Netflix Canada’s toon career accelerator names 2024 finalists 

Participants in the streamer's fourth Women in Animation training program are getting primed to move into key creative and senior leadership roles.
October 3, 2024

Nine mid- to high-level Canadian animation professionals who identify as women or non-binary have been selected to participate in the fourth edition of an Animation Career EXCELerator (ACE) Canada training program sponsored by Netflix Canada and run by Women in Animation’s Vancouver chapter.

This accelerator will give them the opportunity to make a short animated film, as well as providing a series of soft-skills workshops to help them break into “key credit” creative and senior roles in the industry. ACE also encourages the creation of intellectual property and the telling of authentic stories.

Since the program launched in 2021, ACE shorts have gotten exposure on the festival circuit and earned critical acclaim. Last year’s Ostinato—a film inspired by writer Sunita Balsara’s experience with tinnitus—was an official selection at Comic-Con’s 2024 Independent International Film Festival. And a second-edition ACE project called Pivot—a tween girl’s coming-of-age story from Ana Gusson—earned a 2024 Oscar qualification and has generated more than 1.4 million views on TikTok.       

This year, the program shortlisted 45 applicants from a pool of more than 150. They attended workshops and received training in how to pitch projects from international film and TV consultant Jan Miller. Then a jury of more than 35 creative and studio industry professionals from across Canada selected this year’s finalists (see below), adding a new spot for a rising production manager this year after consultation with Canadian studios.

Writer—Nattasha Shrestha (Toronto)
A graduate of the CFC Comedy Story Room Intensive, Shrestha is a story editor with multiple shows in development who previously won the Bell Media X VAFF Series Development Program.

Producer—Arlyn Bantog (Vancouver)
With 20 years of professional experience in the animation and VFX industry, Bantog is an associate producer whose credits include My Little Pony: The Movie and Marvel: What If.

Director—Patricia Atchison (Vancouver)
Atchison is a storyboard artist and Annie-nominated production designer and art director on features including Addams Family and Smurfs.

Art Director—Crystal Woo (Vancouver)
Woo has worked as a design supervisor and illustrator on series including Netflix’s Deepa & Anoop and Starbeam.

Storyboard Supervisor—Airin Budiman (Vancouver)
Budiman’s storyboard credits include Laika’s Wildwood and Disney’s Star Wars Lego Special. She’s also currently shaping the story for Sony Pictures Animation’s upcoming comedy-led sports feature GOAT.

Animation Director—Katie Winchester (Vancouver)
An award-winning animator, Winchester has worked on series such as Proud Family: Louder and Prouder and Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Production Manager—Anastasia Walker (Vancouver)
As a senior associate producer and manager, Walker’s credits include PSI Cops and Junk Bots.

Composer—Michelle Lorimer (Toronto)
A composer, arranger and pianist, Lorimer has a documentary background and credits including Loud & Here and Bug Sex, It’s Complicated for CBC’s The Nature of Things.

Editor—Bec Cranswick (Vancouver)
Cranshaw is currently editing Disney’s animated series Spidey and His Amazing Friends, and previously worked on Netflix’s Hello Ninja and The Mighty Express.

ACE Canada is also supported by the Canada Media Fund, Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia, Telefilm Canada, Toon Boom Animation, Autodesk, Atomic Cartoons, 708 Sound Studio, Canadian Media Producers Association—BC Producer’s Branch, Mainframe Studios, Spark CG Society, Flying Kraken Creative Studios, Urban Safari Entertainment, SyncSketch, Producer Essentials, Pender PR, Research House and VIFF’s Amp Music in Media Summit.

Pictured: top row left to right: Nattasha Shrestha, Arlyn Bantog, Patricia Atchison; middle row left to right: Crystal Woo, Airin Budiman, Katie Winchester; bottom row left to right: Anastasia Walker, Michelle Lorimer, Bec Cranswick 

About The Author
Jeremy is the Features Editor of Kidscreen specializing in the content production, broadcasting and distribution aspects of the global children's entertainment industry. Contact Jeremy at jdickson@brunico.com.

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