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The Animator’s Friend: Daily Summaries Delivered
by India Lombardi-Bello
Befriending animators, 24 questions at a time. The Animator’s Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation.
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- 2 days ago1h 15m
31: Eating Candy in the Woods with Stephen P. Neary
Whether it's foraging for mushrooms or eating candy in the woods, Living with a Visionary director Stephen P. Neary draws his creativity from life's quiet moments. Narrated by Academy Award nominee James Cromwell (Babe, L.A Confidential), and based on John Matthias’ memoir first published in The New Yorker, Living with a Visionary is a soulful, bittersweet reflection on John’s fifty-year marriage to Diana, an art curator grappling with Parkinson’s. As Diana’s medication besets her with vivid, often beautiful hallucinations, John, now her caregiver, adapts to her imaginary world. When the Covid-19 pandemic separates them, John is forced to admit he can no longer care for Diana, and struggles to free himself from a psychiatric ward. In John’s final phone conversation with a Covid-positive Diana, he reads her the first poem he ever wrote for her, and is left with the memories of her visions. Stephen P. Neary is a Hoosier-born writer, director, and storyboard artist living in Los Angeles. Stephen currently works as a story artist for clients including Netflix, Illumination, Annapurna, and Sony, most recently on KPop Demon Hunters. In 2026, Stephen’s independent animated short, Living with a Visionary, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Stephen created The Fungies! for Cartoon Network and HBO Max, serving as Executive Producer for the show's three seasons, which premiered in 2020. Prior, Stephen served as Supervising Producer for seasons two and three of Cartoon Network's Annie nominated show, Clarence. Graduating NYU in 2008, Stephen was a feature story artist at Blue Sky Studios for five years on franchises such as Ice Age, Rio, and The Peanuts Movie. In addition to features, Stephen directed and animated the short Umbrellacorn for the studio in 2013 after winning a studio-wide pitchfest. In 2012, his independent short, Dr Breakfast, animated on his daily commute from Brooklyn to Connecticut, was an official selection in The Sundance Film Festival. Stephen has taught story and writing classes at CalArts, and paints goofy little autobio comics about his family, which you can read on his Instagram. Get your hands on a Camp Snap Camera for $5 off by using my link! https://www.campsnapphoto.com/INDIALOMBARDIBELLO Links to points of discussion (will update shortly!): Living with a Visionary The Animator's Friend on Instagram SVA MFA Computer Arts - NYC The Animator's Animations The Animator's Playlist on Apple Music and Spotify The Animator's Favorites 11/12 - Lightstruck: The Alchemical Furnace of Jan Svankmajer Program 4 - LA Woodstock Film Festival - NY Ru Kuwahata & Max Porter's website New York Times Op-Docs Living with a Visionary on Instagram Stephen P. Neary on Instagram The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an educator based in New York City. In this series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for personal, lighthearted, and unexpected conversation. Credits: Recorded, produced, and edited by India Lombardi-Bello This episode was recorded at SVA MFA Computer Arts Booking assistance from Mireia Villanova, Renata Luczak, and Sophie Frank Digital marketing assistance from Arnesh Kundu Music by Cloutmeyer Design by Sawyer Rippon</li
- 2 weeks ago1h 55m
TAF at Woodstock Film Festival 2026!
In between leaf peeping sessions, I attended the Woodstock Film Festival as a filmmaker and podcaster. I spoke with some of the many talented filmmakers selected this year including Marcy Page, Astrid McGraw, Alexandra Lukina, Candy Kugel, Stella Amarante Salvadego, Ashley Gerst, Elliot Lobell, John Quinn, and Xinhui Ma. This episode has video, so watch on YouTube and Spotify! Get your hands on a Camp Snap Camera for $5 off by using my link! https://www.campsnapphoto.com/INDIALOMBARDIBELLO Links to points of discussion: Woodstock Film Festival No Kings The Animator's Animations San Francisco State University - CA National Film Board of Canada Chris Landreth's website The Animator's Favorites Cosmonauts trailer Trailer to my film Astrid McGraw on Instagram Digital Arts and Animation at Pratt - NYC Ottawa International Animation Festival New Jersey Film Festival Down the Hatch teaser Saba trailer It's Alive!: A Century of Animation from the Collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) - NYC SVA BFA Animation - NYC Boylan Bottling Co. Lemon Lime Soda One Earth Film Festival - Online Stella Salvadego on Instagram Jasper Lin's TAF episode Shelter - Woodstock Miyu Distribution WIA NYC Animation Festival Elliot Lobell on Instagram Hudson Valley Film Festival - NYS John Quinn at Hudson Valley Film Fest on TAF Byrdcliffe - Woodstock <a href='https://www.thegardencafewoods
- Sep 27, 20261h 3m
TAF at the Ottawa International Animation Festival 2026!
