The aNYmator is the online publication of ASIFA-East, New York’s chapter of ASIFA International.

WHAT IS ASIFA?

ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film d’ Animation) was formed in 1960 by an international group of animators to coordinate and increase world-wide visibility of animated film. ASIFA’s membership includes animation professionals and fans from more than 50 countries. ASIFA sponsors animation festivals in Annecy, Ottawa, and Hiroshima. ASIFA-East is the Eastern U.S. chapter of ASIFA, based in New York City. ASIFA-East holds monthly screenings of animated films, panel discussions, and workshops. ASIFA-East also conducts a yearly animation festival, a unique showcase for the most groundbreaking independent and commercial animation being produced in the industry today. To learn more about ASIFA-East, visit: asifaeast.com

ASIFA International

ASIFA-East is a chapter of the international association ASIFA (l’Association Internationale du Film d’Animation). ASIFA is the world’s first and foremost international animation organization, founded in association with UNESCO, in Annecy, France, in 1960.ASIFA was established as an international forum to promote the advancement and appreciation of the animation art form across world cultures and boundaries. From the Cold War to today, through festival sponsorship and international collaboration among its National groups, ASIFA has ensured that the finest films—and filmmakers—from the world over reach appreciative audiences otherwise unlikely to enjoy access to these works. ASIFA played a vital role in organizing the Annecy, Zagreb, Ottawa, and Hiroshima Animation festivals and, through festival sponsorship or endorsement, continues to set a high quality standard for festivals—artistically and with regard to their treatment of films and filmmakers.ASIFA’s Film Exchange program and annual International Animation Day provide ASIFA National Groups with specially curated screenings of animated films (ASIFA-East is proud to participate with our ASIFA-East Animation Festival). Through its Animation Workshop Group, ASIFA teaches animation to children around the world. ASIFA also publishes the semi-annual ASIFA Magazine: The International Animation Journal, included with international ASIFA membership, which features quality articles on contemporary and historical animation films and artists from around the world.ASIFA currently has over 5000 members in 58 countries. Over 30 National Groups Offices are represented by an international roster of animation filmmakers, artists, scholars, and educators. Ray Kosarin is ASIFA-East’s representative on the International ASIFA Board. ASIFA International’s international president is Nelson Shin, president of AKOM, Korea’s leading animation production company, and publisher of the magazine Animatoon. Past ASIFA presidents include acclaimed filmmakers Norman McLaren, John Halas, John Hubley, Raoul Servais, Michel Ocelot, to name only a few.

Contributors

ASIFA-East Co-President and Web Manager: Dayna Gonzalez
Dayna Gonzalez is an award-winning animator and designer with over a decade of experience on broadcast, film, and web productions.  Her work has been featured on Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, Fox, and Cartoon Network.  Dayna holds a BFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a major in film/animation, and a minor in Sociology. In 2008, she completed a Certificate Program in Web Design at SUNY/FIT, in the interest of helping small business clients and independent artists develop an online presence. 2009 saw the development of her first flash game featuring Batman with her team Uppercut Animation.  In 2012, Jumping Tadpole Productions was born.  In her spare time, she enjoys salsa dancing, exploring new haunts in NYC, and tending to her small army of plants.

Former ASIFA-East President David B. Levy
David B. Levy is an award-winning independent filmmaker and animation director for Nickelodeon’s Blue’s Clues, the Noggin Channel’s Pinky Dinky Doo, and Cartoon Network’s Assy McGee. His animation has been seen on Saturday Night Live and HBO. He has lectured and taught at Parsons School of Design, School of Visual Arts, NYU, and Pratt, and was president of the New York chapter of Association International du Film d’Animation (ASIFA.) for 11 years til 2011. Levy’s book, Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive (Allworth Press, 2006) is about to go into a third print run. Levy is currently writing a second book for Allworth Press. He lives in Brooklyn, NY. http://animondays.blogspot.com/

