Karl Cohen was presented with the ASIFA Prize in Ottawa. Award Drawing by Nick Park. Presenters Deanna Morse and Marcy Page. From left to right: Marcy Page, Karl with his wife Denise and Deanna Morse. Picture taken by Normand Roger.

ASIFA is the Association International du Film d’Animation. Founded in France in 1960, we are almost 50 years old! We have about 4500 members around the globe and 27 active chapters.

ASIFA has three main goals:

1. ASIFA promotes opportunities for professionals in animation to share information and network globally.

2. ASIFA is concerned with sustaining and preserving the rights of animators and the art of animation.

3. ASIFA promotes progress toward peace and mutual understanding through the unified interest of the art of animation.

We give this award to a person who embodies those goals in their activities.

The winner of the 30th ASIFA prize award is Karl Cohen.

Karl Cohen is the President of ASIFA San Francisco, USA, He is the primary writer and editor of their cherished monthly newsletter. (I have never lived on the West Coast, but I have subscribed to it, and devoured it, for years.)

He is a Professor of Animation History at San Francisco State University and author of “Forbidden Animation: Censored Cartoons and Black Listed Animators in America.” He has written hundreds of articles for international publications on aspects of animation industry, history, education. He is currently writing a book on Animated Propaganda, which is also the subject for his screening here at Ottawa. You can see his programs “Brainwashed,” at the festival this year.

Animator Nina Paley says “In everything he writes he has only the progress, survival, and preservation of our art as his goal. I love that man.”

We love him, too. Congratulations, Karl.

Karl Cohen with ASIFA Prize. Photo by Normand Roger.

Deanna Morse

Vice President, ASIFA International

Deanna Morse mailto:morsed@gvsu.edu 2008-09-18