Ash Suh, animator, songwriter, and jewelry maker joins me, podcaster and 5D animator in making new friends at Ottawa International Animation Festival's annual Animator's Picnic! We Americans are coming around to the Canadian way of life and find taxes to be very sexy. Hear what gets our fellow animators engines revving within. Links to points of discussion: Ottawa International Animation Festival Ash Suh's website Ash Suh's Instagram Ori Peer's website Ori Peer's Instagram The Animator's Friend on Instagram BIRTH Screenings - Montreal This Film Was Made Without AI Constant Yen's website Constant Yen's Instagram Camp Snap Camera Chris Sullivan on Instagram The Animator's Favorites Gina Kamentsky's website Peter Millard's website Not Enough Whom for the Two of Us Fantagraphics Frog Farm - NYC Jesse Moynihan on Instagram swagbski on Instagram swagbski on YouTube swagbski on Letterboxd College Ville Marie - Montreal Aaron Salter on Instagram Erin on Instagram Jordan Minkoff's website The Animator's Animations Kat Ball's website Loose Frames' website The Animator's Playlist The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator in New York City. In this new series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for personal, lighthearted, and unexpected conversation. Credits: Recorded, produced, and edited by India Lombardi-Bello Co-host Ash Suh Travel support provided by Ottawa International Animation Festival Digital Marketing Intern: Arnesh Kundu Music by Cloutmeyer Design by Sawyer Rippon Special thanks to Angelica Vergel and OIAF.
- Sep 17, 20261h 39m
30: The Largest Collection of Little Guys with Luca Depardon
Luca joins the podcast to offer his insight on big fandom being the foremost expert in the field. Luca Ogawa Depardon is an animator and illustrator from NYC. His animations are playful fusions of traditional and experimental animation techniques, daydreams, inventive editing, and funky characters. His films have been featured internationally at places such as the New Chintose Airport Animation Festival, Centré Pompidou, the Annecy International Animation Festival, The Ottawa International Film Festival, The Bucheon International Animation Festival, La Guarimba, and the Animation Block Party at BAM. Luca has also done work for such clients as VICE, The Children’s Museum of the Arts in NYC and Adult Swim. He earned his BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design. Watch Six Finger Satellite - Simian Fever! Submit to NUMBER ONE ANIMATION FESTIVAL, deadline December 10th for February screening in NYC. Keep up with us on Instagram too - https://www.instagram.com/no.1animationfest/ Links to points of discussion (will update shortly!): Luca's website Luca's Instagram The Animator's Animations The Animator's Playlist on Apple Music and Spotify TAF interview with Nayon Cho The Animator's Friend on Instagram TAF interview with David De La Fuente Vice The Animator's Favorites Mother's Milk The Sandwich Hut - RI New York Public Library Schwarzman Building Talon - NYC Forbidden Planet - NYC Eyeworks Experimental Animation Series - Worldwide Rockaway Film Festival - NYC Ottawa Animation Festival - Canada New York Int'l Children's Film Festival - NYC Nayon Cho's website Sideworld - East Coast The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an educator based in New York City. In this series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for personal, lighthearted, and unexpected conversation. Credits: Recorded, produced, and edited by India Lombardi-Bello Digital marketing assistance from Arnesh Kundu Music by Cloutmeyer Design by Sawyer Rippon Special thanks to my mom and dad and Nayon Cho All opinions belong to the guests and do not represent any other individual or entity
- Aug 15, 202619 min
Hudson Valley Film Festival Rising Student Award-Winner Jessica Rizk!
