Please note: Schedule and pricing are subject to change without notice. Please check this site regularly.

SCHEDULE

Thursday - October 24, 7:15 PM
OPENING GALA
SPARK ANIMATION CELEBRATION!
Classification: PG
Advisory: coarse language; violence
with Bonnie Arnold, Chris Buck, Glen Keane, Karen Toliver, Kevin Lima & Melissa Cobb

VENUE:
Scotiabank Theatre, Auditorium #1, 900 Burrard St. (@ Smithe)

Celebrate the best animation the world has to offer!

Join us as we celebrate various achievements in the world of animation including producer Bonnie Arnold, the 2019 recipient of the SPARK Lifetime Achievement Award. The award will be presented to Ms. Arnold by directors Glen Keane and Kevin Lima.

The festivities will continue as we honour animation in all its forms and styles by unveiling the award-winning animated films as selected by the Festival Jury.

Special Guests Include:

Bonnie Arnold Producer DreamWorks Animation	Glen Keane Director Glen Keane Productions	Melissa Cobb VP, Original Animation Netflix Animation
Chris Buck Director Walt Disney Animation	Karen Toliver EVP, Creative Sony Pictures Animation	Kevin Lima Director 'Twas Entertainment

Experience the best the animation industry has to offer while also helping a great cause.

1. /'a.be.o:/ (2018)
   Dir.: Brenda Lopez · 7:01 · Canada
2. Sister (2018)
   Dir.: Siqi Song · 8:02 · China
3. The Seahorse Trainer (2019)
   Dir.: Ricardo Bonisoli & Babak Bina · 12:39 · Canada
4. Good Heart (2018)
   Dir.: Evgeniya Jirkova · 5:12 · Russia
5. The Stained Club (2018)
   Dir.: M. Lopez, S. Boucly, M. Ciesielski, A. Jaunet, C.S. Peang, B. Viguier · 6:39 · France
6. Travel Oregon: Only Slightly (More) Exaggerated (2019)
   Dir.: Todd Mueller & Kylie Matulick · 1:45 · USA
7. Kerbal Space Program 2 (2019)
   Dir.: Ryan McCoy, Christopher Ferriter, Richard Enriquez · 2:51 · USA
8. Osirika "Black Champagne" (2019)
   Dir.: Jeremiah Williams · 5:24 · USA
9. Girl in the Hallway (2019)
   Dir.: Valerie Barnhart · 10:12 · Canada
10. Sous la Glace (2019)
    Dir.: I. Berrahma, F. Dupont, L. Estampes, Q. Nory, H. Potin · 6:50 · France
11. The Beauty (2019)
    Dir.: Pascal Schelbli · 5:08 · Germany

All charity proceeds benefit: Covenant House Vancouver

Thursday - October 24, 9:30 PM
SPECIAL EVENT
A 'KLAUS' CONVERSATION WITH SERGIO PABLOS HOSTED BY GLEN KEANE
Presented by Netflix Animation & The SPA Studios

VENUE:
Scotiabank Theatre, Auditorium #1, 900 Burrard St. (@ Smithe)

One of the most hotly anticipated animated projects of the year is Despicable Me co–creator Sergio Pablos’ feature directorial debut Klaus. The story of a young postman who forms a friendship with an unlikely toymaker, Klaus is a fresh take on the Santa Claus origin story.

Join us for a very special night featuring exclusive footage preview of Klaus and a conversation on stage with two animation legends: director Sergio Pablos and long–time friend, fellow animator and director Glen Keane for what is sure to be an unforgettable evening.

Partial charity proceeds benefit: Covenant House Vancouver

Friday - October 25, 7:00 PM
FEATURE FILM
AWAY
2019 // Latvia // Dir.: Gints Zilbalodis // 75 min // G
Advisory: no advisory
Premiere Status: BC Premiere

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

Told in four chapters, a young boy travels across a mysterious land, crossing barren deserts and beautiful forests, all the while being pursued by a relentless dark spirit. Along the way, he makes a series of connections with different animals and reflects on the possible ways he ended up on the island. Part dream, part reality, and in a way, the storyline is a reflection of the creative process of the making of the film itself.

A labour of love, Away is an amazing feature-length animated film; written, produced, directed, and composed entirely by one very talented person: director and animator Gints Zilbalodis. Gints worked on the film for three and a half years, handling all aspects of production including writing, designing, animating, post–production and composing the musical score.

