<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

Jeremy McCarron

The Ins and Outs of Real-Time Tech With Trickfilm

Do you have an idea for an animated TV show, but you don’t know where to start? Then you'll definitely want to check out two-time Big Pitch winner Terry Ibele's "How to Create a TV Show Pitch Bible from Scratch (+ how to pitch it!)" workshop at this year's TAAFI Industry Conference! In this workshop, Terry will help guide aspiring pitchers and provide the framework to create a winning pitch bible from scratch! Over the course of two-hours, you'll learn; - All the assets needed to create a complete pitch bible- How to make connections with development executives at production studios and broadcasters- The best way to deliver your pitch with confidence Be sure to get to the Toronto Reference Library early, because this workshop starts at 10:30am! Don't miss out!

TAIS! Workshop - How To Pitch

Terry Ibele

Author of Ink and Paint's Mindy Johnson, the woman who literally wrote the book on the contributions of women in Animation, is coming IN-PERSON to Toronto to open our conference! A powerful speaker and visionary, Mindy's talk is one you can't miss!

Opening Keynote: Mindy Johnson

Mindy Johnson

Ben McEvoy

CASO - Planning for Sustained Success and Pivoting for Business Growth

Caso

Since the dawn of the animation industry, women have always played an integral role in helping to shape the creative vision and execution of various projects– and even more recently, many have become leaders in their field, paving the way for even more talented women!&nbsp; Join trailblazing female leads Deborah A. Anderson (BlkWmnAnimator), Marge Dean (Head of Studio at Skybound Animation, Women in Animation), Mindy Johnson (Animation Historian &amp; Author), Sumira Dhawan (Head of CG, Redefine) and Shaleen Sangha (Vice President of Kids and Family Content at Boat Rocker Media) on Friday November 3rd at 1:45pm-2:45pm for a roundtable discussion about the challenges women have historically faced throughout the industry, the successes of women rising to positions of leadership within animation, and the work still yet to be done to help create opportunities for women entering the workforce (and become trailblazers themselves!) We’re ecstatic to have such a wide and wonderful array of talented and awe-inspiring panelists and can’t wait to learn more!

Trailblazing Women in Animation

Deborah A. Anderson

Marge Dean

Sumira Dhawan

Shaleen Sangha

As creative-types, we dream of the day we can finally produce our dream projects– though getting the proper funding for your independent film sounds like a daunting task. But worry not; for we’ve brought together the greatest team since Chocolate and Peanut Butter to share their funding stories and secrets with you! Join independent animator Tina Nawrocki (Syrenka: Legend of the Warsaw Mermaid), Cloudrise Pictures’ Denver Jackson (The Worlds Divide), and Sheridan College’s Tabitha Fisher (Hey Men!) as they explain their experiences with crowdfunding via platforms like Indiegogo and Kickstarter, acquiring grants through platforms the Canada Council for the Arts and the NFB Film Assistance Program, how they handle self-financing their projects in addition to external funding, which funding avenue is right for the film you want to make, and a sneak preview at their incredible upcoming films! We’re so excited to hear what these phenomenal independent filmmakers have in store for us!

My Indie Funding Journey

Denver Jackson

Tabitha Fisher

Tina Nawrocki

Show of hands; who’s heard of A.I. art? Well, if you’re looking to learn more about the rising trends and influence this new technology could bring to the industry, then you’re not alone! Join TAAFI co-founder and Producer (Friends &amp; Enemies) Ben McEvoy on Friday Nov. 3rd at 3:00pm - 4:00pm as he takes an incisive look at emerging trends focusing on artificial intelligence and how it’s used in the creative field, how it could continue to affect the art and animation industries, as well as the potential dangers, and powerful new tools it could provide artists. As we move forward into a new generation of technological advancement, we need to make sure we have the appropriate mindset to properly analyze and realize the potential that lies ahead– even if it seems a bit scary! (Note: This newsletter has been generated courtesy of our proprietary STAAF.A.I)Ok maybe one human. But only like 15%; I promise.

Artificial Intelligence Era

Do you have the perfect idea for an animated tv show or web series? Are you wanting to learn the ins and outs of pitching from trained professionals? Are you ready to put your ideas out there-- and in front of experienced industry professionals? Then you're in luck; as our Big Pitch is back for 2023's Industry Conference! This year's submissions for pitch packages are already open and close on October 2nd. All packages must be uploaded in PDF format and contain the following;&nbsp;Logline Project Synopsis Target Audience (genre/target age group) At least one episode synopsis Concept Designs Creator BioThe competition is open to Canadian residents only and finalists must be able to present their project IN-PERSON!! Prizes included for winners of the competition from our Sponsors! We look forward to seeing all of your amazing submissions and wish all entrants the best of luck!

