Mercury Filmworks

24/03/2025

Continuing with the Celebration of Women's Month we are honoring the contributions of Canadian women storytellers and history changers and the impact of Canadian women in our country and the world!

Today we proudly celebrate Margaret Atwood. She isn’t just a writer, she’s a literary force. A global icon of storytelling, she masterfully blends speculative fiction, razor-sharp social commentary, and bold feminist themes to challenge the world as we know it. With groundbreaking works like The Handmaid’s Tale and Oryx and Crake, she doesn’t just tell stories she sparks revolutions, forcing readers to confront power, gender, and the future of our planet. Her keen eye for cultural shifts and unmatched wit make her influence stretch far beyond Canada, inspiring generations of writers and activists. In an ever-changing world, Atwood’s voice remains as vital and electrifying as ever.

Thank you, Margaret Atwood, for being a fearless storyteller, visionary, and leader in Canadian literature. Your words have shaped the literary world and sparked vital conversations on power, gender, and humanity’s future. Through your brilliance and courage, you inspire generations to question, dream, and challenge the status quo.

🍁🚺💪🇨🇦

12/03/2025

March is a month to celebrate women, honouring their invaluable contributions, creativity, and impact across various industries, including animation.

This month, we spotlight recent works by Canadian women animators whose storytelling inspires and transcends boundaries. Let’s elevate the trailblazing voices of women in animation and recognize the powerful stories they create.

Today, we want to appreciate the groundbreaking work of Domee Shi, a Canadian animator and filmmaker best known for directing Pixar’s Bao and Turning Red. She is the first woman with sole directing credit on a Pixar Feature.

Turning Red follows 13-year-old Mei Lee in 2002 Toronto as she discovers she transforms into a red panda when emotional. Mei ultimately embraces her identity as she struggles between family expectations and personal desires. The film explores themes of adolescence, independence, and cultural heritage.

Thank you Domee Shi! We celebrate your talent and contributions to the animation industry.

10/03/2025

This Monday, our artist crush is Emily Hann (E.R. Hann), a Canadian novelist and artist with a background in animation.

Originally from the East Coast, Emily is now based in Ottawa. She studied animation at Algonquin College. As a lifelong creative, she is realizing her dream of becoming a published author with her debut novel, "Heart-Shaped Karaoke Box," which is officially released today, March 10th!

When she’s not writing, Emily is an animal lover, a longtime vegetarian, and a dedicated rescue volunteer, known locally as the “bunny lady.”

Look for Heart-Shaped Karaoke Box on Amazon today! and follow Emily through her social media channels and website: https://www.erhannauthor.com/

📸 : Emily Hann

08/03/2025

Celebrating women on this special day is a small gesture compared to your incredible impact on the world. Thank you for your talent, creativity, and success in making the world a brighter and better place.

Today and always, we honour you!

👏 💫 🙌

03/03/2025

March is a month to celebrate women, honouring their invaluable contributions, creativity, and impact across various industries, including animation.

This month, we will spotlight recent works by Canadian women animators whose storytelling inspires and transcends boundaries. Let’s elevate the trailblazing voices of women in storytelling and animation by recognizing the powerful stories they create. Let’s appreciate their groundbreaking works as a testament to women's extraordinary creativity.

🚺 👏

27/02/2025

Hair Love is an independent animated short film directed by Matthew A. Cherry, Everett Downing Jr., and Bruce W. Smith. Written by Cherry, it tells the heartfelt story of a father learning to style his daughter’s hair for the first time. This 2019 film was made possible through a successful 2017 Kickstarter campaign and later adapted into a children’s book illustrated by Vashti Harrison. Hair Love received widespread praise and won Best Animated Short Film at the 92nd Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Awards. Its impact led to the creation of Young Love, a spin-off TV series that premiered in 2023.

Hair Love is a milestone in animation, authentically portraying Black hair and family. It's positive representation challenges stereotypes and proves Black stories are vital, resonating with audiences and shaping the industry.

Celebrating trailblazing voices in animation.

25/02/2025

We are proud and very excited for Melissa Lyn, who will be a panellist at the 2025 Jamaica Creative Career Expo today! She will discuss her creative career in animation, share her milestones, and encourage high school students to consider studying animation. You got this Melissa! We can't wait for you to share some pics! 💫

24/02/2025

This week, we are celebrating Russell Klawitter's15th anniversary at Mercury Filmworks! Russ is the heart of our CGI team! He is innovating, problem-solving, and always sharing his expertise. From Maya tools to 2D pipelines, he’s a true leader who helps everyone grow!