All charity proceeds benefit: Covenant House Vancouver

Friday - October 25, 9:00 PM
FEATURE FILM
RIDE YOUR WAVE (KIMI TO, NAMI NI NORETARA)
2019 // Japan // Dir.: Masaaki Yuasa // 94 min // PG
Language: In Japanese w English subtitles
Advisory: coarse language
Premiere Status: BC Premiere

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

From visionary director Masaaki Yuasa (The Night is Short, Walk on Girl, Devilman Crybaby) comes a deeply emotional new film that applies his trademark visual ingenuity to a tale of romance, grief and self-discovery.

Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, a handsome firefighter, and the two soon fall in love. Just as they become inseparable, Minato loses his life in an accident at sea. Hinako is so distraught that she can no longer even look at the ocean, but one day she sings a song that reminds her of their time together, and Minato appears in the water. From then on, she can summon him in any watery surface as soon as she sings their song, but can the two really remain together forever? And what is the real reason for Minato’s sudden reappearance?

All charity proceeds benefit: Covenant House Vancouver

Friday - October 25, 11:00 PM
SHORT FILMS
AFTER DARK (19+)

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

Animation isn't all likeable superheroes and princesses. Case in point: this program of edgier material which includes everything from how that frozen pizza you had for dinner was made to a hilarious twist on the fairy tale.

1. Corporate Monster (2019)
   Ruairi Robinson · 16:44 · Ireland
2. Hot & Tasty (2019)
   Laura Jayne Hodkin · 3:39 · UK
3. Hennessy 'The Seven Worlds' (2019)
   Ridley Scott · 3:56 · UK
4. Battle Royal (2018)
   M. Lepage, K. Langouët, M. Marino, A. Revillod, F. Robert-Dumas · 5:10 · France
5. Ada (2019)
   Dane Winn · 10:50 · UK
6. Floreana (2018)
   Louis Morton · 4:05 · Denmark
7. The Lander (2019)
   Han Yang · 4:39 · Canada
8. Mascot (2019)
   Leeha Kim · 6:50 · Korea
9. The Brave Heart
   (The Day We Enabled the Sleepwalking Protocol) (2018)
   Luca Schenato & Sinem Vardarli · 9:52 · UK
10. How to Make Sushi (2019)
    Jonathan Lindgren · 2:19 · UK
11. Food Chain (2018)
    Liis Kokk, Mari Kivi · 8:30 · Estonia
12. Newhaven 'Don't Waste It' (2019)
    Jordan Turner · 4:33 · Australia
13. Spirit of the Drowning Girls (2019)
    Runze Cao · 11:00 · China
14. Mum's the Word (2018)
    Khris Cembe · 12:32 · Spain
15. Sweet Dreams (2019)
    Yuan Ting Chao, Lei Tu · 3:14 · USA
16. Selfish (2019)
    Dir: Po-Chien Chen · 2:24 · China

All charity proceeds benefit: Covenant House Vancouver

Saturday - October 26, 1:00 PM
FEATURE FILM
TARZAN
1999 // USA // Dir.: Chris Buck, Kevin Lima // 88 min // G
Advisory: Violence
Introduction by Chris Buck and Kevin Lima

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

20th Anniversary Screening!

With his wisecracking ape buddy Terk and neurotic elephant pal Tantor, Tarzan learns to survive in the animal kingdom. His “Two Worlds” collide with the arrival of humans, forcing Tarzan to choose between a “civilized” life with the beautiful Jane and the life he knows and loves with his gorilla family.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with directors Chris Buck and Kevin Lima.

All charity proceeds benefit: Covenant House Vancouver

Saturday - October 26, 3:30 PM
SHORT FILMS
MADE IN CANADA
Classification: PG
Advisory: coarse language

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

Animated short films and Canada are ubiquitous, and this program of Canadian-made projects highlights the continuing tradition of great Canadian animation.

