In the past decade, we've seen Documentary Animation rise in both visibility and number of works produced within the genre. Throughout animation history, one can find a number of films that have laid the groundwork for nonfiction animation - important films from the likes of Winsor McCay, and the Hubleys for example. Today, documentary animation is a hot topic in academic and festival circles, and screenings featuring animated documentaries are popping up all around the globe. If one does a web search, you discover there are many artists out there exploring non-fiction content through animated images. Two animated documentaries have been awarded the Oscar for best animated short in recent years. “Ryan,” by Chris Landreth, took home the Oscar in 2004, and “The Moon and the Sun: An imagined Conversation” by John Canemaker, received the Oscar in 2006.
While this site makes no claims to being an all inclusive list of “who's who,” the artists represented here have contributed immensely to this spike in attention to documentary animation. Their work has charted new territories, sparked debates, and touched lives. I was fortunate enough to make contact with them via email, and they generously agreed to an “e-interview” to answer some of the questions I had about documentary animation in general, and their work in particular.
