ASIFA-Hollywood’s first short film,
Jasmine, is hitting the animation festival circuit this summer. Jasmine is based on the writings of its main character by the same name who lived through the events during the Syrian war in 2011. “The desire to tackle this sensitive subject through a child's perspective was what compelled everyone involved in making this film.” says the film’s director Tom Caulfield. “Though the future of Syria and its inhabitants is unresolved, we wanted this film to offer hope and peace for its future.”
The film was completed in 2023 and features an incredibly talented crew of creatives, several of whom are ASIFA-Hollywood board members including: Direction and story by Tom Caulfield (director on Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure and
Tangled: Before Ever After and story artist on
Zootopia 2,
Wish,
Ruby Gillman Teenage Kraken,
Orion and the Dark, and animator on
The Illusionist,
The Secret of Kells); Co-director Dave Baas; Music and Sound by Judith Gruber-Stitzer (
Animal Behavior, Wild Life, When the Day Breaks, Two Sisters); Written by Charles Solomon (New York Times, Rolling Stone, LA Times, Variety, Animation Magazine and ASIFA-Hollywood Board member); and produced by Aubry Mintz, ASIFA-Hollywood’s Interim Executive Director with Executive Producers Frank Gladstone (ASIFA-Hollywood Vice President), Mark Jones (Sheridan College Dean of the Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design), and Production Management by Leslie Ezeh, (ASIFA-Hollywood Director of Operations).
Animation, backgrounds, compositing and effects were provided by the talented artists from Seneca School of Creative Arts and Animation Summer Institute. “We are all incredibly proud of ASIFA-Hollywood’s first film production” says Mintz. “We hope this film will give its audience more compassion and empathy for all of those affected by devastation during times of war.”
The film is currently on the festival circuit and is currently slated to play at the following festivals:
Breckenridge Film Festival: Sept. 19, 2024
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.
Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards have grown in scope and stature for five decades. For more information on ASIFA-Hollywood and the Annie Awards, visit
asifa-hollywood.org and
annieawards.org.