The Big Pitch

Aron Dunn

Wes Bryant

The Women Behind Red Ketchup (presented by SPHERE)

Carolina Tran-Yong

Emily Weedon

Jodi Christie

Marianne Culbert

Nicole Bauman

The TAAFI Industry Meet &amp; Greet is a special chance to have a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with various industry experts from around the world from such studios as Guru, Pipeline, Corus, and more! ﻿NOTE: PRE-REGISTRATION FOR MEET &amp; GREET IS REQUIRED - REGISTRATION OPENS OCTOBER 2ND AND CLOSES OCTOBER 20TH, 2023.

Meet & Greet

Talkin' Bout 'Teenage Euthanasia'

Alyssa Nutting

Allison Levy

Atomic

Encouraging Diversity in Leadership 

Join us as Certified Money Coach Victoria Mateo helps us navigate tougher times and manage our money.

Reimagining Your Finances

In the world of animation, where technology often strives for perfection, it’s important to celebrate the imperfections and the profound impact they have on the art of storytelling. The human touch is a cornerstone of animation's emotional resonance, and stop motion serves as a powerful reminder of this connection. The story of animation is incomplete without imperfections – they weave the threads of uniqueness, humanity, and innovation that define our craft. Join Dale Hayward, animator and owner of See Creature Animation, as he celebrates the rough edges of animation in this very special presentation!

Dale Hayward

Perfection is BORING!

Think you have what it takes to be a TAAFIllionaire? Now is your chance to prove it! Join us for a mash-up of some classic TV game shows mixed with your favourite animated content. Just like a real game show, the final winner will walk away with a GRAND PRIZE (soon to be announced) Applications to participate are now OPEN until October 26th, 2023. Fill out this form if you’d like a chance to play:<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://forms.gle/qGjaP2y15RQe4FHUA">https://forms.gle/qGjaP2y15RQe4FHUA</a> Anyone with an Industry pass is welcome to sign up for a chance to play. Signing up does not guarantee entry. Those who have been selected will be called down to the front during the Game Show, so make sure you’re there!

GameShow - Who Wants To Be A TAAFIllionaire 

“Way way back in early oughties…” There was a show called Clone High. It only got one season but inspired a devoted cult following that continues to this day. And now, like all the cartoons that ended too soon-- it's back and better then ever! Better yet; it's worked on by our good friends over at Jam Filled! Join us for a special in-depth look with animation director Ray Ocampo, background supervisor Brian Woods, production manager Meagan Borosch, and animation supervisor Kristin Handley, as they tell us just how they unthawed these frozen Clones and brought them back to our screens-- and our hearts!

Clone High Comes Back!

Brian Woods

Kristin Handley

Meagan Borosch

Ray Ocampo

Jam Filled

Grab a hot cup of cocoa, some cozy blankets, and curl up for a relaxing "Fireside Chat with Marge Dean" with moderator and fellow trailblazer Mary Bredin! Help us close out this year's conference with an in-depth and deeply personal look at the history behind and current state of the industry.

Mary Bredin

Fireside Chat with Marge Dean

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Behind-the-scenes

It's Saturday night and after a long few days of learning about and being inspired by the industry's latest projects and trailblazing folks, what is there to do to keep the energy going? Why, let's all go to The Pilot (22 Cumberland Street, just off Yonge Street) as Pipeline Studios presents the TAAFI Animation Industry Networking Party! The largest Animation Industry networking party to hit Toronto since the pandemic, this event is guaranteed to connect you to the industry's best and brightest.Share some drinks, munch on some tasty grub, and mix and mingle the night away. Please note this event is 19+ as it is at a bar. ID will be checked at the door.Just like our past events, Pipeline Studios brings their A-game and will claw their way into your heart with some fun and games. See ya there!T﻿AAFI General Pass holders have access to the party included in their pass! Tickets available <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/taafi-industry-conference-2023-tickets-646502144317?aff=oddtdtcreator">HERE</a>

Pipeline Studios presents the TAAFI Animation Industry Networking Party 2023

Pipeline Studios

Aron is an industry vet with two decades of experience. When he’s not crafting a killer pitch, or delivering his latest script, he is staying in touch with his “inner kid” by reading the latest comic books or playing the hottest video games. Over the course of his career, Aron has worked with Cartoon Network, CTC, Disney XD, Nickelodeon, Teletoon, YTV, Treehouse, KiKA, and CBC Kids. He has also contributed scripts to numerous animated comedy series including Taffy, Lex &amp; Plu: Space Taxi Drivers, Super Wings, Cupcake and Dinosaur: General Services, Chuck Chicken, Rusty Rivets, Pocoyo, Camp Lakebottom, Justin Time, Trucktown and The Insectibles. Prior to joining Lakeside Animation, Aron held senior development roles with some of Canada’s most prolific and acclaimed producers, including Breakthrough Entertainment and Portfolio Entertainment.

