pixel

TAAFI News

Toronto Animation Film Festival

Toronto Animation Industry Conference

The ConferenceSeneca Diversity ScholarshipAbout TAAFISubscribeScheduleSpeakersDiscordFAQSponsorship

Where: Toronto Reference Library & Online

When: November 2-4, 2023

Previous Events:

Toronto Animation / VFX Job Fair

Presented by:

sponsor

Talkin' Bout 'Teenage Euthanasia'

Sat, Nov 4th

10:30AM - 11:30AM

Epic Hall

What happens when a former runaway teen mom is accidentally resurrected in her family's funeral home, giving her a second chance to raise her now-teenage daughter? You get Adult Swim’s Teenage Euthanasia, of course!


PFFR and Atomic Cartoons worked together to bring you the show’s second season, and we’re thrilled to say that the show’s creators, Alyson Levy and Alissa Nutting, will be coming to this year’s Industry Conference to tell us all about it, alongside Atomic Cartoons’ Patrick Paradis (Atomic’s Animation Director) and Beccs Champagne (Story Director) 


Be sure to check out both seasons of Teenage Euthanasia, starring Jo Firestone, Maria Bamford, Bebe Neuwirth, and Tim Robinson; all episodes airing now on Adult Swim!


speaker

Alissa Nutting, Co-Creator of Teenage Euthanasia, PFFR

Alissa Nutting is a creator, showrunner, screenwriter, executive producer and author. Nutting is known for her work on “Made For Love”, the Max series she created and adapted from her New York Time’s Editors Choice novel of the same name. Nutting served as showrunner, executive producer, and writer on "Made for Love". 

She most recently co-created “Teenage Euthanasia” alongside Alyson Levy. The critically acclaimed, animated comedy series premiered its second season this summer on Adult Swim and Max. Set in near-future inland Florida at Tender Endings family-run funeral home, “Teenage Euthanasia” explores themes of family, life, death, unplanned parenthood, multi-generational mother-daughter connection, and redemption. The voice cast includes Maria Bamford, Jo Firestone, Bebe Neuwirth, and Tim Robinson.

She currently has projects in the works with studios including Wiip, Anonymous Content, Fifth Season, Paramount, Berlanti Productions, and Tomorrow Studios. 

Nutting is author of the short story collection Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls and the novel Tampa. Her writing has appeared in publications such as The Norton Introduction to Literature, The New York Times, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Tin House, and others.

Nutting received a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida, a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Alabama, and a PhD from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

speaker

Alyson Levy, Co-Creator of Teenage Euthanasia, PFFR

Alyson Levy is an Emmy Award-nominated television producer and writer. Levy most recently co-created “Teenage Euthanasia” alongside Alissa Nutting. The critically acclaimed, animated comedy series premiered its second season this summer on Adult Swim and Max. Set in near- future inland Florida at Tender Endings family-run funeral home, “Teenage Euthanasia” explores themes of family, life, death, unplanned parenthood, multi-generational mother- daughter connection, and redemption. The voice cast includes Maria Bamford, Bebe Neuwirth, and Tim Robinson.

In 2018, Levy was nominated for an Emmy for her work on “At Home With Amy Sedaris” in the category of Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. Levy served as Executive producer on the show from 2017 through 2020. Previously, Levy served as Executive Producer on “The Shivering Truth,” which ran for two seasons on Adult Swim, and “Jon Glaser Loves Gear,” which ran for two seasons on truTV. Levy co-created and served as EP on Adult Swim’s “The Heart, She Holler” which premiered in 2011 and ran for three seasons. Additional credits include Xavier: Renegade Angel, and Delocated.

Levy is a founding member of PFFR production company and art collective based in Brooklyn alongside Vernon Chatman, and John Lee.

speaker

Patrick Paradis, Animation Director, Atomic Cartoons

Originally from the sunny streets of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Patrick has spent the last 20 years animating shows for Disney, Netflix, Apple+, and more. Currently at Atomic Cartoons in Ottawa, he's most recently Directed Season 2 of "Teenage Euthanasia" on Adult Swim, and Directed Animation on "Little Demon" for FXX and "Curious George: Cape Ahoy" for Universal Studios.

speaker

Rebecca "Beccs" Champagne, Story Director / Story Artist, Atomic Cartoons

Rebecca "Beccs" Champagne is a Story Artist and Story Director with a drive to tell stories in collaborative environments. Her past projects include Netflix's "Hilda" and "Hilda & The Mountain King", Apple TV's "Pinecone & Pony" and Adult Swim's "Teenage Euthanasia". Independently, she produces micro animations, zines, comics, and most recently “Showstopper” - a short film debuted at Ottawa’s Animation Show ‘n Tell. Beccs would love to curl up in a little bottle and drift away with the tide.

speakerMODERATOR

Lana Castleman, Director of Marketing & Communications, Atomic Cartoons/Thunderbird Entertainment

Lana Castleman is Director, Marketing & Communications for Thunderbird Entertainment and oversees marketing and communications for Thunderbird and its subsidiaries Atomic Cartoons and Great Pacific Media. Previously, she served as Director of Communications for the Writers Guild of Canada, overseeing all internal and external communications for the organization that represents more than 2,500 professional English-language screenwriters in Canada. Lana also held the longtime role of Editor & Content Director at Kidscreen, and led all editorial planning for the magazine and the brand’s online and event content. And she’ll never forget the day Oscar the Grouch wished her “a rotten day.”

logo

Copyright 2024 © Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI)