PERSONAL THOUGHTS:
This was really the lecture I needed in lieu of the 2024 election results. I was especially moved by Mark’s journey in creating “The Little Prince”, and how he had to balance his family/personal life while creating the film. As much as I enjoyed “Kung Fu Panda”, I was particularly affected by “The Little Prince”. It was definitely eye opening to learn more about the politics of distribution, which is incredibly disheartening. Mark is a really kind person and I’m so glad he came on this particular day.
BIO:
Mark Osborne is a two-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker, a Guggenheim Fellow, and a recipient of the Chevalier of l’Order des Arts et Letters for his artistic work on behalf of the country of France. He directed the first-ever animated feature film adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved classic, “The Little Prince.” Mixing stop-motion animation and CGI, the film premiered Out of Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It grossed over 100 million dollars at the global box office while garnering worldwide acclaim.
Osborne’s breakout was DreamWorks’ critically acclaimed animated blockbuster, “Kung Fu Panda,” which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature. Osborne’s other credits include the stop-motion animation short film “MORE,” which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film in 1999. Osborne has also worked in live-action, directing sequences for the first “SpongeBob Squarepants Movie,” as well as live-action sequences in the first three seasons of the popular TV series.
Osborne graduated from the California Institute of the Arts with a degree in Experimental Animation. Previous to that, he attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. Currently, he is developing new feature film projects while mentoring animation short filmmakers and students.