1. Smite! (2019)
   Dir.: Tyler Nardone · 2:15 · Canada
2. The Evening Thread (2019)
   Dir.: Iris Moore · 10:19 · Canada
3. Bramalea (2019)
   Dir.: Anda Chitescu · 4:43 · Canada
4. Give In (2019)
   Dir.: Carlos Oceguera · 3:50 · Canada
5. Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days (2019)
   Dir.: Regina Pessoa · 4:43 · Canada
6. The Most Magnificent Thing (2018)
   Dir.: Arna Selznick · 21:59 · Canada
7. Malfunction (2019)
   Dir.: Rosanna Duong · 3:03 · Canada
8. T-POT (2019)
   Dir.: Shelley Welch & Mohammad Rastkar · 4:45 · Canada
9. The Music Box (2019)
   Dir.: Joe Chang · 11:29 · Canada
10. Hyperlight (2018)
    Dir.: Nguyen-Anh Nguyen · 17:44 · Canada
11. Revenge Story (2019)
    Dir.: Erin Kim · 5:33 · Canada

Saturday - October 26, 5:30 PM
SHORT FILMS
SPOTLIGHT ON FRANCE
Classification: PG
Advisory: coarse language; violence

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

This year’s Spotlight series is proud to celebrate the varied animation talent from France.

1. Oeil pour Oeil (2019)
   Dir.: T. Boileau, A. Guimont, R. Courtoise, M. Lecroq, M. Hunt, F. Briantais · 5:28 · France
2. For a Fistful of Toffees (Pour une poignée de caramels) (2019)
   Dir.: N. Bui Trung, C. Dulaut, M. Fettuciari, N. Gavard Noyer, B. Guilbault, T. Maron, U. Masutti · 5:56 · France
3. Rich Wars (2018)
   Dir.: Fabulous · 1:36 · France
4. Gunpowder (2019)
   Dir.: R. Faure, N. Perron, L. Detrain, B. de Geyer d'Orth, P.-H. Lin, A.-L. Kubiak · 5:30 · France
5. Tadpole (Têtard) (2019)
   Dir.: Jean-Claude Rozec · 13:40 · France
6. 400 Mph (2019)
   Dir.: P.-E. Dannaud, J. Chaix, L. Desserre, A. Lefort, N. Pianeti, Q. Tireloque · 4:50 · France
7. Sam's Dream (Le Rêve de Sam) (2018)
   Dir.: Nolwenn Roberts · 7:18 · France
8. o28 (2019)
   Dir.: O. Caussé, G. Collin, L. Grardel, A. Marchand, R. Merle, F. Meyran · 5:18 · France
9. Sororal (Sororelle) (2019)
   Dir.: Frédéric Even & Louise Mercadier · 14:56 · France
10. Orpheus (2019)
    Dir.: R. Bourgoin, K. Boussac, J. Dassié, O. Sessa, A. Rudnicki, V. Veux · 3:31 · France
11. Le Mans 1955 (2018)
    Dir.: Quentin Baillieux · 15:00 · France
12. Middleware (2018)
    Dir.: Christopher Alves & Sam Alisson · 2:10 · France
13. It's all Graavy! (Avec le do de la cuillère) (2019)
    Dir.: L. Wassouf, C. Crosnier, E. Cros, T. Chapas, N. Pétereau, N. Anouk, L. Ancel · 5:30 · France
14. Maestro (2019)
    Dir.: Illogic · 1:34 · France

Saturday - October 26, 7:30 PM
FEATURE FILM
MARONA'S FANTASTIC TALE (L'EXTRAORDINAIRE VOYAGE DE MARONA)
2019 // France · Romania · Belgium // Dir.: Anca Damian // 92 min // G
Language: In French w English subtitles
Advisory: no advisory
Premiere Status: BC Premiere

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

Marona is a mixed–breed Labrador whose life leaves deep traces among the humans she encounters. After an accident, she reflects on all the homes and different experiences she’s had. As Marona’s memory journeys into the past, her unfailing empathy and love brings lightness and innocence into each of her owners’ lives, in this beautiful and deeply emotional story of an average dog and her extraordinary life.

All charity proceeds benefit: Covenant House Vancouver

Saturday - October 26, 9:30 PM
FEATURE FILM
I LOST MY BODY (J'AI PERDU MON CORPS) (19+)
2019 // France // Dir.: Jérémy Clapin // 81 min // Not rated
Language: In French w English subtitles
No minors

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

In a Parisian laboratory, a severed hand escapes its unhappy fate and sets out to reconnect with its body in this Cannes Critics' Week selection. During a hair-raising escapade across the city, the extremity fends off pigeons and rats alike to reunite with pizza boy Naoufel. Its memories of Naoufel and his love for librarian Gabrielle may provide answers about what caused the hand's separation, and a poetic backdrop for a possible reunion between the three. Based on the novel "Happy Hand" by Academy Award nominee Guillaume Laurant (AMELIE).