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.

Originally from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Denver Jackson is a self-taught animator and visual effects artist who got his start making films in high school before emigrating to Canada with his parents. As a filmmaker, he leans heavily on the fantastical while still being grounded by real world characters and situations. He works in both live action and animated films, blending the conventions of both mediums to create his own unique style, and is known to write, direct, film, edit and animate almost entirely on his own. THE WISHING JAR (2016) has screened around the world, including at three Academy Award-qualifying festivals and won Best Animated Film at both San Diego Comic Con International Film Festival and Heartland Film Festival, while his first animated short film CLOUDRISE (2013) cut through the 400 hours of content uploaded every minute on Vimeo to become a prestigious Vimeo Staff Pick. He wrote, directed and animated three feature length projects from a web series (Esluna: The First Monolith) to two feature films (Esluna: The Crown of Babylon and Esluna: The Worlds Divide).

Deborah Anderson has extensive experience in the animation industry as a 3D modeler. She started her career in Seoul, South Korea at Digital eMation modeling props, vehicles, and backgrounds on television shows such as Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, Batman: The Brave and The Bold, Scooby-Doo, and The LeBrons. She's currently working as an Assistant Editor on Amazon Prime's Invincible. Deborah also is an animation journalist and has a YouTube channel, BlkWmnAnimator where she interviews animation professionals about their careers.

Dale Hayward is a Canadian director and animator, who believes anything can be animated. He specializes in stop-motion and is the co-founder of See Creature Productions and See Learn Academy. He is the co-director of the award winning short film Bone Mother, and has worked on a wide range of productions, from Netflix’s The Little Prince to Kiri &amp; Lou to commercials for Nike, Tim Hortons and Hot Wheels.

Jeremy is a veteran of the animation industry. Over the past 30 years, he’s helped countless movies, television shows, and video games as an animator, animation director, art director, production manager, and strategist. Recently, Jeremy has launched Trickfilm, a platform to help independent animators distribute and monetize their work by translating the direct-to-consumer virtual goods model from video games to animation.

Karen Jackson is the newest Chair for TAAFI. As TAAFI's first female chair, Karen is excited to bring with her new ideas and efforts in increasing inclusion and diversity into TAAFI's events. Karen has worked tirelessly for TAAFI for many years and is proud to have the opportunity to continue building TAAFI towards further success. Karen currently works at Mainframe Studios and has over ten years experience in the Animation Industry bringing with her a strong background in managing teams, organizing events, building event and organizational pipelines and running the business.

Karen Jackson

Kristin Handley has been in the animation industry since 2005. With experience in Traditional, 2D Flash and Harmony Animation, as well as 3D Animation, she has been able to work in all four disciplines in studios across Ontario. Kristin has been a proud member of the Jam Filled team for the past 7 years, working as an Animation Supervisor on several of their top-rated shows including; Final Space, The Casagrandes, A Tale Dark and Grimm, We Lost Our Human and Clone High.

Leanne Preston Cortez

Marge Dean is an Emmy®-winning producer/executive and as Head of Studio at Skybound Entertainment, she is responsible for the development and production of original animated content and is establishing a new production facility for the production of Skybound properties including Invincible for Amazon Prime. Known for building studios and animation pipelines, Dean was responsible for the design or re-design of several studios including Columbia-TriStar TV, Warner Brothers Animation, Mattel’s Playground Production, Omation (Steve Oedekerk), Technicolor Animation and Wildbrain Entertainment. Prior to joining Skybound, Dean was the Head of Crunchyroll Studios —the largest anime streaming platform in the world— where she supervised production and development of Crunchyroll Original series premiering in 2020. In 2014, a group of women led by Dean took over the non-profit advocacy group, Women in Animation (WIA), revitalizing it. Membership grew from 120 people to over 4500 in five years as well as a reach of over 18,000 animation professionals and students. Primarily powered by volunteers, WIA has grown to a world-class advocacy organization impacting the lives of creative women, transgender and non-binary people around the world.

Award-winning author, historian, filmmaker, educator, musician and more, Mindy Johnson’s creative accomplishments reflect the diversity of her talents and experience. A leading expert on women’s roles in animation and film history, Mindy writes and speaks on early cinema, animation, women’s history, and creativity.A recipient of the prestigious ASIFA-Hollywood June Foray "Annie" Award, given to individuals who've made a significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation. Mindy's honors also include the Academy Film Scholar Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts &amp; Sciences/Oscars.org, and the ASIFA–Hollywood AEF Grant, for continued research and writing on the contributions of the earliest women within our collective animated past. With several forthcoming volumes underway, Mindy's groundbreaking discoveries continue to cast light on the invisible narrative of women’s presence within the first century of the motion picture industry. Her latest landmark breakthrough is the discovery of Bessie Mae Kelley and her surviving films believed to be the earliest surviving hand-drawn animation, animated and directed by a woman, forever busting the myth of women no longer present at the dawn of the animation industry.

