The Animator's Friend is live-to-tape at the The Animator's Picnic!  As part of the 2025 Ottawa International Animation Festival (aka my favorite festival)!  After meeting her for the first time at the last OIAF, I asked my fellow media pass girlie Sarah Schmidt of Malt Adult to join me to talk to the good people at The Animator's Picnic!  In true TAF-fashion, we talked a little shit, swooned over our favorite festival picks, and absolutely refused to talk about AI.

Links to points of discussion:

• Ottawa International Animation Festival


• Sarah Schmidt's website


• Sarah Schmidt's Instagram


• Malt Adult's website


• Malt Adult's Instagram


• Adult Swim Smalls


• DePaul University - Chicago


• Malt Adult #33 - 11/16/25


• Camp Snap Camera


• Rea Christie's LinkTree


• RIT MFA Film and Animation


• The Animator's Favorites


• Bathroom Girls by Rea Christie


• The Animator's Animations


• Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD) - Ohio


• Sublo and Tangy Mustard


• The Animator's Playlist


• Aaron Long's LinkTree


• Jesse Patiences/MallBat's LinkTree


• 24 memes per second


• Surviving Animation podcast


• SVA MFA Visual Narrative - NYC


• SVA MFA Computer Arts - NYC


• Emmett Goodman's website


• Pilar Newton-Katz on Instagram


• Pilar Newton-Katz's webiste


• Saintlo Ottawa Jail Hostel - Ottawa


• The Animator's Friend on Instagram


• Sam Gurry's website


• Lids.com


• TAF with Signe Baumane and Debra Solomon


• TAF with Nayon Cho


• Jumbo's Clown Room - LA


• Smear Frame Podcast


• James Thatcher


• Annapurna Kumar


• Shapeshifters Cinema - Oakland


• Animation Brut


• LA FilmForum


• Victoria Vincent aka vewn


• Spencer Moreland's website


• Barnaby Catterall on TAF


• Cynthia Chu on TAF


• Tabitha Fischer on Instagram


• JHS Pedals


• Beyond the Bastards podcast


• Animation Show n Tell on Instagram


• Hellavision


• Silverlake Shorts


• animationshowntell@gmail.com

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 Sarah Schmidt


• Travel support provided by Ottawa International Animation Festival and SVA


• Digital Marketing Intern: Arnesh Kundu


• Music by Cloutmeyer


• Design by Sawyer Rippon


• Special thanks to Ian Ballentine, Chris Robinson...