PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Independent Filmmaker (BAFTA recipient)
Book Illustrator (Governor-General's Award)
Writer (memoir and screenplay)
Animation Professor (Harvard, Concordia)
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EDUCATION AND TRAINING

1971 McGill University, Montreal, QC
Bachelor of Science
1972  Sheridan College, Oakville, ON
Fine Arts Diploma with Honours
1972 NFB, Montreal, QC
Animation Studio, Student training
1982/83 Concordia University, Montreal, QC
Art Education and Art Therapy studies

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Directing/Animating
8 films for NFB (freelance capacity)
2 films for Sesame Street, CBC
2 films for Bravo!FACT, Bravo TV

Illustrating Children's Books
5 books for Tundra Books, Toronto ON
1 book for Coteau Books, Regina SASK
1 book for Orca Book Publishers, Victoria BC

Consulting
5 films for the TALESPINNERS series, NFB

Teaching
Harvard University, Visiting Professor in Film Animation, (1998-99 Fall/Winter Semesters)
Concordia University, Animation Instructor, (1984-89)
Speaking engagements Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Windsor, Calgary, San Francisco, Seoul, Poznan, Dubai, Abu Dhabi




ANIMATED FILMS 

1973 BOSSA BOP
NFB Production
Student film, Entrant: Annecy Film Festival, France

1974 DEATH BY STREETCAR
NFB Production
Based on a poem by Raymond Souster, Entrant: Ottawa International Film Festival

1980 THE SWEATER
NFB Production
Based on a short story by Roch Carrier


BAFTA British Academy Award (Best Animation)
Yorkton, Sask. (Certificate of Merit, Excellence in Animation)
Salerno, Italy (Silver Medal, Artistic Direction)
Toronto (Children’s Film Festival, Best Animation)
Cork, Ireland (St. Finbarr Statuette, Best Animation)
Los Angeles (Ruby Slipper, First Prize in Animation)
Columbus, Ohio (Learning A-V Awards, Best Film of the Year)
New York (American Film Festival, Red Ribbon)
American Library Association (Selected Film for Young Adults)
Menuires, France, (Best Animation, Grand Prize)
Best of 1991 Entertainment Weekly (Best Video List)

1984 PIES
NFB Production
Based on a short story by Wilma Riley
Entrant: Annecy, Hiroshima, New York Film Festival
Winner: Blue Ribbon, American Film Festival

1998 SNOW CAT

Narrated by Maureen Stapleton
co-production NFB and PMA Productions
Based on a short story by Dayal Kaur Khalsa
Columbus International Film Festival (Bronze Plaque Award)
Yorkton, Sask. (Golden Sheaf Award for Best Animation)
American Library Association (notable video)
Gemini Awards (nominee for Best Animated Film)
Toured with the Best of Banff

2003  I WANT A DOG

Vocals by Neko Case
NFB Production
Based on a short story by Dayal Kaur Khalsa
Awards in Zagreb, Zlin, Bloomington, Cleveland, New York, Chicago (CICFF adult jury, First Prize and children's jury, Second Prize), Columbus

2005 

DVD compilation
NFB Production
Distributed to libraries and schools across Canada as part of National Book Week

2006  THE THREE WISHES
co-production NFB, PMA Productions and BravoFact!
based on the traditional folktale adapted by Aubrey Davis 
Selected for Montreal WFF, Cinefest (Sudbury), Calgary
Distributed to libraries and schools across Canada as part of National Book Week
The "Koppel" character was played by veteran actor Paul Soles whose many note-worthy roles includes the voice of the original Spider-Man in the 1960's animated TV series
and the role of the"Yetta" character was played by Linda Kash, cast in many popular sitcoms (including Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond). She is currently seen in the Kraft Canada TV commercial as the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Angel.