Mailing List Administrator: Katie Cropper
Katie Cropper was born, raised, and just can’t seem to leave New York City. A graduate of the traditional animation program at Pratt Institute in 2007, she has spent most of her animation career working in the indie animation circuit. Cropper had the pleasure of being a designer and production manager on the HBO documentary Getting Over Him in 8 Songs or Less, directed by Debra J Solomon. She has been freelancing, animating, painting, and blogging ever since. Watercolor, After Effects, and Flash are her weapons of choice. She lives in Queens, NY with her very old dog and very young niece. http://www.katiecropper.com

Viewsium Editor: Emmett Goodman
Emmett Goodman comes from Chicago, London, Cleveland, and now, New York. A graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, Emmett has already made two short films, a few experiments, and a music video. He has also worked for Augenblick Animation, London Squared, and Charged! to name a few places. Emmett tends to lose himself in animation and music, as well as writing and movies. He currently lives in Park Slope in Brooklyn. For more on Emmett, check out his blogs: doubleben.blogspot.com (writing) and twobenswamp.blogspot.com (drawing), as well as his website emmettgoodman.com.

International Update Editor: Ray Kosarin
Ray Kosarin produces, directs, and animates for film, television, and the Web. In Europe, he has worked as supervising director of the series THE WORLD OF TOSH for Svensk Filmindustri, head director of the Nickelodeon/ Fox series THE THREE FRIENDS AND JERRY, and supervising producer of DA MOB for Fox/SKY. In the US, Kosarin has worked as supervising director of the hit series DARIA, director for the television series BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD and THE HEAD, and sequence director for the Paramount feature film BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA. His award-winning theatrical short UNCLE, presented in WNET’s REEL NY, has been invited to many world-class festivals including Annecy, Zagreb, Hiroshima, Black Maria and Anima Mundi. As member of the ASIFA International Board and ASIFA-East Executive Board, he programs events, is active in international administrative committee work and both writes and edits for ASIFA Magazine: The International Animation Journal. He teaches at School of Visual Arts and Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Caresse Singh
Caresse Singh is a native Brooklynite, ballerina-turned-animator. She loves video games, food and being an aunt. A recent graduate of the School of Visual Arts, she has worked on projects for Little Airplane Productions and StretchFilms Inc. as well as in the graphic design department of Sony BMG and as an image retoucher for S.V.A’s digital archive. Caresse is currently the curator of the Ocean Beach Society Museum and is working on an independent animated film. You can check out her website at: caressesingh.com and/or her blog at: caressesingh.blogspot.com.

Richard Gorey
Richard Gorey is a freelance animator and writer, author and illustrator of the novel The Great Rabbit Rip-off. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts, Richard spent the bulk of his professional career in public relations at Young & Rubicam, writing and designing for such clients as Chess King, Kraft Foods, Philip Morris, The Gap and Citigroup. He teaches animation and screenwriting in New York.

Events Coordinator: Tristian Goik
Tristian Goik is a hard-core New Yorker, but he was born in Saudi Arabia.  He taught himself to animate in between daily ballet classes.  Eventually, he graduated from NYU Tisch, for film.  Today, he is consumed by an insatiable desire for media, and recently finished reading “War and Peace.”  When he is not working on freelance projects for documentaries, Tristian likes to listen to techno and think of new things to draw.  To find out more about Tristian’s particular aesthetics, visit his blog at http://b-manhattane.blogspot.com/

Postcard Designer: Justin Simonich
Justin took an early liking to art, which he expressed by drawing all over the walls of his parents’ house. He pursued his love of art further by studying at some big fancy colleges all over the world. He now teaches at a fancy college in Brooklyn, NY as well as working for studios all over the city. Justin continues to create short films in his spare time as well as beautiful works of art. To see his work go to www.justinsimonich.com.

Elliot Cowan
Elliot Cowan sold his house, gave his dog to his parents, and moved to London after 10 years of writing and directing television commercials in Tasmania. Now he works on animated movies, illustrations for other people and art pieces for himself. The short films based on his characters, Boxhead and Roundhead, have played to great acclaim at film festivals all over the world. He has abandoned London for the Big Apple and the love of a good woman. Pictures and animation can be found at www.elliotelliotelliot.com.