (with Rob Stevenhagen) The Tale of Despereaux for Universal Studios in London at Framestore.

From there, Sam moved to Portland, Oregon, to direct Laika’s second feature film, ParaNorman (with writer/director Chris Butler), which was released in August 2012 and nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA in 2013.

Since then, he has directed commercials and developed long-form projects.

For the last 5 years, Saravmit has been working in the Visual Effects industry for several major studios including MPC, DNEG, and Mr. X. He joined Animal Logic's Vancouver Studio as a Charter FX Lead to work on the Netflix animated feature, Leo. Additional credits include Aquaman, Detective Pikachu, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Sonic the Hedgehog, Uncharted, Entergalactic, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, and The Flash.

Sonia began her professional training journey at the APW in 2007 (animation portfolio workshop), which brought her into Sheridan’s animation program in 2008. After graduating in 2012, Sonia taught life drawing fundamentals at the APW and began her first job as a storyboard revisionist on 9 Story Media (Brown Bag) on a show called Numb Chucks.

Sonia worked in various positions in storyboards on projects such as Camp LakeBottom (Brown Bag), Rusty Rivets and Kody Kapow (JamFilled), AlienTV (Snowball), Angry Birds Summer Madness (Yowza) Corner Gas (Smiley Guy), Doomsday Brothers (Portfolio) and other development projects.

Recently Sonia wrapped up a project called Unicorn Academy at House of Cool as Storyboard Revisions Supervisor.

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Stephanie has over 15 years of professional experience in production, events, theatre and live entertainment. After graduating from theatre school, Stephanie worked as an actor, appearing in award-winning short films as well as a number of commercials, TV series and films. She has also successfully run her own theatre company, developing and producing new work.

Now based in Vancouver, Canada, Stephanie started working in production on commercials and live action. She has now transitioned to Animation and is currently the Voice Production Manager at Atomic on Spidey and His Amazing Friends. Through her experience in the ACE program and having started her own production company, Curious Son Productions, Stephanie hopes to continue making fun, collaborative and thought-provoking films for audiences around the world.

Sue Rowe is a visual effects supervisor with over 25 years of experience in the film industry. As a child, Sue loved drawing, so it was no surprise that she went on to study for a BA in Animation at university. Following this, Sue went on to study for her MA in Computer Animation back in the day when it was all programming! This is where she experienced the creative buzz of Visual Effects, with her first job in the industry on Space Jam with Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny! Sue’s latest project was as Scanline’s co-VFX Supervisor for Meg 2: The Trench, where she brought three huge Megalodons and a T-Rex to life!

Sunita Balsara is a multifaceted creative force hailing from Toronto. Her journey through the realms of writing, design, and filmmaking is a testament to her unwavering commitment to the world of storytelling, which she approaches with boundless passion and creativity.

As a writer, Sunita has carved her unique niche, crafting narratives that resonate with readers and viewers alike. Her talents have graced the pages of indie comic anthologies not once but twice, proving her mettle in a genre that demands both visual and narrative finesse. With each published work, she weaves a tapestry of emotions, adventures, and ideas that captivate the imagination.

Beyond the written word, Sunita's creative prowess extends into the realm of filmmaking. She stands as a visionary storyteller, successfully pitching not one, but two compelling short films. This accomplishment speaks to her ability to bring stories to life through the dynamic medium of film, where characters and narratives are presented in a vivid, moving canvas. Her skill in shaping these narratives, combined with her visual storytelling sensibilities, makes her a notable talent in the world of cinema.

Tania Vincent is a director, screenwriter and animator with more than 16 years of experience in the animation industry. Over the years, she has worked on TV series, AAA computer games and advertising campaigns for companies such as Lego, Disney, Marvel and Pixar.

In 2020, she was selected for the Imagine Impact screenwriting initiative, which led to her live-action feature script being sold to Netflix. That year, she also wrote & directed a 2D animated mini-series that promotes emotional intelligence for pre-schoolers called Smiling Mind Creek.

Most recently, Tania co-directed the animated feature film, Scarygirl, based on the critically acclaimed graphic novel and co-directed the animated feature, Combat Wombat: Back 2 Back for Universal Pictures & Sola Media.

Currently, Tania is writing and directing a Universal Pictures animated feature titled The Sloth Lane, making her the first female in Australia to have written & directed an animated feature. The film is set for release in 2024.

Tania is represented by Alison Mann and Sydney Blanke at Fourth Wall Management and writes with her writing partner Ryan Greaves.

