BIOGRAPHY for Lorelei Pepi

Lorelei Pepi received her MFA from California Institute of the Arts in Experimental Animation and her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design in Illustration. She is in her 2nd year as a Visting Assistant Professor with Harvard University and the Visual and Environmental Studies Program, where she is an instructor in animation studio arts. She currently holds a Harvard College Fellowship and grant as she works on her current animation film project, "Happy & Gay." Previously she was associated with the School of Film and Animation of Rochester Institute of Technology, NY, as an Assistant Professor, where she received the prestigious Norman A. Miles university faculty award in 2003.

She is an internationally award-winning independent animation filmmaker, her animation film work has received such awards as the Grand Prize in Ottawa, the "High Risk" prize at Fantoche, and experimental film awards at SXSW, Big Muddy, and the World Animation Celebration. Her work has screened in many cities in North America and festivals such as Sundance, Rotterdam, Black Maria, Ann Arbor, Ars Electronica, Images Toronto, Annecy, OutFest Los Angeles, ImageOut NY, Leipzig, Holland Animation, Tokyo PISAF, Anima Mundi in Brazil, Atlanta, Oberhausen and Turku, Finland. Her film "Grace" has been included in a number of touring shows such as the Best of Ottawa, Best of Ann Arbor, Blackchair Microcinema, MadCat, Next Frame and Best of Mix NY. It has been included in a variety of curated screenings, including Scratching the Sex in Oberhausen, "Women in Animation" by WIFVNE, and "Words in Motion: Transformation" in Ottawa. Her film work has also been included in fine arts gallery exhibitions, such as the PaperVeins Biennial 2 in NYC, NY.

She has directed and animated for both television commercial and series work, contributed work for an Academy nominated animation film, directed interactive web game development, worked in feature film animation, been a Creative Director for an Interactive Media Group in Los Angeles, participated and hosted in festival panels at Siggraph and Ottawa, and held the Chair of Animation position for California State Summer School for the Arts.