Conversations with filmmakers selected to the festival.
The idea of animators spending years of their life creating a film entirely on their own is nothing new. However, Denver Jackson flips the switch and creates theatrical feature-length animations in the span of a year entirely by himself. Denver discusses why he chooses to be in control of all aspects of animation production from storyboarding to animating, to post. He breaks down his incredible work schedule and animation process using a hybrid model of 3D and classical animation. Secrets are revealed. Whiskey is consumed.
SPEAKER
Denver Jackson
Animator, Writer, Director // Cloudrise Pictures
(Esluna: The Crown of Babylon, Esluna: The First Monolith, The Wishing Jar, Cloudrise)
South African-born filmmaker, Denver Jackson, has been a visual effects artist and animator for ten years living in Canada. He is internationally recognized for his work in digital and visual effects, animation and design, and has contributed to many award-winning films. He works on both live-action and animated films, blending the conventions of both mediums to create his own unique style.
Denver is known to often write, direct, film, edit and animate his projects almost entirely on his own. In 2016-2017, Denver completed two short animated films that he wrote, directed and animated; The Wishing Jar (2016) which has screened around the world, including at three Academy-qualifying festivals, winning ‘best-animated film’ at San Diego Comic-Con IIFF and Heartland Film Festival. Most recently, he produced both a web series, Esluna: The First Monolith, and a feature, Esluna: The Crown of Babylon, with animation production being handled entirely by himself. Denver’s work leans heavily on the fantastical, while still being grounded by real-world characters and situations.
Website // IMDb // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
MODERATOR
Jeff Chiba Stearns
Animation Director, Producer // Meditating Bunny Studio
(The Treebees, Mixed Match, One Big Hapa Family, Yellow Sticky Notes)
Jeff Chiba Stearns is an Emmy®-nominated and Webby award-winning animation and documentary filmmaker, as well as an acclaimed author and illustrator. After graduating from Emily Carr University with a degree in Film Animation, he founded a Vancouver-based boutique animation studio and publishing company Meditating Bunny Studio Inc. in 2001. Jeff’s short and feature-length films, including What Are You Anyways? (2005), Yellow Sticky Notes (2007), One Big Hapa Family (2010), Ode to a Post-it Note (2010), Yellow Sticky Notes | Canadian Anijam (2013) and Mixed Match (2016), have been broadcast around the world, screened in hundreds of international film festivals and garnered dozens of awards.
Having mixed Japanese and European roots, Jeff’s work often deals with themes of multiethnic identity. He coined the term Hapanimation to describe his style of blending anime and manga with a North American cartoon aesthetic. He has lectured and presented his films at over one hundred universities including Harvard, Cornell and Yale.
In 2018, Jeff wrote and illustrated his first picture book, Mixed Critters, an ABC book. Jeff’s second children’s book, Nori & His Delicious Dreams (2020), features a Japanese Canadian boy named Nori who dreams of sleeping in foods from around the world. In 2021, Jeff completed his first graphic novel, On Being Yukiko, a collaborative graphic novel created with Sansei artist, Lillian Michiko Blakey. It features an intergenerational story addressing both themes of Japanese Canadian history and mixed identity. Jeff is also the creative director for the upcoming animated children’s music series The Treebees.
Website // IMDb // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
Conversations with filmmakers selected to the festival.
The idea of animators spending years of their life creating a film entirely on their own is nothing new. However, Denver Jackson flips the switch and creates theatrical feature-length animations in the span of a year entirely by himself. Denver discusses why he chooses to be in control of all aspects of animation production from storyboarding to animating, to post. He breaks down his incredible work schedule and animation process using a hybrid model of 3D and classical animation. Secrets are revealed. Whiskey is consumed.
SPEAKER
Denver Jackson
Animator, Writer, Director // Cloudrise Pictures
(Esluna: The Crown of Babylon, Esluna: The First Monolith, The Wishing Jar, Cloudrise)
South African-born filmmaker, Denver Jackson, has been a visual effects artist and animator for ten years living in Canada. He is internationally recognized for his work in digital and visual effects, animation and design, and has contributed to many award-winning films. He works on both live-action and animated films, blending the conventions of both mediums to create his own unique style.
Denver is known to often write, direct, film, edit and animate his projects almost entirely on his own. In 2016-2017, Denver completed two short animated films that he wrote, directed and animated; The Wishing Jar (2016) which has screened around the world, including at three Academy-qualifying festivals, winning ‘best-animated film’ at San Diego Comic-Con IIFF and Heartland Film Festival. Most recently, he produced both a web series, Esluna: The First Monolith, and a feature, Esluna: The Crown of Babylon, with animation production being handled entirely by himself. Denver’s work leans heavily on the fantastical, while still being grounded by real-world characters and situations.
Website // IMDb // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
MODERATOR
Jeff Chiba Stearns
Animation Director, Producer // Meditating Bunny Studio
(The Treebees, Mixed Match, One Big Hapa Family, Yellow Sticky Notes)
Jeff Chiba Stearns is an Emmy®-nominated and Webby award-winning animation and documentary filmmaker, as well as an acclaimed author and illustrator. After graduating from Emily Carr University with a degree in Film Animation, he founded a Vancouver-based boutique animation studio and publishing company Meditating Bunny Studio Inc. in 2001. Jeff’s short and feature-length films, including What Are You Anyways? (2005), Yellow Sticky Notes (2007), One Big Hapa Family (2010), Ode to a Post-it Note (2010), Yellow Sticky Notes | Canadian Anijam (2013) and Mixed Match (2016), have been broadcast around the world, screened in hundreds of international film festivals and garnered dozens of awards.
Having mixed Japanese and European roots, Jeff’s work often deals with themes of multiethnic identity. He coined the term Hapanimation to describe his style of blending anime and manga with a North American cartoon aesthetic. He has lectured and presented his films at over one hundred universities including Harvard, Cornell and Yale.
In 2018, Jeff wrote and illustrated his first picture book, Mixed Critters, an ABC book. Jeff’s second children’s book, Nori & His Delicious Dreams (2020), features a Japanese Canadian boy named Nori who dreams of sleeping in foods from around the world. In 2021, Jeff completed his first graphic novel, On Being Yukiko, a collaborative graphic novel created with Sansei artist, Lillian Michiko Blakey. It features an intergenerational story addressing both themes of Japanese Canadian history and mixed identity. Jeff is also the creative director for the upcoming animated children’s music series The Treebees.
Website // IMDb // Facebook // Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
