Official Selections: 7th LA Animated Film Festival

Congratulations to our accepted filmmakers!
Films are listed in alphabetical order, index to the left.
Scroll Down to learn more about each film.

My early love of marine life inspired Otto. I struggle with autism but have been blessed with caring family and educators that encouraged my fascination with the sea creatures. Once I overcame the sensory issues of writing, drawing became my passion. Taking notes was painful, but I could capture the material with simple sketches that were rudimentary storyboards. I was often distracted by  “stories” playing in my head and was encouraged to capture the stories to work on later. Problem being was that most of the time, later didn’t happen. I played the scene in my head and that was satisfying. The desire to bring the scenes of the beautiful marine life grew once I attended Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue Camp, studying Sea Turtles at the rescue. I wanted to animate but didn’t have the discipline to complete a project. Don Bluth’s University changed that. Otto was originally done as 2D traditional animation 300 hand drawn frames. During COVID Exceptional Minds offered online classes for autistic artists outside California. This was a game changer offering 2d Digital Animation programs that overcame some of my hurdles like coloring.  It also opened the path to college, originally a BA for Animation at Regent University then I transferred to Lipscomb University for the larger industry based BFA Animation program, which took Otto to the next level. Autistics like me generally don’t do well on team projects, but with Eric Stars as an advisor/mentor and compassionate fellow classmates we made Otto happen.