<h3>Where</h3><p>Online</p><h3>When</h3><p>March 24-26, 2022</p>

Toronto Animation Film Festival

<h3>Where</h3><p>Online</p><h3>When</h3><p>March 24-27, 2021</p>

<h3>Where</h3><p>Hot Docs Cinema | Toronto, Canada | 506 Bloor Street West</p><h3>When</h3><p>Monday April 25th</p>

<h3>Where</h3><p>Online</p><h3>When</h3><p>November 11-13, 2021</p>

Toronto Animation Industry Conference

<h3>Where</h3><p>Online</p><h3>When</h3><p>November 18-22, 2020<span class="ql-cursor">﻿</span></p>

<h3>Where</h3><p>Corus Quay, Toronto, Canada, 25 Dockside Dr.</p><h3>When</h3><p>Saturday to Sunday, November 2-3, 2019</p>

Toronto Animation / VFX Job Fair

TAAFI News

<p><span style="background-color: transparent;">Writer, Storyteller, Director and Emmy winner Elizabeth Ito is a 15-year veteran of the animation industry, working on such hits as Hotel Transylvania and Adventure Time. Elizabeth will discuss her career in animation along with a behind the scenes look at her latest project for Netflix, City Of Ghosts, described as a “hybrid” documentary and animated kids’ program.</span></p>

Opening Keynote: Elizabeth Ito

<p>Elizabeth Ito is a 15 year veteran of the animation industry. She has worked for many different studios on TV, feature, and commercial projects. Her many credits include supervising director on Adventure Time, &nbsp;feature storyboard artist on Hotel Transylvania, Astroboy, and The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.  In 2017, she won a Emmy for directing the Adventure Time episode, Islands Part 4: Imaginary Resources.</p><p>She is also the creator of the award-winning short, <a href="https://youtu.be/idT98H8TK-U" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Welcome to My Life</a>, &nbsp;which to-date, is the second-most viewed short in Cartoon Network history.&nbsp; It won the Audience Award for children aged between 12 and 17 at the New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF), and Best Film For Children at the Zagreb World Animation Festival. </p><p>Elizabeth currently works at <a href="https://elizabethito.com/www.netflix.com" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204);">Netflix</a>, and is developing her own project about ghosts. </p>

<p>Elizabeth Ito's many credits include supervising director on Adventure Time,&nbsp;feature storyboard artist on Hotel Transylvania, Astroboy, and The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water.</p>

Elizabeth Ito

<p>It’s time for our annual Big Pitch contest! </p><p>Most competitions usually only offer critiques by industry execs.&nbsp;</p><p>The Big Pitch will feature a panel of judges representing departments throughout the animation pipeline. You’ll learn not only what makes a pitch sell but how to make it work from every angle!&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

The Big Pitch

<p>Aaron Long is an animator and filmmaker from Toronto. He currently lives in Los Angeles, and has directed for Bojack Horseman, Tuca &amp; Bertie, Triptank and more. He also creates independent cartoons Sublo &amp; Tangy Mustard and Fester Fish which appear online and in festivals around the world.</p>

<p>Aaron Long is an animator and filmmaker from Toronto. He currently lives in Los Angeles, and has directed for Bojack Horseman, Tuca &amp; Bertie, Triptank and more.</p>

Aaron Long

<p><span style="background-color: transparent;">2019 marks Mark’s 25th year in the animation industry. After graduating from Sheridan College in ‘94 Mark began working as an inbetweener and key-cleanup artist at a number of Toronto boutique studios producing commercials and big studio features. Feature credits include SPACE JAM, ANASTASIA, TITAN AE, QUEST FOR CAMELOT, and OSMOSIS JONES.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">When feature gigs were unavailable Mark worked as a designer at Nelvana, where he started working daily with his soon to be partner-in-crime, Todd Kauffman. The two of them recognized a similar sense of humour and passion for story in each other, and began collaborating on “just for fun” projects like writing and illustrating dark cautionary tales. The ultimate goal was to create and produce their own IP.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">In 2005 they finally got that chance. They created and direct a series of 5 animated shorts for Nelvana’s Funpack program: The 9th LIFE OF SHERMAN PHELPS. With the taste of directing still fresh in their mouths, and their old design jobs being their only option back at Nelvana, the duo decided to strike out on their own. They officially partnered up as NEPTOON STUDIOS to create and develop their own IP and went looking for directing gigs to pay the bills.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: transparent;">They started off by directing the first 2 seasons of Fresh Tv’s TOTAL DRAMA ISLAND and TOTAL DRAMA ACTION. From there they went to create and direct their own series GROJBAND, followed by another original, LOOPED. While continuing to pitch and develop their own properties, co-directing is what they became known for and were soon tapped to helm the first season of CORNER GAS ANIMATED. From there they landed at GURU where they co-directed the 4th season of TRUE AND THE RAINBOW KINGDOM, and most recently PIKWIK PACK.</span></p>

Mark Thornton

<p>Marie McCann is the senior director of children’s content for CBC. She began her career as an actress before earning a degree in English and Cinema Studies at the University of Toronto. She has written, directed and produced award winning children’s content for over 20 years. At CBC Kids she heads up the teams responsible for in-house television and digital content and oversees acquisitions and programming created with independent producers for Canada's national public broadcaster.&nbsp;</p>

Marie McCann

<p><span style="background-color: transparent;">Jump into the pool hall with your fellow animation fans at the TAAFI INDUSTRY 2019 8 Ball Mixer at Rivoli! Grab drinks and challenge friends new and old to a game, while you catch up on all your favourite shows, discuss the talks you've seen, and maybe even meet a hero or two from the event. There will be shuttle buses leaving from Corus Quay immediately after the final presentation to take you to The Rivoli Pool Hall for the party!</span></p>

TAAFI News

Toronto Animation Film Festival

Toronto Animation Industry Conference

Toronto Animation / VFX Job Fair

The TAAFI 8 Ball Mixer