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

Toronto Animation Film Festival

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

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

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

Toronto Animation Industry Conference

<h3>Where</h3>Online<h3>When</h3>November 18-22, 2020﻿

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

Toronto Animation / VFX Job Fair

TAAFI News

Join the writer and director of Maya and the Three for Netflix, Jorge R. Gutiérrez for a wild talk about his soon to be hit series. He'll show some behind the scenes work, bring in a few special guests from the Toronto studio that worked on it, and answer some questions from the audience. What could be a better way to wind down the festival?

Jorge R. Gutiérrez & Friends present: Maya and the Three

Carlie is the senior lighting and compositing lead on Maya and the Three.&nbsp;She has focused her career on telling stories with light and colour and strives to bring the beauty of film and the natural world to animation.

Carlie is the senior lighting and compositing lead on Maya and the Three.&nbsp;She has focused her career on telling stories with light and colour and strives to bring the beauty of film and the natural world to animation.

Carlie Lytwyn

Jorge R. Gutiérrez is a Mexican animator, painter, voice actor, writer, and director. Born in Mexico City and raised in Tijuana, Gutiérrez has completed various films, cartoons, illustrations, and paintings exploring his love with Mexican pop and folk culture. He was the director &amp; co-writer of the Guillermo Del Toro produced animated feature The Book of Life for Fox, which earned him a 2014 Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. He was also the writer &amp; director of the Emmy nominated Son of Jaguar VR short for Google. Along with his wife and muse, Sandra Equihua, they created the multiple Emmy Award–winning animated television series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera for Nickelodeon. Gutiérrez most recently wrote and directed his animated event limited series Maya and the Three for Netflix.

Jorge R. Gutiérrez

Richard is an art director and production designer with over 18 years of industry experience. Born and raised in Toronto, and a graduate of Sheridan College, Richard has a deep passion for all things creative. His most recent projects include art direction on the Netflix film NEXT GEN and as the supervising art director on the Netflix limited series Maya and the Three.

Richard is an art director and production designer with over 18 years of industry experience. Born and raised in Toronto, and a graduate of Sheridan College, Richard has a deep passion for all things creative. His most recent projects include art direction on the Netflix film NEXT GEN and as the supervising art director on the Netflix limited series Maya and the Three.

Richard Chen

Most recently the animation director on Maya and the Three, Rob is an experienced director, animation supervisor and animator.&nbsp;His directorial debut came with the animated short of his own creation, Ormie.&nbsp;Having won several prestigious festival awards, including TIFF’s Sprockets Kids Film Festival, the project earned him directing duties for multiple major toy brands.&nbsp;He is currently working on several projects in development.

Most recently the animation director on Maya and the Three, Rob is an experienced director, animation supervisor and animator.&nbsp;His directorial debut came with the animated short of his own creation, Ormie.&nbsp;Having won several prestigious festival awards, including TIFF’s Sprockets Kids Film Festival, the project earned him directing duties for multiple major toy brands.&nbsp;He is currently working on several projects in development.

Rob Silvestri

Pipeline

With new streamers popping up everywhere competing for new content and animation thriving during lockdowns – how is Canada primed to succeed in the rapidly evolving world of Prime Time animation?

The Changing Landscape of Canadian Prime Time Animation

Jennifer Griffiths is an executive director at Big Jump Entertainment. Her scope of work encompasses production and development as well as studio operations. Her passions include marketing and most importantly, employee wellness. She plays an integral role in Big Jump’s Artists First Initiatives and is also thrilled to welcome hundreds of burgeoning new Artists to Big Jump Entertainments Co-op Program every year! Jen would like to recognize her magnificent creative teammates Allecia Robb (who’s tireless enthusiasm aids in improving the Co-op program at every turn!), and All the Artists and Leadership Team at Big Jump Entertainment, without whom, Jennifer would not be having such a wonderful time; and to whom she owes all her thanks and respect! Jennifer is an internationally recognized marketer. She was recently thrilled to project manage the animated special of One Day at a Time and produced the animated special of Black-ish, with Big jump Entertainment and Smiley Guy Studios.&nbsp;(Photography: Sherry Welden Photography)

Jennifer Griffiths is an executive director at Big Jump Entertainment. Her scope of work encompasses production and development as well as studio operations. Her passions include marketing and most importantly, employee wellness. She plays an integral role in Big Jump’s Artists First Initiatives and is also thrilled to welcome hundreds of burgeoning new Artists to Big Jump Entertainments Co-op Program every year! Jen would like to recognize her magnificent creative teammates Allecia Robb (who’s tireless enthusiasm aids in improving the Co-op program at every turn!), and All the Artists and Leadership Team at Big Jump Entertainment, without whom, Jennifer would not be having such a wonderful time; and to whom she owes all her thanks and respect! Jennifer is an internationally recognized marketer. She was recently thrilled to project manage the animated special of One Day at a Time and produced the animated special of Black-ish, with Big jump Entertainment and Smiley Guy Studios.&nbsp;

Jennifer Griffiths 

Jennilee Murray is the producer on Netflix’s new adult animation, Inside Job.Before joining Jam Filled Entertainment, she wore many hats: illustrator, self-published author, actor, scriptwriter, dog collector and squirrel enthusiast.&nbsp;Jennilee is known for her work on DC's Superhero Girls shorts, CBC’s Kingdom Force, Mattel’s WellieWishers and most recently, Netflix’s Inside Job.