Sunday - October 27, 3:30 PM
SHORT FILMS
NOT JUST FOR KIDS
Classification: G
Advisory: no advisory

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

TICKETS:
Available at the door (cash, debit & most credit cards accepted)
Box office opens at 3 pm

Children's entertainment has come a long way and this program of kid friendly entertainment is informative but also a lot of fun for all ages. From training dragons to cute alphabets, you and your kids will never look at the letter 'z' the same way again.

1. Om Nom Nom... (2019)
   Dir.: Minato Matsuda, Haruna Ueno & Tomoko Taiga · 3:16 · Japan
2. The Fox & the Bird (2018)
   Dir.: Sam & Fred Guillaume · 11:57 · Switzerland
3. The Legend of Toto (2019)
   Dir.: Blanca Montoya · 2:07 · USA
4. Why Z? (2019)
   Dir.: Asher Horowitz · 3:57 · USA
5. Teddy Bear Rescue (À la rescousse de l'ours) (2019)
   Dir.: Louis Bodart · 3:10 · Canada
6. Matilda (2018)
   Dir.: Irene Iborra & Eduard Puertas · 7:00 · France
7. The Very Hairy Alphabet (2019)
   Dir.: Eliza Plocieniak-Alvarez · 7:00 · Germany
8. Blue & Curt (2019)
   Dir.: Jesse Cote · 1:16 · Canada
9. Zog (2018)
   Dir.: Max Lang & Daniel Snaddon · 27:10 · UK

All charity proceeds benefit: Covenant House Vancouver

Sunday - October 27, 5:30 PM
SHORT FILMS
MOTHERS OF A MEDIUM
Classification: 14A
Advisory: sexually suggestive scenes

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

TICKETS:
Available at the door (cash, debit & most credit cards accepted)
Box office opens at 3 pm

Proof that female filmmakers are a creative force to be reckoned with, this year’s collection of international shorts from female creators highlights the diversity of female animators. These brilliant self-contained creative feats beautifully capture all the fun and foibles of human nature.

1. The Butterfly Affect (2019)
   Dir.: Stephanie Blakey · 4:49 · Canada
2. Inanimate (2018)
   Dir.: Lucia Bulgheroni · 8:40 · UK
3. About Our Astronauts (2018)
   Dir.: Galina Golubeva · 7:20 · Russia
4. Don't Croak (2019)
   Dir.: Daun Kim · 1:40 · USA
5. Freaks of Nurture (2018)
   Dir.: Alexandra Lemay · 6:00 · Canada
6. Home Sweet Home (Le Refuge de l'écureuil) (2018)
   Dir.: Chaitane Conversat · 13:23 · France
7. Between the Shadows (2018)
   Dir.: Mónica Santos, Alice Guimarães · 13:25 · Portugal
8. Collector (2019)
   Dir.: Kassia Ward · 1:30 · Canada
9. The Steppes of Khazar (2019)
   Dir.: Sofiia Melnyk · 6:49 · Germany
10. Under Covers (2018)
    Dir.: Michaela Olsen · 7:22 · USA
11. The Bear Hunter (2019)
    Dir.: Sayaka Hara · 7:27 · UK
12. Love Me, Fear Me (2018)
    Dir.: Veronica Solomon · 6:06 · Germany

Sunday - October 27, 7:30 PM
FEATURE FILM
ANIMATION OUTLAWS
2019 // USA // Dir.: Kat Alioshin // 65 min // PG
Advisory: coarse language; violence; nudity
Premiere Status: BC Premiere
Introduction by Kat Alioshin

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

TICKETS:
Available at the door (cash, debit & most credit cards accepted)
Box office opens at 3 pm

Animation historian Jerry Beck once said, “Spike and Mike came from nowhere with nothing and created a market where none existed.” This is the simplest way to explain the massive impact Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation had on the world. From guerrilla marketing to travelling 11 months out of the year, Spike and Mike created a family, bringing together animators from all over the globe. Animation Outlaws tells the story of the festival that changed animation as we know it.

With interviews from your favourite animators behind Beavis and Butthead, Wallace and Gromit, Happy Tree Friends, and many more, we hear how Spike and Mike, two hippie–punks, cultivated a one–of–a–kind festival that launched the careers of today animation legends. Animation Outlaws is a beautifully crafted documentary that shows stunning animation while reminding us that no matter how weird we might be, there is always a place we belong.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Kat Alioshin, Bill Plympton, Marv Newland, and Danny Antonucci among others.

