A hallway at Sheridan's Hazel McCallion Campus

Sheridan celebrates 50+ years of animation success

Animation Turns 50: Looking Back on a Half-century of Promise and Progress

When Sheridan first introduced an animation course in the 1960s, no one could have imagined the growth it would see in the decades that followed. Graduates of Sheridan’s Animation programs have gone on to produce some of the most beloved characters on screens big and small, and have found success in fields such as illustration, game design and visual effects.

Sheridan Animation History

1968Sheridan welcomes the first animation class

1978International Summer School of Animation opens

1981Launch of Computer Animation program

1984Jon Minnis wins an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for Charade

1993Steve “Spaz” Williams develops technology for CG animation of Jurassic Park

1996Nic Ranieri wins Annie Award

Chuck Gammage Animation opens

1997Nic Ranieri wins another Annie Award

2000Frank Falcone opens Guru Studio

2001Sheridan’s Animation program becomes four-year Bachelor of Animation degree

2002Dean DeBlois co-writes and co-directs Lilo & Stitch

Eric Armstrong wins an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for The ChubbChubbs!

2004Ricardo Curtis and Wes Lui open House of Cool Studios

2006Stop Motion stream added to Bachelor of Animation program

2008Chris Williams wins Annie Award

2009Yuriy Sivers wins Best Animated Film at TIFF Student Showcase

Alain Huynh wins Air Canada enRoute Film Festival

2010Dean DeBlois wins two Annie Awards

Beloved professor, Gerry Zeldin, passes away

Chris Williams co-writes and co-directs Bolt

2011Dean DeBlois nominated for Oscar

Maria Gordon and Bob Munroe win Gemini Awards

2012Sheridan ranks first among Top 100 Animation Schools

2013Rex Grignon wins Ontario Premier’s Award

David Soren writes and directs Turbo

Kris Prean co-directs Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

2014Tibor Madjar and Colin Doncaster win Sci-Tech Academy Awards

Canadian Screen Award Winners

Tibor Madjar wins Ontario Premier’s Award

Sheridan hosts Society for Animation Studies annual conference

Peter Lepeniotis directs The Nut Job

2015Dean DeBlois wins Golden Globe

Three of Five Sheridan Alums nominated for Oscar for Best Animated Feature

Dean DeBlois wins Annie Award

Chris Williams wins Oscar

Canadian Screen Award Winners

Alan Barillaro, Michael Fukushima and Michael Thurmeier join Academy

Charles Bastien wins International Emmy Kids Award

Jon Klassen wins Ontario Premier’s Award

2016Melody Wang wins Best Animated Student Film at TIFF Tope Ten Film Festival

Taha Neyestani, Allison Rutland and Alexander Poei win Annie Awards

Canadian Screen Award Winners

Jim Bryson, Bobby Chiu and Adam Jeffcoat win Daytime Emmy

Graham Annable and Michael Surrey join Academy

2017 Student Film wins Best Animated Short at TIFF Top Ten Festival

Alan Barillaro, Trevor Dalmer, Mike Marcuzzi win Annie Awards

Alan Barillaro wins Oscar

Canadian Screen Award Winners

A Short History of Indians wins at Red National Film Festival

Animation students animate song from a Canadian Music Theatre Project musical

David Soren directs Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

2018Student Film wins Best Animated Short at TIFF Top Ten Festival

John Chun Chiu Lee wins Annie Award

Canadian Screen Award Winners

Sheridan Signs Transatlantic Agreement with Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art and Design

Domee Shi is First Female Director of a Pixar short

Jon Klassen named to Order of Canada

Hollywood Reporter Ranks Sheridan in Top 10 Visual Effects Schools

2019Animation alumni take home Annie Awards

Thirty-six Sheridan alumni nominated for Canadian Screen Awards

Sheridan grad wins Oscar for Bao

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