Jennilee Murray

Mike Valiquette: he/him, settler, middle-aged man-honky, optimist, director, producer, creative development exec, and designer who has won some awards, worked for many big fancy clients and teaches at Seneca College in Toronto. He maintains a small boutique studio, Go Lucky, and the long-running Canadian animation resource site, Cartoon North. Mike believes in raising up our fellow humans, evening the playing field, and that stories are important.

Mike Valiquette: he/him, settler, middle-aged man-honky, optimist, director, producer, creative development exec, and designer who has won some awards, worked for many big fancy clients and teaches at Seneca College in Toronto. He maintains a small boutique studio, Go Lucky, and the long-running Canadian animation resource site, Cartoon North. Mike believes in raising up our fellow humans, evening the playing field, and that stories are important.

Mike Valiquette

Mike Barth has been part of the animation industry for over 15 years and is best known for directing Donald Sutherland’s Pirate’s Passage. In addition, he has&nbsp;animation directed many animated series such as Pinky Malinky, DC’s Superhero Girls (reboot), Final Space and Netflix’s newly released Inside Job.

Mike Barth has been part of the animation industry for over 15 years and is best known for directing Donald Sutherland’s Pirate’s Passage. In addition, he has&nbsp;animation directed many animated series such as Pinky Malinky, DC’s Superhero Girls (reboot), Final Space and Netflix’s newly released Inside Job.

Mike Barth

Sheridan College

Directing is challenging enough in normal times, but how do you lead a creative team during the work-from-home times of the pandemic? What tips or tricks are they using? How do they keep crews motivated? How do they keep in touch with their team? What works and what didn't?

Directing is challenging enough in normal times, but how do you lead a creative team during the work-from-home times of the pandemic? What tips or tricks are they using? How do they keep crews motivated? How do they keep in touch with their team? What works and what didn't?

Directing During a Pandemic

As well as being TAAFI's Chair and one of its co-founders, Wornoff helps with speaker programming, TAAFI sing-a-longs, behind the scenes tomfoolery and enjoys Hawiian pizza.Wornoff is a full-time professor at Seneca College, where he coordinates the 3rd year 2D stream and mentors his students while they make incredible cartoons. <a href="Seneca2D.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Seneca2D.com</a>Wornoff also animates and consults for studios in Toronto, and has worked on toons such as Corner Gas Animated, Numb Chucks, Nature Cat, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Total Drama Island, Jimmy Two Shoes, Peg and Corn, Esme and Roy and did storyboard cleanup on Danny Phantom. Currently he's a Creative Producer and Animation Supervisor at Smiley Guy Studios where he's managing animation revs on a new show for Netflix.Barnabas has his Masters in Creative Media and Education from Bournemouth University in England and is a new dad.

Barnabas Wornoff

Cory Bobiak is a Toronto-based director and artist with an extensive list of television, design and artistic achievements. Cory has worked in both children’s and adult television programs ranging from the Emmy award-winning Peg + Cat, to Comedy Central’s Ugly Americans. He has animated, designed and storyboarded on numerous series including Mucha Lucha, Jimmy Two Shoes, Rick &amp; Steve –The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World, Ugly Americans, Wibbly Pig, and Peep and the Big Wide World.&nbsp;Cory's directing credits include Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, Peg + Cat, and Ugly Americans. Cory is currently creative director at Brown Bag Films Toronto and is responsible for overseeing creative direction within the Toronto studio.Cory lives in Hamilton with his wife Sandra and their two children, Frankie and Rudy.

Cory Bobiak 

Lisa Whittick has spent the bulk of her 22 years in animation as a freelance storyboard artist, a position which has allowed her to work from home and raise her 3 kids without giving up the career she loves. She has always aspired to be a director, but directing seemed like an impossible goal given the in-studio hours required to do the job right. Not wanting to give up her family life so she could chase her goal, Lisa resigned herself to the fact that directing wasn't in the cards. But then along came Covid, the right project and people who were willing to give her a chance and everything changed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

TAAFI News

Toronto Animation Film Festival

Toronto Animation Industry Conference

Toronto Animation / VFX Job Fair

Directing During a Pandemic

Barnabas Wornoff, Creative Producer, Smiley Guy Studios - Chair & co-founder, TAAFI

Cory Bobiak , Creative Director, Brown Bag Films

Lisa Whittick, Series Director, Yowza! Animation