All charity proceeds benefit: Covenant House Vancouver

Sunday - October 27, 9:30 PM
FEATURE FILM
BOMBAY ROSE
2019 // India · France · UK · Qatar // Dir.: Gitanjali Rao // 93 min // PG
Language: In Hindi w English subtitles
Advisory: violence
Premiere Status: BC Premiere

VENUE:
VIFF Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St. (@ Davie)

TICKETS:
Available at the door (cash, debit & most credit cards accepted)
Box office opens at 3 pm

Escaping from child marriage, a young club dancer living in the streets of Bombay, must choose between fending for her family and finding love with a boy orphaned by the militancy.

Painted frame by frame and woven delicately through music, a red rose brings together three tales of impossible loves. Love between a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy. Love between two women. Love of an entire city for its Bollywood stars. Based on true events, the film explores the ruthlessness of a society where the love and life that reigns on the big screen can crush you in its mean streets.

All charity proceeds benefit: Covenant House Vancouver

BIOGRAPHIES

Bonnie Arnold
Producer // DreamWorks Animation
(How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, Over the Hedge, Tarzan, Toy Story)

A leading force in imaginative storytelling, Bonnie Arnold is a prolific film producer whose work spans myriad genres, and appeals to multiple generations. Arnold is a Golden Globe winner and produced the Academy Award-nominated films How to Train Your Dragon and How to Train Your Dragon 2. She is a producer on How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, released worldwide earlier this, and is developing a film adaptation of Cressida Cowell’s new book series, The Wizards of Once. Additional producing credits include Pixar’s landmark movie, Toy Story, Disney’s Tarzan, and Academy Award-winning Dances With Wolves.

DreamWorks Animation

IMDb.com

Chris Buck
Director // Walt Disney Animation
(Frozen 2, Frozen, Surf’s Up, Tarzan)

Chris Buck (Director) and Jennifer Lee helmed Frozen, the highest-grossing animated feature ever released with more than $1.27 billion in global box office. The film has received multiple honours, including two Academy Awards®, the Golden Globe®, BAFTA® Award, PGA Award, five Annie Awards and two Grammy® Awards. The digital and Blu-ray/DVD release was one of the biggest home entertainment successes of the last decade becoming the most popular Blu-ray in U.S. history. Frozen’s triple Platinum soundtrack, featuring the Oscar®-winning song Let It Go, spent 33 weeks in the top 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. Buck returned to the director’s chair alongside Lee in 2015 with the theatrical short Frozen Fever. Buck, Lee and producer Peter Del Vecho team up again for Frozen 2, slated for theatres Nov. 22, 2019.

Buck made his directing debut on the 1999 Disney animated blockbuster Tarzan, and is back at the helm (along with director Jennifer Lee) for the new 2013 animated adventure from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Buck began his professional career with Disney in 1978, and has made important contributions as an animator, supervising animator, character designer and director. His other feature directing credit is on the Oscar®-nominated 2007 film Surf’s Up from Sony Pictures Animation.

Born in Wichita, Kansas, Buck studied character animation for two years at CalArts before launching his career at Disney as an animator on the 1981 animated feature The Fox & the Hound. He received an animation credit on a short film Fun with Mr. Future and did some early experimental work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

From 1984-92, Buck worked on a variety of freelance assignments, including several for Disney. Joining creative forces with director Tim Burton, Buck helped storyboard Disney’s 1984 live-action featurette Frankenweenie. He went on to animate commercials for such Los Angeles-based production entities as Film Fair, Kurtz & Friends and Duck Soup. He also served as a directing animator (teamed again with Burton) on the 1993 Family Dog episode of Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories, which was directed by Brad Bird. Buck served as director of the subsequent 13 half-hour episodes of the animated series. Buck helped design characters for Disney’s 1989 animated blockbuster The Little Mermaid, and performed similar duties as well as experimental animation for The Rescuers Down Under. This was followed by a stint at Hyperion Pictures, where he helped develop several films and served as a directing animator on the feature Bebe’s Kids.