Ted Ty has over 24 years of experience at the feature animation level and has animated on 20 feature films. Presently, he is the Global Head of Character Animation, Feature Animation at DNEG, where they recently finished their first feature-length film Nimona. His CG credits include How to Train Your Dragon 2, Rise of the Guardians and Kung Fu Panda, among others. Before arriving at DreamWorks, he spent over 10 years at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida doing traditional animation. He worked on films such as Mulan, The Lion King and Lilo & Stitch where he served as a lead animator.

Ted is a CalArts Character Animation program graduate. He returned as a senior animation instructor for 5 consecutive years. He has spoken around the world about animation and is also a master teacher and national panelist at YoungArts Foundation and a regular lecturer at the renowned CTN Expo.

Toby Wilson is the production designer on Netflix’ adult animated series Blue Eye Samurai. In his role, he oversees the direction and execution of the show’s visuals and aesthetic, guiding departments from design and development, into building assets, and through the entire shot production process.

Prior to joining Netflix he was art director on the Oscar nominated feature animated film The Mitchells vs. The Machines and 3d visual development supervisor at Sony Pictures Animation.

Toby served as production designer and art director at Walt Disney Animation Studios on the Cars World and Tinkerbell franchises. He joined Disney after more than seven years in the video game industry at Electronic Arts. He served as production designer on the 2011 installment of Medal of Honor and was a lead concept artist and story artist on several games, including Medal of Honor Airborne, Boom Blox, Lord of the Rings RTS and Goldeneye: Rogue Agent.

Toby is a Southern California native born and raised in Port Hueneme, a small beach town in Ventura County. His lifelong interest in drawing evolved to a desire to work in animation when he saw Disney’s Aladdin in theatres at age 13. He went on to graduate from Otis College of Art & Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration. He lives with his wife, their two children, and two tabby cats.

Tom Bancroft has over thirty years of experience in the animation industry, most of which was for Walt Disney Feature Animation, where he was an animator for twelve years on such Disney classics as Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Tarzan and Brother Bear. He is also the creator of Mushu the dragon in Disney’s Mulan.

After Disney, he worked with Big Idea Productions as a Supervising Director/Co-creator for a VeggieTales DVD series. His popular character design instruction books — Creating Characters with Personality and Character Mentor — have become the most recognized books on designing characters and are required textbooks at many art schools around the world.

Tom is half of the popular The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast with his twin brother Tony and the creator of the annual worldwide Instagram drawing event #MerMay with millions of followers. He is currently producing Pencil Test, a documentary feature about 2D animation. He is the founder and Artist-in-Residence of the burgeoning animation program at Lipscomb University.

He is the CEO of Pencilish Animation Studios, the world’s first crowdfunded animation IP development company. He lives with his family in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tracey Mack is honoured to be the Executive Produce the ACE program with Women in Animation. She is an award-winning Producer with over twenty years of experience, producing over 120 hours of television in both live-action and animated film, television and digital media. She is currently COO / Head of Production for Imagine Create Media, where she is a Producer on The Gumboot Kids, nominated for both a Prix Jeunesse and NHK Japan Prize as well as Run Jump Play!, Baby Baby, Space Kids and more.

Through her own company, Urban Safari Entertainment, she has just finished development on the animated feature, A Christmas Crisis, with Hollywood Suite, which she also wrote, and has produced The Adventures of Little Jake & Many Skies for APTN, the award-winning Kids’ Cookhouse, and the web series PARKED.

Tracey was formerly the Director of Development, Business Affairs and Marketing for Bardel Entertainment, and also served as their Associate Vice-President of Production. She has also served as a Production Manager on six animated feature films, including Salma Hayek’s, The Prophet. She has an MBA in Arts & Media Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University, a BAA in Radio & Television Arts from Ryerson University.

Troy Quane is a Canadian film director and 27-year animation industry veteran. Following his feature film directing debut on Spies in Disguise, he has just completed directing his second feature film, Nimona, based on the award-winning graphic novel of the same name by ND Stevenson. In 1995, having studied classical animation at Sheridan College in Oakville, ON, he began his career as a traditional animator for Walt Disney Animation Canada.

Troy continued as a senior animator on various top-end commercials and feature films until 2005 when he accepted the opportunity to work as Storyboard Supervisor on the critically acclaimed live-action Disney film Enchanted. Troy continued working in the story department for various studios, which ultimately led him to direct the twenty-two-minute short film The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol for Sony Pictures.

Additional film credits include Fox Feature Animation’s Titan A.E., Warner Bros. Feature Animation’s Osmosis Jones, Universal’s Curious George, 9 for Focus Features, Aardman Animation’s Arthur Christmas, Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania and Blue Sky Studios feature films The Peanuts Movie, Ice Age: Collision Course and the Academy Award®-nominated film Ferdinand.

Troy currently resides with his family in Ridgefield, CT.