Animation veteran Jamie Kezlarian Bolio breathed her last on 29 August. She died on Sunday after a brief illness. The news was posted on Facebook by her brother.
Bolio was the founder of 64 George Street, which specialized in the global representation and promotion of independent films, filmmakers, studios and creatives. She worked on the successful awards and promotion campaigns for indie distributor GKIDS’ movies including The Secret of Kells, A Cat in Paris, Ernest & Celestine, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, Song of the Sea and many more.
Bolio also represented acclaimed Irish studio Cartoon Saloon (Wolfwalkers, The Breadwinner, The Secret of Kells) for business development, PR and marketing as well the National Film Board of Canada’s short films.
Cartoon Saloon director Tomm Moore wrote on Facebook, “News arrived today thru a mutual friend that the lovely and always vibrant and joyful Jamie Kezlarian Bolio has passed away. I’m just in shock — love to all her many, many friends in the animation world — she championed the craft with such thoughtfulness and integrity. My thoughts are also with her family whom she adored and always spoke so fondly of when away from them on her travels. Jamie honestly changed my life in so many ways, she will be terribly missed.”
She was also the director of marketing and content acquisition for CRAFT, an indie, curated digital library of art from animated films, games, graphic novels and artists. She was also a former board member of ASIFA-Hollywood.
Asifa-Hollywood executive director Frank Gladstone said, “Jamie was a very good friend and for many years a deeply dedicated member of the ASIFA board of directors. Even when she moved to Amsterdam and could no longer sit on the board, Jamie kept tabs on our activities and continued to communicate with us. What a passionate champion of animation, most especially of the growing and influential independent community. I think some of that growth can be attributed to Jamie’s enthusiastic, encompassing devotion. Today, sadly, there is an empty space where Jamie stood. We will miss her.”
GKIDS founder and CEO Eric Beckman wrote, “I am just hearing this news. I am so deeply in shock. I can’t believe it’s really true. Jamie was such a big part of our lives and was filled with so much love. It feels incomprehensible. She has been part of the family since the earliest days of GKIDS and just such an open hearted and loyal friend.”
Before launching her successful marketing and producing career, Jamie worked as a clean-up artist and assistant animator on numerous Disney, DreamWorks and Amblin animated features and TV shows. Among her many credits were Rocko’s Modern Life, An American Tale: Fievel Goes West, We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Tale, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan, Fantasia 2000, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. She was also assistant animator on Sylvain Chomet’s acclaimed 2010 feature The Illusionist.
Our heartfelt condolences to Jamie Bolio’s family and friends.