<h3>Where</h3><p>Online</p><h3>When</h3><p>March 24-26, 2022</p>

Toronto Animation Film Festival

<h3>Where</h3><p>Online</p><h3>When</h3><p>March 24-27, 2021</p>

<h3>Where</h3><p>Hot Docs Cinema | Toronto, Canada | 506 Bloor Street West</p><h3>When</h3><p>Monday April 25th</p>

<h3>Where</h3><p>Online</p><h3>When</h3><p>November 11-13, 2021</p>

Toronto Animation Industry Conference

<h3>Where</h3><p>Online</p><h3>When</h3><p>November 18-22, 2020<span class="ql-cursor">﻿</span></p>

<h3>Where</h3><p>Corus Quay, Toronto, Canada, 25 Dockside Dr.</p><h3>When</h3><p>Saturday to Sunday, November 2-3, 2019</p>

Toronto Animation / VFX Job Fair

TAAFI News

<p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Kris Pearn was born and raised in Canada.&nbsp;After graduating from Sheridan College, Kris has spent most of his life making cartoons for both film and television.&nbsp;His credits include: </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Open Season, Surf’s Up, Arthur Christmas, Shawn the Sheep, Pirates: Band of Misfits</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">, and </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Home</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> to name a few.&nbsp;He was head of story on </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">, and co-directed </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Cloudy Two: Rise of the Leftovers</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">.&nbsp;He has most recently written and directed the Netflix animated feature </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">THE WILLOUGHBYS</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> based on the novel by Lois Lowry.&nbsp;Kris has been nominated for several Annies, has taught at Sheridan College, lectures all over the world through Schoolism, and has given a Ted Talk called “The Optimistic Opportunity of Failure”.&nbsp;He has illustrated several books including: </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Edward the Tree Climbing Dog, Project Superhero</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">, and </span><em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Tales of Spiffing</em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">.&nbsp;He still loves to draw. </span></p>

Kris Pearn

<p>James was born in 1967, in Bristol, and raised in Bishop’s Stortford, England. He started experimenting on little animation tests with a 8mm camera at age 16. James attended Cambridge College of Arts &amp; Technology for one year and West Surrey College of Arts &amp; Design for one year before leaving to work on <em>Who Framed Roger Rabbit</em> in London. James moved to California to work for the Walt Disney Company, where he worked as the supervising animator on classic characters like Belle in <em>Beauty and the Beast</em> and Rafiki in<em> The Lion King</em>. He then moved to DreamWorks SKG where he worked on <em>Prince of Egypt, Spirit, Stallion of the Cimmeron </em>and <em>Shrek 2</em>. From 2005 to 2008, James had his own studio, James Baxter Animation which produced several projects, including the hand drawn animation for the Disney feature film <em>Enchanted</em>, and the opening sequence of DreamWorks’ <em>Kung Fu Panda</em>. He returned to DreamWorks Animation to work on <em>How to Train Your Dragon 1 and 2</em>, and <em>The Croods.</em> James is now the director of character animation at Netflix.</p>

James Baxter

<p>It's opening night of TAAFI Industry, and what better way to rub elbows with fellow attendees than by beating the pants off them in one of five (5) different games rooms in TAAFI's own boppin' Discord Server. Join Gamesmaster Quinn and your fellow TAAFI attendees for an evening of gaming fun. Classic games from Pictionary to animation based Trivia. We'll be running Jackbox, get ready for something Drawful, a broken-telephone of animation called Gartic Phone, or join the taboo room for a round of Cards Against Humanity. 😡</p><p>There's no wrong choice, except not coming. That's clearly the wrong choice. </p><p>See ya after the amazing WIA Panel in the <a href="https://discord.com/invite/f3kaVvNg6j" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">🎲TAAFI Discord.</a></p>

Opening Night Networking: Games Night! 

<p>Joel and Spencer met during an epic hot-dog eating competition in Ottawa. After finishing in a tie, they developed a mutual respect for one another and decided to join forces.</p><p>When these two weenie boys aren't on the clock, working on hit cartoons, you can find them kicking back with their many, many friends, sipping and sketching. Come join the fun on Thursday night in the <a href="https://discord.com/invite/f3kaVvNg6j" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TAAFI Discord Server</a>, as Joel and Spencer invite you to be friends with them and drink and draw the night away!</p>

Joel & Spencer

<p>New to the behind the scenes of TAAFI, Thalia is a 10 year industry veteran with a passionate enthusiasm for all things cartoon, and a resume that includes the Willoughby's, Addams Family 2, My Little Pony the Movie, and various TV productions.</p><p>When this west coast transplant isn't storyboarding, you can find her live-streaming on Twitch <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/drawsforfun" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">(DrawsforFun)</a>, or trying to fix her terrible posture.</p><p><br></p>

Thalia Lemon

<p>It's Friday night, who's ready to do some sketching and some chatting? Maybe meet a new BFF or catch up with some old ones? Pop into the beating 💖 of TAAFI, our Discord Server for some mingling and networking.</p><p>Joel &amp; Spencer are BACK! And so are the dusty ol' TAAFI Drink &amp; Draw crew. Will Winty be there? Time will tell.</p><p>Joining us Friday night is Gustavo Cosío - he's boarded on <em>Maya and the Three</em> with Jorge Gutiérrez, and <em>Kid Cosmic</em> to name a few, and Minh Pham, an artist extraordinaire with Guru Studio and the host of Guru Studio's Art Jam group!</p><p>We'll be using Drawpile to make a virtual drawing together-apart.</p>

Friday Night Networking: Drink & Draw!

<p>Gustavo Cosío is a storyboard artist, born and raised in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. He has worked on over a dozen animated films in his country as well as a couple of animated TV series. In 2018, he joined Netflix Animation Studios to work on Jorge Gutierrez's new and totally amazing project Maya and the Three! Since then, he has continued to work on original animated series by Netflix like Kid Cosmic and We the People. Gustavo is currently working in an awesome sci-fi action comedy series and couldn't be happier.</p>

Gustavo Cosío

<p>Animator and artist extraordinaire Minh Pham has been with Guru Studio since 2014, bringing to life hit shows such as the global phenomenon <em>PAW Patrol, Pikwik Pack</em> which airs on Disney Junior and Hulu, and the soon-to-be released comedy adventure series <em>Big Blue</em>, coming to CBC Kids this December! Minh is also the host of Guru Studio's Art Jam group!</p>

Minh Pham

<p>The final jewel in TAAFI's Industry Crown. The Saturday night Drink &amp; Draw. This night's special guests include TAAFI's sweetheart Kris Pearn. Pop into our Discord and add your scribbles to our TAAFI Drawpile. Hosted as always by Joel and Spencer, the dream boys. If you want to play games in the Discord I'm sure Quinn can set that up too. </p>

<p>The final jewel in TAAFI's Industry Crown. The Saturday night Drink &amp; Draw. This night's special guests include TAAFI's sweetheart Kris Pearn. Pop into our Discord and add your scribbles to our TAAFI Drawpile. Hosted as always by Joel and Spencer, the dream boys. If you want to play games in the Discord I'm sure Quinn can set that up too.</p>