Lorelei Pepi is an American animation artist whose work engages with issues of identity and representation, the sexual body, gender and LGBT issues. Using animation ‘s various forms, her materials and treatments range from the highly experimental to the character-driven narrative. Her material process and practice utilizes a blend of analog and digital processes and tools to create work that ranges from the highly experimental, lyrical and personal (Grace), socio-political queer cartoon (Happy & Gay). Her newest work efforts are using animation and interactive installation, with the project-in-development, Docile Bodies.
Her work has revived numerous international film festival awards from audiences and juries, including Best of Festival recognitions. Fellowship and grant highlights include Creative Capital, MacDowell, Harvard Film, and LEF Moving Image. Screenings include Sundance Frontier, Rotterdam, Siggraph Asia, Bilbao Documentary, Frameline, Ann Arbor, Ottawa Animation, Helsinki Shorts, Anim’Est Romania, the Portland Museum of Art and the ICA Boston. Her work exists in personal collections as well as the of the Canadian National Film Archives and the film archives of UCLA and CalArts. She attended Rhode Island School of Design (BFA) and California Institute of the Arts (MFA). She is currently an Asst. Professor of Animation at Emily Carr University of Art & Design in Vancouver, BC Canada.
GRANTS + FUNDING
2019 Ian Gillespie Design + Dynamic Media Grant
2016 Emily Carr University Research Grant
2015 Creative Capital Moving Image Grant
2011 Rhode Island State Council for the Arts Fellowship in Film & Video
2008 Rhode Island School of Design Faculty Development Grant
2007 Arch and Bruce Brown Foundation – Grants for Gay Positive Media Arts Projects
2006 LEF New England, Moving Image Fund
2005 Harvard University Film Study Center Production Grant & Fellowship
2004 Norman A. Miles Teaching Award, Rochester Institute of Technology
RESIDENCIES
2012, 2014 Caroline C. Edwards ’70 Visiting Artist in Residence, Wheaton College MA
2008 MacDowell Colony, Peterborough NH
2005-06 Harvard University, Film Study Center Fellow
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