Jessica Rizk's film Cracked has us clutching our t*tties for dear life! You can see her film on Thursday, August 20th at the Hudson Valley Film Festival in Warwick, NY; a stone's throw from NYC! Watch on YouTube and Spotify, listen everywhere else! Links to points of discussion (will update soon!): Hudson Valley Film Festival's website Hudson Valley Film Festival on Instagram Kristie Kish's website Kristie Kish on Instagram The Animator's Friend on Instagram Eisenstein on Disney The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an educator based in New York City. In this series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for personal, lighthearted, and unexpected conversation. Credits: Recorded, produced, and edited by India Lombardi-Bello & Kristie Kish Opening animation by Michael Dondero and Shengnan Dong Music by Cloutmeyer Design by Sawyer Rippon All opinions belong to the guests and do not represent any other individual or entity
- Aug 14, 202613 min
Hudson Valley Film Festival Nectar of the Projector Award-Winner Sofía Arbaiza Martínez!
Sofía preserves important family history in her film Ingrato Sureño Invasor. You can see their film on Wednesday, August 19th at the Hudson Valley Film Festival in Warwick, NY; a stone's throw from NYC! Watch on YouTube and Spotify, listen everywhere else! Links to points of discussion (will update soon!): Hudson Valley Film Festival's website Hudson Valley Film Festival on Instagram Kristie Kish's website Kristie Kish on Instagram The Animator's Friend on Instagram Eisenstein on Disney The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an educator based in New York City. In this series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for personal, lighthearted, and unexpected conversation. Credits: Recorded, produced, and edited by India Lombardi-Bello & Kristie Kish Opening animation by Michael Dondero and Shengnan Dong Music by Cloutmeyer Design by Sawyer Rippon All opinions belong to the guests and do not represent any other individual or entity
- Aug 12, 202618 min
Hudson Valley Film Fest Indie Shoestring Award-Winner Alex Greenblatt!
We had so much fun talking to Alex Greenblatt that we barely got to ask him about his film Four Days of Exams! You can see his film on Thursday, August 20th at the Hudson Valley Film Festival in Warwick, NY; a stone's throw from NYC! Watch on YouTube and Spotify, listen everywhere else! Links to points of discussion: Alex's website Alex's Instagram Hudson Valley Film Festival's website Hudson Valley Film Festival on Instagram Kristie Kish's website Kristie Kish on Instagram The Animator's Friend on Instagram The Animator's Favorites The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an educator based in New York City. In this series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for personal, lighthearted, and unexpected conversation. Credits: Recorded, produced, and edited by India Lombardi-Bello & Kristie Kish Opening animation by Michael Dondero and Shengnan Dong Music by Cloutmeyer Design by Sawyer Rippon All opinions belong to the guests and do not represent any other individual or entity; additionally, We are not doctors, so consult a doctor before enacting on any of our opinions!
- Aug 10, 202611 min
Hudson Valley Film Fest Out of this World Award-Winner Mira Seeba!
All week, Kristie Kish and I are speaking with Hudson Valley Film Fest (HVFF) award winners, starting with Mira Seeba! Kristie and I present the Out of this World Award to Mira's film HEAVEN'S ESCAPE for deeply original filmmaking that literally takes us out of our earthly plane. You can see her film on Wednesday, August 19th at the HVFF in Warwick, NY; a stone's throw from NYC! Watch on YouTube and Spotify, listen everywhere else! Links to points of discussion: Mira Seeba's YouTube Mira Seeba on Instagram Mira Seeba's website Hudson Valley Film Festival's website Hudson Valley Film Festival on Instagram Kristie Kish's website Kristie Kish on Instagram The Animator's Friend on Instagram Eisenstein on Disney The Animator's Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an educator based in New York City. In this series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for personal, lighthearted, and unexpected conversation. Credits: Recorded, produced, and edited by India Lombardi-Bello & Kristie Kish Opening animation by Michael Dondero and Shengnan Dong Music by Cloutmeyer Design by Sawyer Rippon All opinions belong to the guests and do not represent any other individual or entity
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About The Animator’s Friend
Befriending animators, 24 questions at a time. The Animator’s Friend is hosted by India Lombardi-Bello, an animation educator at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. In this new series, India creates a platform where animators get to talk about themselves outside the context of their work. A questionnaire format, inspired by the 24 frames per second of animation, allows for lighthearted and unexpected conversation.
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