Here are some words from our Technical Director Robert Buchanan about our amazing Russ:

"Russ is the backbone of our CGI team, a true leader who continuously drives innovation by modernizing workflows and processes. He has been instrumental in the SRED development of Maya tools, including the Maya ToonBoom camera tracker, and has played a key role in developing our CGI 2D support pipeline. Beyond his technical expertise, Russ is incredibly generous in sharing his knowledge, always working to improve and educate the larger CGI team—helping everyone grow in both core and soft skills. Whether it's problem-solving in production or troubleshooting complex CGI work, Russ is always there, guiding the team with expertise and dedication. It’s truly a pleasure to work alongside him.”

Here is to your first 15 years, Russ, and to many more! We are so lucky to have you! 🎉 💫

21/02/2025

We’re thrilled to share some fantastic news! Our Marketing and Communications Manager, Daniela Camargo, has been invited to be a speaker at the 2025 Astoria Film Festival, Astoria NY Media Production Lab.

This amazing workforce development program is all about empowering young people aged 16 to 28 in New York City who have historically been overlooked. It’s a fantastic opportunity for them to gain essential skills and hands-on experience and make valuable connections as they explore film, TV, and digital media production careers.

Thank you to the Astoria Film Festival Team for the invitation! We can’t wait to see the impact this will have!

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The AFF Media Production Lab is a Workforce Development program that aims to empower historically-ignored youth between the ages of 16 and 28 throughout NYC, providing them with essential skills, hands-on experience, and valuable connections to pursue industry careers in film/tv/digital media production.

The AFFMedia Production Lab offers 3 months of free Master Classes, Lectures, Workshops, and Filmmaking Experiences. Lab Fellows also create their own group film during the Lab as well, which is then Premiered at our Youth Festival.

The Astoria Film Festival Media Production Lab is made possible through funding by NYC Department of Cultural Affairs , as well as through generous support from ARRI Rental , Gotham Sound and Communications, Inc. and KAUFMAN ASTORIA STUDIOS, INC. We are ever-grateful to them for their support.

We are also very grateful to the speakers and workshop instructors who inform and advise our Fellows along the way!

Thank you!
Yunah Chung
Shawn Antoine II
Bryan Korn
Lori Greene
Danielle Pretsfelder Demchick
Jay Duckworth
Shemeka Foster
Ruth Fernandez
Stevie Gray
Daniela Camargo
Liza Wyles
Ed Kulzer
Shayna Moon
Christine McBurney
Paddy Demsey
Luis Feliciano
Cecilia Chien
Solomon Sylvester
Jennifer Beman
Dustin Ward

19/02/2025

Released in 2020, Walt Disney Animation Studios - Pixar's Soul was Pixar’s first feature with a Black protagonist, marking a major step in animation diversity. The film follows Joe Gardner, a jazz-loving teacher, as he embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Soul authentically celebrates Black culture, particularly jazz, with music by Jon Batiste and cultural insights from co-director Kemp Powers, Pixar’s first Black co-director. Beyond its artistry, Soul is a trailblazer for Black-led animated storytelling, proving that such narratives can be both culturally rich and universally resonant. Its success sparked conversations on the need for more Black protagonists in animation, setting a precedent for more inclusive storytelling in the industry.

18/02/2025

We’re celebrating Mike Stefanelli’s 15th anniversary at Mercury Filmworks this week! For over a decade and a half, Mike has been a driving force as an editor, bringing a sharp vision and impeccable timing to every show he’s worked on. His exceptional talent has earned him nominations for both an Annie and Emmy Awards, but what truly sets him apart is his dedication, not just to his craft, but to the people he collaborates with every day. We are lucky to have you, Mike!

"Mike started at Mercury in Production before taking the leap into our Editing team—and I honestly can’t imagine how different the last 15 years would have been without him. From the beginning, Mike set the standard for the quality control process that has become a cornerstone of our company—taking things frame by frame on multiple projects to ensure our work is always seen in the best light, all while making the process genuinely enjoyable for the people around him.

Mike’s wit, reliability and willingness to seize new opportunities have led to him becoming our Lead Editor, and I believe his musician’s ear has helped him find the sense of timing and pacing of a seasoned vet.

Both our studio and I have depended on Mike more times than I can count, and he’s never let us down. Most recently, his talent has led to him being nominated for both an Annie Award and Emmy Award, but what sets him apart is his dedication, not just to the work but to the people he works with.

Congrats, Mike, 15 years is an incredible milestone. More than the years, however, are the contributions you've made—and I'm sure you're only just getting started! - John McKinnon, Supervising Editor.

Here's to fifteen years of collaboration, excellence, and continued success together.

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