Following Frank Gladstone's retirement, the seasoned educator and animator takes the reigns; in the works are strategic plan development including fundraising, staff growth, and initiative support such as open source software, film preservation, film festivals, and screenings.
Aubry Mintz
“I look forward to working alongside the prestigious board of directors and staff at ASIFA-Hollywood, and I am honored to be chosen for this role,” said Mintz. “We have already hit the ground running and are working hard developing a strategic plan which includes fundraising for operational costs, growing our staff, and supporting our many important initiatives outside of the Annie Awards.”
Mintz began teaching at Sheridan College in 2000, then went on to build animation programs at Laguna College of Art and Design, Chapman University, and California State University Long Beach, where he currently teaches animation filmmaking and served as Department Chair from 2018-2021.
Hailing from Sheridan College in Canada, Mintz worked as a character animator on various film and television productions. His short-animated film Nothing to Say, narrated by the late Danny Aiello, screened at 41 festivals worldwide winning awards at Australia Independent Film Festival, Arctic Film Festival (a United Nations SDG Initiative), Palm Springs International Animation Festival, Anchorage Film Festival, NFMLA, and Canada Shorts.
“With over 3,100 members, we have an amazing diverse pool of talent to support and develop important initiatives,” added Mintz. “Together, we will help solve creative problems as we learn more about the changes and trends from around the globe. I am very excited about our future and know that ASIFA-Hollywood will continue to work with and champion all human artists who continue to keep animation relevant by pushing the boundaries of what this incredible art form can do.”
ASIFA-Hollywood will hold its annual General Membership meeting at 7 p.m. PT on Wednesday, August 14 at the Animation Guild, 1105 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505, or via Zoom. Members can RSVP here by August 9. A reception will follow the meeting.
During the meeting, Mintz and the ASIFA-Hollywood board and staff will discuss the various initiatives and programs that support its members and the animation community at large, including its Animation Preservation Project, Animation Educators Forum (AEF), diversity committee, support for open source software, new conventions, film festivals, and screenings with Q&As.
ASIFA-Hollywood is the world’s first and foremost professional organization dedicated to promoting the Art of Animation and celebrating the people who create it. Today, ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a wide range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, animated film preservation, open source software support, special events, classes, and screenings.
Source: ASIFA-Hollywood
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
