2025 finds Canada once again at the forefront of global animation, with its filmmakers consistently expanding the realms of narrative and artistic vision. At this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, a number of Canadian artists are displaying their most recent creations, highlighting the country’s vibrant and forward-thinking animation industry.
In the following section, we present twelve dynamic animation artists based in Canada who are making waves in their field. It’s important to note that this list is not exhaustive but highlights artists from around the globe who have chosen to work within Canada’s thriving and inclusive animation industry, known for its welcoming attitude towards foreign talents.
Alex Boya
Alex Boya, a Montreal-based animator who was born in Bulgaria, is celebrated for his unique, hand-drawn storytelling with surreal elements. Having graduated from Concordia University’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, Boya garnered early attention through NFB shorts such as “Focus” (2014) and “Turbine” (2018). His newest creation, “Bread Will Walk,” is an experimental short film that made its premiere at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight and is now poised to compete at Annecy. This movie, entirely voiced by Jay Baruchel, tells the story of a sister escaping with her zombie-transformed brother through a society gripped by famine. The film seamlessly combines anatomical illustration, digital collage, and textured ink in a single shot, offering commentary on overconsumption and dehumanization.
Andrea Dorfman
Halifax-residing filmmaker, animator, and illustrator Dorfman creates works ranging from short to full-length films. Recognized for combining emotional storytelling with handmade visuals, she has directed acclaimed films such as “Flawed” and “The Girls of Meru.” At Annecy this year, she will exhibit two animated shorts: “Hairy Legs,” which is in the official competition, and the moving “How to Be at Home,” a viral sensation created with poet Tanya Davis that beautifully combines visuals with spoken word. Besides directing music videos and illustrating, she demonstrates versatility by expressing her creative voice across various platforms.
Chris Lavis, Maciek Szczerbowski
I, a follower, am fortunate to be part of the creative journey led by Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski at Clyde Henry Productions, our Montreal-rooted studio renowned for its extraordinary stop-motion craftsmanship. Our groundbreaking debut, “Madame Tutli-Putli” (2007), earned an Academy Award nomination and the Canal+ Grand Prize at Cannes. In 2025, we return with “The Girl Who Cried Pearls,” a captivating 15-minute animated short chosen for competition at Annecy. This film unspools a haunting fairy tale about a girl whose tears become pearls, delving into themes of sorrow, avarice, and metamorphosis. Consistent with our tradition, Lavis and Szczerbowski seamlessly merge tangible puppetry with digital technology, solidifying their standing as trailblazers in modern animation.
Colin Ludvic Racicot
Colin Ludvic Racicot, a Montreal-based animator and filmmaker from Canada, is renowned for his emotionally impactful storytelling and unique visual flair. He graduated from Concordia University’s Film Production program and has been directing short films since 2010. His latest work, “Where Rabbits Come From,” a 15-minute film without dialogue, delves into the struggles of a solitary rabbit father who strives to instill wonder in his daughter amidst a dystopian setting. This animated short has received much praise, earning the title for best animated short at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards and qualifying for the 2025 Oscars.
Dale Hayward, Sylvie Trouvé
Hayward and Trouvé are the founders of Sea Creature, a Montreal-based studio that focuses on stop-motion animation. They combine traditional techniques with modern technology, as demonstrated in their award-winning short film “Bone Mother” (2018). The pair initially met at Cuppa Coffee Studios in Toronto and later relocated to Montreal to work on independent projects. In 2020, they established See Learn Academy, an educational platform that teaches the basics of animation using stop-motion methods. Their teamwork has significantly impacted the animation community, both in Canada and worldwide. Their latest creation, “Hanging By a Thread,” is currently competing in this year’s Commissioned Films competition.
Eric San AKA Kid Koala
Eric San, or better known by his stage name Kid Koala, is a Canadian artist who has earned recognition for his unique blend of music, animation, and storytelling. Originally famous as a scratch DJ and composer, he’s recently gained attention in the realm of animation. This year at the Annecy festival, his debut feature “Space Cadet” was selected, following its premiere at Berlin earlier this year based on his 2011 graphic novel. The dialogue-free production delves into themes like love, loss, and intergenerational bonding through the tale of a young astronaut and her robot guardian. Kid Koala’s distinctive animation style is also showcased in his live multimedia shows such as Nufonia Must Fall and The Storyville Mosquito, where he merges puppetry, live music, and real-time filmmaking to create captivating experiences.
Justice Rutikara
Justice Rutikara is a Quebec-based animator and filmmaker who hails from Rwanda. His creative work delves into themes of memory, identity, and resilience. In 2024, he released the animated short “Ibuka, Justice,” which narrates his family’s flight from the 1994 Rwandan genocide using poetic 2D animation and personal accounts. This film debuted at RIDM and DOK Leipzig and is currently being screened in Annecy’s Perspectives section. Rutikara, who graduated with a degree in international studies from Université de Montréal, also has experience in theater and fiction film. His narrative approach, known as “harmonic chaos,” combines emotional intensity with formal innovation to amplify the voices of underrepresented Afro-Quebec and diasporic communities.
Marie Valade
Marie Valade, an animator based in Quebec and a graduate of Concordia University, is recognized for her unique storytelling style that focuses on personal and bodily themes. Her 2021 short film titled “Boobs” or “Lolos” employs rotoscoping and cut-out animation to delve into a woman’s transformative bond with her breasts. This film debuted at Annecy, received the National Dada Prize at the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, made TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten list, and garnered nominations at the Canadian Screen Awards and Quebec Cinema Awards. In 2019, Valade was appointed co-director of Festival Stop Motion Montréal and is a participant in the NFB’s Hothouse program, consistently advocating for daring, feminist perspectives in animation.
Seth Scriver, Pete Scriver
Seth Scriver and his half-brother Pete Scriver are the Canadian co-directors of the animated documentary “Endless Cookie,” which is being screened at this year’s festival. Seth, an animator and illustrator based in Toronto, has previously collaborated on “Asphalt Watches,” a project that won Best Canadian First Feature at TIFF 2013. Pete, a storyteller from the Cree community who once served as chief of Shamattawa First Nation in Manitoba, contributes his personal experiences to the film. “Endless Cookie” combines low-fi animation with real-life audio to delve into their sibling relationship, cultural backgrounds, and shared past. Already premiered at Sundance and screened at Hot Docs and Annecy, the film has received acclaim for its humor, affectionate tone, and creative narrative style.
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2025-06-09 08:47