Animation alumni take home Annie Awards

Two Sheridan alumni were honoured this weekend at the 46^th annual Annie Awards.

The awards, which took place at a ceremony in Los Angeles, California, recognize excellence in animation in the screen industries. They are given out by the International Animated Film Society (ASIFA).

Weekends, directed by Trevor Jimenez (Animation ’07), took home the award for Best Animated Short Subject. The film tells the story of a young boy shuffling between the homes of his recently divorced parents, and is nominated for Best Animated Short in the upcoming Academy Awards, to be presented on February 24.

Chris Sauve (Animation ’86) was part of the team to win in the category of Best Character Animation in a Live Action Production for Mary Poppins Returns.

“We’re so proud to celebrate the success of our alumni at this year’s Annie Awards,” says Angela Stukator, Associate Dean of Animation and Game Design at Sheridan. “The films that our grads have worked on tell stories that resonate with all audiences, and speak to the prolific presence of Sheridan’s animation grads in the industry.”

Over a dozen Sheridan alumni worked on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which won seven Annies overall, including Best Animated Feature. Nearly 60 Sheridan grads in total worked on projects that won Annie Awards.

Sheridan grads worked on all five films nominated for Best Animated Feature, which also included Early Man, Incredibles 2, Isle of Dogs and Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Sheridan grads lent their talents to the projects nominated for Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Children, including Hilda – Chapter 1: The Hidden People; Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny; Enter the Dragon Master and Little Big Awesome: Puppy Shower. Several alumni also worked on Ask the StoryBots – How do Computers Work, which was nominated for Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children.

Sheridan’s animation program includes the Honours Bachelor of Animation and Honours Bachelor of Game Design, as well as post-graduate certificates in computer animation and visual effects. This year, Sheridan is celebrating the 50^th anniversary of its Animation program.

Pictured top: Trevor Jimenez accepts his Annie for Best Animated Short Subject. Photo by David Yeh.

Pictured lower left: Chris Sauve accepts his Annie for Best Character Animation in a Live Action Production. Photo by David Yeh.