Walt Disney Animation

IMDb.com

Glen Keane
Director // Glen Keane Productions
(Dear Basketball, Duet, Tangled, The Little Mermaid)

A 38-year veteran of Walt Disney Feature Animation, Glen Keane trained under Walt Disney’s 9 Old Men. Glen Keane went on to create many beloved Disney characters, such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Beast, Tarzan, and Rapunzel.

In 2012, Keane departed Disney to begin Glen Keane Productions as way to further his artistic explorations in animation, design and film. He has since gone on to collaborate with Google, the Paris Ballet, Riot Games, and Green Egg Media. His most recent project is the animated film Dear Basketball, which he animated and directed in collaboration with legends Kobe Bryant and John Williams.

He is currently directing Over the Moon in partnership with Pearl Studio and Netflix. The animated feature is due to be released in 2020.

IMDb.com

Karen Toliver
EVP, Creative // Sony Pictures Animation
(Hair Love, Ferdinand, Rio, Ice Age series)

As executive vice president of creative for Sony Pictures Animation, Karen Toliver is responsible for the creative supervision of a number of upcoming features for the studio, from inception to script, and through production.

In her role, Toliver is also in charge of recruiting key storytelling talent, and discovering and acquiring new creative material and intellectual property aligned with Sony Pictures Animation’s vision including original concepts, books, comics, video games, shorts, websites, and toys.

Toliver is also the producer of the animated short film, Hair Love, directed by Matthew A. Cherry.

Toliver has extensive experience in production and development, including 10 years at Fox Animation where she supervised the production of the Rio film franchise and the latest three films in the Ice Age series, which grossed a combined $3.1 billion at the worldwide box office. Toliver also spearheaded the original feature Ferdinand, which was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature.

Toliver served as a production executive at Walt Disney Animation Studios on films such as Brother Bear, Chicken Little, and Meet the Robinsons.

Toliver began her career as an assistant at Walt Disney Pictures working on the Mighty Ducks franchise.

Sony Pictures Animation

Kevin Lima
Director // 'Twas Entertainment
(Enchanted, 102 Dalmatians, Tarzan, A Goofy Movie)

Kevin Lima (director) traces his fascination in animation to his fifth birthday when he received the book, Preston Blair’s Animation as a present. An early involvement in puppetry, inspired by his grandmother, led him to study acting and theatre design at Emerson College in Boston before enrolling in the California Institute of the Arts Animation Program.

After graduating, he took assignments designing characters and animating for the independently produced feature, The Brave Little Toaster, before joining Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1987. For the next six years, Lima worked in one capacity or another on each of Disney’s next five animated features — animating on Oliver & Company, designing characters for The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty & the Beast and storyboarding sequences for Aladdin. In 1992, he was offered the director&rsqup;s chair on A Goofy Movie which led to the hugely successful and critically acclaimed Tarzan.

In 2000, Lima made his live-action feature film debut with 102 Dalmatians which starred Glenn Close. He went on to direct Julie Andrews in the made-for-TV movies Eloise at the Plaza and Eloise at Christmastime for which his work on the latter won him the Director’s Guild of America award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs. His film, Enchanted, released in 2007, was the culmination of all of Lima’s filmmaking experiences, containing a mixture of traditionally animated, live-action and computer generated characters.

Currently, Kevin is collaborating with his wife Brenda Chapman, the Academy Award-winning director of The Prince of Egypt and Brave, to form ‘Twas Entertainment, a production company that will concentrate on creating family entertainment in all formats — animation, live-action, hybrid, television and streaming.

IMDb.com

Melissa Cobb
VP, Original Animation // Netflix

Melissa Cobb is Vice President of Original Animation at Netflix, where she leads the content team responsible for developing, producing, and acquiring animated feature films and series. Together with creators from all over the globe, Cobb and her team produce animation in many forms, styles, and formats for Netflix' growing base of member households in over 190 countries around the world.

Prior to Netflix, Cobb spent over a decade at DreamWorks Animation, where she produced the Academy Award-nominated Kung Fu Panda trilogy. She most recently served as Chief Creative Officer for Oriental DreamWorks, where she oversaw development and production as well as business and production strategy for a slate of high-quality animated feature films targeted to a global audience. Before joining DreamWorks, Cobb was at 20th Century Fox Feature Animation and Walt Disney Pictures, where she was responsible for discovering and developing live-action titles.

Cobb earned an M.B.A. from the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA and a Bachelor of Science from Stanford University. Cobb is an active member of Women in Animation and the Television Academy.

Netflix Animation

IMDb.com

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