2009 MOOSE OF LA MANCHA
PMA Productions/NFB co-production with Bravo!FACT, Bravo TV

2015 MY HEART ATTACK




NFB Production
Gala Awards nominee for Best Animated Short
Outaouais Film Festival (OFF) Grand Prize Best Animated Film
CIFF Cleveland, Best Animated Short Film
Heartbeats Accelerating theme song
written by the McGarrigles


CHILDREN’S BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS


1984   THE HOCKEY SWEATER (Tundra Books)
1991 THE BOXING CHAMPION (Tundra Books)
1991 (Coteau Books)


1993 THE LONGEST HOME RUN (Tundra Books)
1996 THE BASKETBALL PLAYER (Tundra Books)
2004 (Tundra Books) 


2011 (Orca Books)
2012 (ECW Press)
  

2014 ANNIVERSARY EDITION 
(Tundra Books)


2015 MY HEART ATTACK (screenplay)


Awards for Book Illustrations:
1984  Communication Jeunesse, Children’s Jury Prize: The Hockey Sweater
1985 Finalist, Ruth Schwartz Children’s Literature: The Hockey Sweater
1985 Finalist, Amelia Frances-Gibbon Award: The Hockey Sweater
1985  American Institute of Graphics, Certificate of Excellence: The Hockey Sweater
1991 Finalist, Amelia Frances-Gibbon Award: The Boxing Champion
1991 Finalist, The Mr. Christie Book Award: Un champion
1991 Governor-General’s Award for Illustration: Un champion
1993 Short list, Governor-General’s Award for Illustration: Le plus long circuit
2005 Aesop’s Accolade: The Flying Canoe
2006 IBBY Honour List: The Flying Canoe

Other Honours:
1991  Osborne Collection of Early Children’s Books: The Hockey Sweater
1992  Canadian Children’s Book Centre, A Choice Book: Pies
1992  Canadian Library Association, Notable Picture Book: The Boxing Champion
1992 Official gift from Ontario Government to Diana and Charles for their children (and many years later same gift to Kate and William for their children)
2006 Picture Perfect! Toronto Public Library (Osborne Collection virtual exhibit)

Exhibitions:
1982  Gairloch Galleries, Oakville, ON: paintings
1984  Saidye Bronfman Centre, Montreal, QC: Treasure Hunt Contest, runner-up
1984 McCord Museum, Montreal, QC: The Hockey Sweater illustrations
1986 Cinematheque Quebecoise, Montreal, QC: painting
1993  Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Sert Gallery: book illustration
1998 Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, Carpenter Center: animation cels


REVIEWS


"The Sweater"
*Lushly animated...wonderful. - Entertainment Weekly, Best of 1991
*Art Gallery of Ontario, part of best Canadian animation for ingenuity.
*Museum of Modern Art, NYC, featuring best of Canadian animation
*The classic Canadian film of all time, the one best defining who we are and why, is Sheldon Cohen's THE SWEATER. - Peter Goddard, Toronto Star, 1996
*Leonard Maltin's choice as one of favorite Canadian shorts.

"I Want a Dog"
*The no-nonsense color palette and primitive face and body characteristics are reminiscent of folk artist Howard Finster (best known for his cover art for Talking Heads' Little Creatures LP). It can be simple or remarkably sophisticated, alternating between action that looks like it was shot on threes and intricately observed character close-ups done smoothly and gracefully on ones. - Fresh from the Festivals: AWM 2004
*Delghtful. A wonderful addition to any public or school library. Highly recommended. - EMRO 2003

"Snow Cat" 
*A wondrous film that combines creative animation, a superb musical track, and a solid narration...Highly recommended - Video Librarian, 1998
*Maureen Stapleton's confident narration lends a warm touch. - School Library Journal
*A story that will stay with audiences, just as friends do, even when they're gone - Booklist, ALA 1998
*To be savored again and again! - Childhood Education 1999 

"My Heart Attack" 
"Larry David meets the Dalai Lama"...JELENA POPOVIC
"Makes me feel the value of life"...CAROLINE LEAF
"Will do for the heart what The Hockey Sweater did for the puck"...ROCH CARRIER