Mary is a creative, quirky, master of story spells. She is Emmy nominated for Best “Pre-school Show” for “Justin Time”, developed and executive produced Netflix’s “True and the Rainbow Kingdom”, co-creator of Disney Jr’s “Pikiwik Pack”, developed girl led action series “Jade Amor” (22 min starting season 2 now, on France TV, SRC in Canada) and Youtube Original “Behind the Beats”. She is the co-creator of “Orion + Journal 24” - in development with TeamTO, France. She was part of the “Paw Patrol” team at the beginning. One of the EPs on the Oscar nominated feature “The Breadwinner” – an honour. She mentors diverse and upcoming voices through programs at WIFT and WIA. WGC member. She is studying improv at Second City. She received the WIFT-T award for innovation in Business in 2017. She is most proud of her son who is in his second year at McMaster.

Meagan has been part of Jam Filled's Toronto production team for seven years - some of her projects include A Tale Dark &amp; Grimm, Final Space, and Clone High. She is currently working on Dino Ranch.

Ryan Irwin

Sumira Dhawan is Head of CG, Animation for North America at ReDefine. In her current role, she brings her love of combining art and tech to develop and implement workflows for teams working in creative, technology, management and R&amp;D. Based in Toronto, she joined ReDefine from Industrial Brothers where she also worked as Head of CG. Sumira has spent her entire career in animation. She started as an animator and has worked in various departments in creative and technical roles for more than 15 years. Her resume includes roles at Awesometown Entertainment, Arc Productions, Nelvana, and DQ Entertainment, where she animated, supervised and led the development of impactful animated movies such as ‘Barbie: Star Light Adventure’ and ‘Elliot the Littlest Reindeer’, and animated television shows such as ‘Remy &amp; Boo’, ‘Daniel Spellbound’, ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ and ‘Mickey Mouse Clubhouse’.

Spencer Moreland

Tabitha is an animator, writer, and educator, and is currently a Full-Time Faculty member at Sheridan College's Honours BA Animation program teaching 2D Layout and Short Film Workflow to the second year cohort. Graduating from animation school in Toronto in 2007, she has held many positions within the Animation industry as well as supervised BG Paint and 2D Layout on various productions. Tabitha has competed an MFA at OCAD U in Digital Futures (2020) where her research focuses on the effect of online sharing culture on creativity. In 2011, she created/directed the animated short Missed Connection through The NFB’s Hothouse program, and in 2023 wrapped production on a 5-minute satirical rock opera titled Hey, Men! about the rise of populist bro-culture, which will make its festival debut in Spring 2024.

Terry Ibele is an award-winning stop motion and 2D animator from Toronto. He is a two-time winner of TAAFI's The Big Pitch and a winner of OIAF's Pitch This competition. His credits include work for TV shows and video games. In his spare time he runs the Animation Industry Podcast, a weekly show interviewing today's animation pros.

Tina Nawrocki is a 2d Animator and Illustrator who started working in the industry in 2006. Her experience spans video games, television and film. Tina joined Studio MDHR in 2015 to work on the video game “Cuphead” as a Concept Artist and 2d Animator. She designed and animated the bosses for Sugarland Shimmy and various platforming stages. After Cuphead’s release, Tina worked for two years on Studio MDHR’s new project, “DLC: Delicious Last Course”, animating the boss fight “Doggone Dogfight”. Since leaving MDHR in 2020, Tina had the pleasure of animating on the Netflix Series “Green Eggs and Ham” and the feature film “Space Jam: A New Legacy” as well as providing original animations for Drake’s Music Video “Knife Talk”.

Wes Bryant is an 18-year veteran of the animation industry, with a passion for leading projects, elevating engaging stories, and executing the creative vision within the medium. With a background in Classical Animation, Wes has developed a unique skill set ranging across diverse disciplines, including animation, design, rigging, and storyboarding.His tenure at Pipeline Studios, where he began as an animator over 15 years ago, has seen him grow into a trusted leader. Wes is currently directing the second season of the hit PBS KIDS series Elinor Wonders Why. He also led animation for the new SpongeBob SquarePants feature film (Nickelodeon), Hotel Transylvania: The Series (Disney Channel), Alma’s Way (PBS KIDS), and Fangbone (WildBrain).When not wearing his many hats at Pipeline Studios, Wes is reliving his childhood, this time as a father to his 2.5-year-old daughter. A healthy balance of nature walks, dance parties, and snuggling up and watching Saturday morning cartoons together with a big bowl of cereal are weekly highlights.