<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 Martin Twins, Edgar and Sergio as they share some stories and secrets from The SPA Studios. You may know us from our work on films such as "Despicable Me", "Smallfoot", "Rio", or most recently "Klaus", Netflix's first original feature animated film, which was entirely conceived and produced at The SPA Studios, receiving 1 BAFTA and 7 Annie Awards, as well as being nominated by the 2020 Academy Awards for Best Animated Film, among many others.

Featured Studio: The SPA STUDIOS

Edgar Martins is a storyboard artist who helps develop animated film projects. He has worked on innumerous&nbsp;productions for about 15 years, and was the head of story on KLAUS feature film of The SPA Studios.He co-directed alongside his twin brother Sergio and Tom Delonge (artist behind Blink182 rock-band) the short film Poet Anderson: The Dreamwalker, winner of Best Animation prize at Toronto Short Film Fest.

Edgar Martins

Sergio Martins is an animation supervisor at The SPA Studios, the studio behind KLAUS. Sergio has over 15 years of animation experience, launching his career as a freelance animator for commercials, TV shows and music videos. He also had the opportunity to co-direct the animated short, Poet Anderson: The Dreamwalker, alongside his twin brother, Edgar Martins, and Blink-182 frontman Tom Delonge.

Sergio Martins is an animation supervisor at The SPA Studios, the studio behind KLAUS. Sergio has over 15 years of animation experience, launching his career as a freelance animator for commercials, TV shows and music videos. He also had the opportunity to co-direct the animated short, Poet Anderson: The Dreamwalker, alongside his twin brother, Edgar Martins, and Blink-182 frontman Tom Delonge.

Sergio Martins

Watch the two finalists of TAAFI's Big Pitch go head to head in front of three Industry judges. The winner takes it all in this exciting live pitching event (plus a cash prize!). If you want to have a shot, submit your pitch in the link on our Industry home page. Or email bigpitch@taafi.comThe Big Pitch is brought to you by WildBrain.

The Big Pitch presented by WildBrain

Ben leads creative initiatives for agencies, brands, media companies, entrepreneurs and educators, providing brand and content strategy, as well as hands-on creative production in animation, live-action, interactive web, apps, VR/AR, game development, events and interactive public activations, on projects throughout Canada, and internationally in the US, India, Singapore and China.&nbsp;As partner / executive producer, Friends &amp; Enemies, Ben works with his team of senior creatives and a broad network of multi-disciplinary production partners creating original and branded content experiences for brands, agencies and media clientele.&nbsp;Notable clients include: Google, VICE Studios, 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, CBC, Doc Channel, Teletoon, YTV, CTV, Discovery Channel, The History Channel, TVO Kids, Shaftesbury, and the National Film Board of Canada.Ben is also co-founder of the Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) and a former board member.

Ben leads creative initiatives for agencies, brands, media companies, entrepreneurs and educators, providing brand and content strategy, as well as hands-on creative production in animation, live-action, interactive web, apps, VR/AR, game development, events and interactive public activations, on projects throughout Canada, and internationally in the US, India, Singapore and China.&nbsp;As partner / executive producer, Friends &amp; Enemies, Ben works with his team of senior creatives and a broad network of multi-disciplinary production partners creating original and branded content experiences for brands, agencies and media clientele.&nbsp;Notable clients include: Google, VICE Studios, 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate, CBC, Doc Channel, Teletoon, YTV, CTV, Discovery Channel, The History Channel, TVO Kids, Shaftesbury, and the National Film Board of Canada.Ben is also co-founder of the Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) and a former board member.

Ben McEvoy

Darin Bristow is a 27-year veteran of the animation industry and has lent his creative, technical and production skills to over 25 TV series and feature films. Darin has held such notable positions as design supervisor,&nbsp;art director, CG supervisor, VFX artist, and currently currently serves as Pipeline Studios' supervising producer and executive creative director,&nbsp;focusing on developing the studio's top brands, such as&nbsp;Nina's World, Sunny Day, the Emmy-nominated Elinor Wonders Why! and the recently released Fred Rogers Productions/PBS series, Alma's Way.&nbsp;

Darin Bristow is a 27-year veteran of the animation industry and has lent his creative, technical and production skills to over 25 TV series and feature films. Darin has held such notable positions as design supervisor,&nbsp;art director, CG supervisor, VFX artist, and currently currently serves as Pipeline Studios' supervising producer and executive creative director,&nbsp;focusing on developing the studio's top brands, such as&nbsp;Nina's World, Sunny Day, the Emmy-nominated Elinor Wonders Why! and the recently released Fred Rogers Productions/PBS series, Alma's Way.&nbsp;

Darin Bristow

Dave Padbury joined the Guru development team seven years ago to help guide development on the Netflix Original series True and the Rainbow Kingdom. Since then, he has worked across several of Guru’s properties, including its newest preschool series Pikwik Pack which airs on Disney Junior US, Hulu and Treehouse in Canada, and the upcoming comedy adventure Big Blue. In his role as development executive, Dave focuses on finding and fostering new voices and perspectives to bring strong creator-driven stories to life.

Dave Padbury joined the Guru development team seven years ago to help guide development on the Netflix Original series True and the Rainbow Kingdom. Since then, he has worked across several of Guru’s properties, including its newest preschool series Pikwik Pack which airs on Disney Junior US, Hulu and Treehouse in Canada, and the upcoming comedy adventure Big Blue. In his role as development executive, Dave focuses on finding and fostering new voices and perspectives to bring strong creator-driven stories to life.

Dave Padbury

Lorna Withrington, Vice President, Development–Animation, is a recognized leader in the creative development and acquisition of kids’ and family properties with franchise appeal for the global market. As a key member of WildBrain’s content team, she helps drive the strategic vision behind the company’s diverse, multi-genre slate of original animation, collaborating closely with creators, writers, artists and other production stakeholders to instill creative excellence in WildBrain’s shows. Ms. Withrington possesses wide-ranging experience on international co-productions and in the creation of 2D, CG and hybrid series. With a career spanning such properties as Paw Patrol, PJ Masks, Peppa Pig, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam and Thomas &amp; Friends, Ms. Withrington has worked for some of the biggest brands in children’s content and brings this knowledge to finding and creating the next generation of children’s hits. Prior to WildBrain, Ms. Withrington held management roles in development, creative affairs, acquisitions and production with Spin Master, eOne Entertainment and HIT Entertainment / Mattel.

Lorna Withrington, Vice President, Development–Animation, is a recognized leader in the creative development and acquisition of kids’ and family properties with franchise appeal for the global market. As a key member of WildBrain’s content team, she helps drive the strategic vision behind the company’s diverse, multi-genre slate of original animation, collaborating closely with creators, writers, artists and other production stakeholders to instill creative excellence in WildBrain’s shows. Ms. Withrington possesses wide-ranging experience on international co-productions and in the creation of 2D, CG and hybrid series. With a career spanning such properties as Paw Patrol, PJ Masks, Peppa Pig, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam and Thomas &amp; Friends, Ms. Withrington has worked for some of the biggest brands in children’s content and brings this knowledge to finding and creating the next generation of children’s hits. Prior to WildBrain, Ms. Withrington held management roles in development, creative affairs, acquisitions and production with Spin Master, eOne Entertainment and HIT Entertainment / Mattel.

Lorna Withrington

WildBrain 

It's Friday night, who's ready to do some sketching and some chatting? Maybe meet a new BFF or catch up with some old ones? Pop into the beating 💖 of TAAFI, our Discord Server for some mingling and networking.Joel &amp; Spencer are BACK! And so are the dusty ol' TAAFI Drink &amp; Draw crew. Will Winty be there? Time will tell.Joining us Friday night is Gustavo Cosío - he's boarded on Maya and the Three with Jorge Gutiérrez, and Kid Cosmic to name a few, and Minh Pham, an artist extraordinaire with Guru Studio and the host of Guru Studio's Art Jam group!We'll be using Drawpile to make a virtual drawing together-apart.

Friday Night Networking: Drink & Draw!

Gustavo Cosío is a storyboard artist, born and raised in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. He has worked on over a dozen animated films in his country as well as a couple of animated TV series. In 2018, he joined Netflix Animation Studios to work on Jorge Gutierrez's new and totally amazing project Maya and the Three! Since then, he has continued to work on original animated series by Netflix like Kid Cosmic and We the People. Gustavo is currently working in an awesome sci-fi action comedy series and couldn't be happier.

Gustavo Cosío

Joel and Spencer met during an epic hot-dog eating competition in Ottawa. After finishing in a tie, they developed a mutual respect for one another and decided to join forces.When these two weenie boys aren't on the clock, working on hit cartoons, you can find them kicking back with their many, many friends, sipping and sketching. Come join the fun on Thursday night in the <a href="https://discord.com/invite/f3kaVvNg6j" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TAAFI Discord Server</a>, as Joel and Spencer invite you to be friends with them and drink and draw the night away!

Joel & Spencer

Animator and artist extraordinaire Minh Pham has been with Guru Studio since 2014, bringing to life hit shows such as the global phenomenon PAW Patrol, Pikwik Pack which airs on Disney Junior and Hulu, and the soon-to-be released comedy adventure series Big Blue, coming to CBC Kids this December! Minh is also the host of Guru Studio's Art Jam group!

TAAFI News

Toronto Animation Film Festival

Toronto Animation Industry Conference

Toronto Animation / VFX Job Fair

Friday Night Networking: Drink & Draw!

Gustavo Cosío, Storyboard Artist, Netflix Animation Studios

Joel & Spencer, Creators - Animators - Drinkers, Freelance Weenies

Minh Pham, Animator, Guru Studio