Pete Docter, Matt Groening, Brenda Chapman, Ramsey Naito Among Appointees To ASIFA-Hollywood Advisory Board

ASIFA-Hollywood, one of the world’s leading professional organizations dedicated to promoting the art of animation, has announced the formation of a new 16-member advisory board, bringing together some of the industry’s most celebrated leaders and innovators.

The board was hand-selected by ASIFA-Hollywood’s board of directors and will meet twice a year to exchange ideas, review progress, and help shape the organization’s strategic goals.

“We’re especially excited to share with our new advisory board upcoming initiatives, including enhancements to the Annie Awards, new outreach programs, and expanded educational efforts to support our animation community,” said ASIFA-Hollywood executive director Aubry Mintz. “The perspective and expertise of these members will help to shape our various initiatives in meaningful ways, and can help guide ASIFA-Hollywood through exciting, impactful growth.”

New Advisory Board Members

• Brenda Chapman — Academy Award-winning director of Brave and The Prince of Egypt, and the first woman to direct an animated feature from a major studio.
• Margie Cohn — President of DreamWorks Animation, with decades of leadership across television and feature animation.
• Pete Docter — Chief creative officer at Pixar Animation Studios and Oscar-winning director of Inside Out, Up, and Soul.
• Dave Filoni — Executive Creative Director at Lucasfilm, co-creator of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and a leading creative force behind The Mandalorian.
• Matt Groening — Creator of the iconic animated series The Simpsons and Futurama.
• Jorge R. Gutierrez — Emmy-winning director of The Book of Life and creator of Netflix’s Maya and the Three.
• Phil Lord — Academy Award-winning filmmaker behind Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The LEGO Movie.
• Chris Miller — Director, writer, and producer, and creative partner of Phil Lord, with credits including Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and The Lego Movie.
• John Musker — Legendary Disney animator and director of classics including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Moana.
• Tomm Moore — Co-founder of Cartoon Saloon and director of the Oscar-nominated Song of the Sea and Wolfwalkers.
• Ramsey Naito — President of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation.
• Peter Ramsey — Academy Award-winning co-director of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and director of Rise of the Guardians.
• Sandy Rabins — Veteran animation producer with decades of leadership experience at DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Animation, and independent productions.
• Chris Prynoski — Founder and president of Titmouse, Inc., the studio behind Metalocalypse, Big Mouth, and The Venture Bros.
• Linda Simensky — Acclaimed animation executive and educator, instrumental in shaping children’s programming at PBS, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon.
• Tom Sito — Animation historian, professor, and veteran Disney animator whose credits include Beauty and the Beast and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

ASIFA-Hollywood is best known for producing the Annie Awards, considered the highest honor in animation in the United States. Founded in 1972 by the legendary voice actress June Foray, the awards have grown in scope and prestige over the past five decades.