Titmouse Foundation, Warrior Art Camp Launch Short Animation Fellowship

The Titmouse Foundation and Warrior Art Camp are launching a new fellowship program to help early- and mid-career animation professionals develop and produce original animated shorts.

The Short Animation Fellowship marks the second collaboration between the two organizations, following their Future Art Directors Program, which paired artists with The Legend of Vox Machina art director Arthur Loftis to create their own visual interpretations of the series.

This new initiative focuses on original filmmaking. For its inaugural edition, the fellowship is built around the theme of “myth-making,” with organizers seeking projects inspired by myths, folklore, and storytelling traditions from cultures around the world.

Ten teams of two applicants will be selected through an online application process. Participants will first take part in a nine-week training phase focused on project planning, pre-production development, and pitch deck creation. Following project presentations, selected teams will move on to a six-month mentorship phase to complete their films under the guidance of industry professionals.

Titmouse Foundation president Shannon Prynoski said in a release:

I’m really excited to see what two artists can create together when they collaborate. A world of animated mythical tales awaits us!

Warrior Art Camp co-founder and Sony Pictures Animation production designer Angela Sung added:

Working with Titmouse Foundation on this has been exciting from day one. We’re talking about a real mentorship pathway for working professionals ready to make something original. Vajra Pancharia and Léa Pietrzyk have been teaching with us for over four years – they are Gobelins-trained filmmakers actively working at studios like Illumination, and they are also passionate about mentoring the next wave of animation filmmakers. That’s not something you come across every day, and it’s what makes this fellowship unlike anything else in the industry.

The program’s selection committee will include members from partner organizations, including Women in Animation (WIA), LatinX in Animation, Black N Animated, The Animation Project, Legends Animated, Asians in Animation, BRIC Foundation, and Muslims in Animation.

Selected filmmakers will receive:

• Fellowship training through Warrior Art Camp
• Guidance from industry professionals throughout the program
• An online showcase for completed shorts
• Full ownership of their pitch materials, intellectual property, and work created during the fellowship

Conditions, dates, and application details are available at titmousefoundation.org/shorts.