Women Filmmakers to Keep an Eye on in Stop Motion Animation.
Throughout the history of the world women have been an influential force in moving society and technology forward. We should give credit to the women that shaped our world with their intelligence and minds, through hard work and often having to battle their way through gender discrimination and societal oppression. Women like Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, Grace Hopper, Frida Kahlo, Harriet Tubman, and many hundreds of thousands if not millions of women world wide throughout history have played key roles in propelling society forward and shaping the consciousness of communities. Animation historically has been a very male dominated medium of expression and the industry today is still vastly owned and operated at the highest levels by men. Though things are changing rapidly and actually women in animation today are far more visible and they are starting to receive the recognition that they so deserve. Studios are also finding that women have a major impact on their workforce. They’re not only in the clothing department and puppet department, but animating and building sets, writing stories and producing and directing award winning shows and movies. Women in animation deserve to be praised and looked up to. They influence the next generation and their voice is more important today than ever because they are showing the biased male chauvinistic frat boys running the show that they are here to stay and change the face of animation forever. So lets give the world a look at some of these influential women filmmakers making a difference and shaping the stop motion animation film scape and give them some praise for their work. I must add that this is a fraction of the truly talented women filmmakers out there and we hope to provide you with many more postings about influential women and their art in the future. But for now enjoy and explore this list of amazing artists.
Niki Lindroth van Bahr – http://www.nikilindroth.com
Niki is an award winning filmmaker who’s influence in modern day animation is ever present in her style and artistry. The films she makes are often heavily detailed and filled with animals interacting in the subtle ways that human often over look. She is a brilliant filmmaker, writer and we should all keep an eye on her.
Karla Castañeda – https://twitter.com/karla_jacinta
Karla’s style is dark and mysterious. Her character design and detail in her films is inspiring and unique. The films she has directed and produced have gained her notice by Gillermo Del Toro who has signed on to be the producer of her debut feature film. We look forward to seeing the release of this film and the many more she is to make in the future.
Anu-Laura Tuttleberg – https://anulaura.com
Anu-Laura is a name recognized in many circles as the artist who makes beautiful porcelain puppets and films. Her films and artistry are filled with magic and wonder with her most recent film taking place in the rain forests of south america. She is also a professor of animation and teaches many of the next generation of animators who will sure to be key players in the future of animation.
Heather Cobert – https://www.heather-colbert.com
Heather Cobert is a name you should keep an eye out for. She recently directed a music video for the song Dolly Said No to Elvisperformed by Mark Nevin. Her style is very western americana and leaves you with the feeling like you’ve witnessed something important. We can see her becoming an influential player in the future with her animation.
Kirsten Lepore – http://www.kirstenlepore.com
If you don’t know who Kristen Lepore is then you’ve been living under a rock. Kristen is one of the most watched independent stop motion filmmaker/director/animator in the world. Her short films have been watched millions of times and this has brought her much attention. She recently directed an episode of Adventure Time in which the whole episode was stop motion. She is already influencing other women to express themselves openly and through their art.
Alba E Garcia-Rivas – http://fantasiation.com/index.html
Alba not only is a talented artist but she is also a role model for many young women in animation. Her energy is infectious and her style grabs your attention. She has fans all over the world and makes films that often have female leads. Alba’s films are internationally recognized for their high level of skill and artistry. She will be someone to definitely keep an eye on in the future.
Kelli Bixler – https://www.bixpix.com
Owner of BixPix studios and winner of multiple Emmy Awards for the television show Tumble Leaf. Kelli is a major influence in the stop motion community located in Hollywood. She not only runs one of the top stop motion studios in the U.S. but also is the only woman to own the studio as well. Her attention to detail and creative eye has made her a key player in the stop motion scene.
BixPix Reel 2015 from Bix Pix Entertainment, Inc. on Vimeo.
Tatia Rosenthal – https://www.tatia-rosenthal.com
Tatia is one of a small handful of women to have successfully directed/wrote/produced and released a feature length stop motion film, and she did so internationally! Her film $9.99 was praised by both critics and audiences as unique and captivating. The artistry that she displayed in this film was something different that the world had never seen before. She has gone onto directing commercials but we have hopes that she may someday make another feature film that will grab onto us and shake us to our core.
