BIO

Adam Ciolfi

Directors Bio

In the film One Million Years BC (1966), Ray Harryhausen used stop motion animation to create the illusion of a giant turtle chasing Raquel Welch along a beach.  In 1975, a 10 year old Adam Ciolfi would see that film and a lifelong fascination with stop motion animation would be born. By 1977, having learned what he could about stop motion from magazines like Famous Monsters of Filmland and films ranging from King Kong to the Rankin Bass Christmas specials, Adam attempted his first film with a lump of placticine and a Regular 8 movie camera. Though crude, the results inspired him to continue.

For the next 7 years he would make a number of animated films ranging in length from 3 to 14 minutes. With each project, the results grew more refined, the puppets more polished and the finished films more accomplished.

In 1989, after graduating from York University with a film degree, Adam embarked on an ambitious 27 minute project. 16 months in the making and self financed, ATTIC IN THE BLUE was completed in 1991. It would go on to win 4 awards for Best Animated Short during its brief festival run before being sold for broadcast.

Adam stepped away from animation for several years, choosing to focus on several live action projects. However, in 1995 he was invited to San Francisco to spend a week on the set of JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. That experience rekindled the animation fire.

In 1996, armed with a feature script from writer Michael Stokes, Adam began work on THE LADY OF NAMES. 4 years were spent storyboarding, designing sets, and building puppets. Frustrated with unsuccessful  attempts to secure outside financing, he did what came naturally, he started filming.

Actors were auditioned, voices were recorded and equipment was purchased. On February 10, 2000, the first frames were put to film. Little did he know that the final frames would not be shot until November 10, 2009. During that 10 year period, he worked full time, all the while continuing to animate.

THE LADY OF NAMES would be completed in May 2011 and would go on a very successful 2 year festival run where it would win Best Animated Film awards at 9 North American festivals.

BROKEN is his first film since completing that massive project and will once again showcase the imagination and talent of a man who was once mesmerized by a giant turtle trying to make its way to sea.