Pixar Canada
Former Pixar animation studio subsidiary
title: "Pixar Canada" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["pixar", "canadian-animation-studios", "defunct-canadian-animation-studios", "disney-production-studios", "cinema-of-british-columbia", "companies-based-in-vancouver", "defunct-companies-of-british-columbia", "former-subsidiaries-of-the-walt-disney-company", "mass-media-companies-established-in-2009", "mass-media-companies-disestablished-in-2013", "2009-establishments-in-british-columbia", "2013-disestablishments-in-british-columbia", "canadian-companies-established-in-2009", "canadian-companies-disestablished-in-2013", "canadian-subsidiaries-of-foreign-companies"] description: "Former Pixar animation studio subsidiary" topic_path: "geography/canada" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixar_Canada" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Former Pixar animation studio subsidiary ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Pixar Canada |
| logo | Pixar Canada - logo.svg |
| logo_size | 250px |
| type | Subsidiary |
| fate | Closed |
| foundation | (established) |
| (opened) | |
| defunct | |
| location_city | Vancouver, British Columbia |
| location_country | Canada |
| key_people | Amir Nasrabadi (general manager) |
| Dylan Brown (creative director) | |
| Darwyn Peachey (chief technical officer) | |
| parent | Pixar |
| num_employees | 100 (2013) |
| :: |
| name = Pixar Canada | logo = Pixar Canada - logo.svg | logo_size = 250px | type = Subsidiary | genre = | predecessor = | fate = Closed | successor = | foundation = (established) (opened) | founder = | defunct = | location_city = Vancouver, British Columbia | location_country = Canada | location = | area_served = | key_people = Amir Nasrabadi (general manager) Dylan Brown (creative director) Darwyn Peachey (chief technical officer) | industry = | products = | production = | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | parent = Pixar | num_employees = 100 (2013) Pixar Canada was a short-lived, wholly owned subsidiary of Pixar Animation Studios. It was located in Vancouver, British Columbia. The studio was tasked to produce short films based on Pixar’s feature film characters.
Pixar Animation Studios permanently closed Pixar Canada in October 2013, and laid off its approximately 100 employees to refocus Pixar’s efforts at its main headquarters in Emeryville, California. The former studio space is currently Industrial Light & Magic’s studio in Vancouver.
History
Pixar Canada was established in April 2009, and officially opened on April 20, 2010 in the area of Gastown, Vancouver, British Columbia. The location was chosen for tax incentive reasons, for Vancouver’s computer-generated animation talent pool and for time-zone compatibility with the main studio in California.
The studio’s initial three-year plan was to produce animated short films, based on established film characters by Pixar, to be shown in all of the related businesses within Disney, including television, DVD compilations, internet, theme park attractions, and theatrical presentations. Post-production and stereoscopic work in 3D remained in the hands of the main studio of Pixar in Emeryville, California. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Pixar_Canada,_Dylan_Brown,_Vancouver_Film_School,_2009-2.jpg" caption="url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/pixar-canada-closed-in-surprise-move-1200706910/}}"] ::
In October 2013, Walt Disney Studios announced its closure, with a loss of nearly 100 jobs. A company spokesperson said the work done in Vancouver would be transferred to the company’s headquarters in Burbank, California. Provincial Jobs Minister Shirley Bond described the closure of the Pixar studio as “disappointing”, but added that she saw the decision as being tied to the company’s overall business strategy, rather than the business climate in British Columbia.
Shortly after the closure of the studio, Disney, which had recently acquired Lucasfilm and its subsidiary companies, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)’s satellite division in Vancouver, moved into Pixar Canada’s former studio. The ILM studio in Vancouver has subsequently carried out primary character animation and visual effects with the ILM headquarters in San Francisco on several Hollywood films, including Warcraft, The Revenant, and Thor: Ragnarok.
Filmography
::data[format=table]
| Release date | Title | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| November 1, 2011 | Mater's Tall Tales: Air Mater | |
| November 23, 2011 | Small Fry | |
| June 5, 2012 | Mater's Tall Tales: Time Travel Mater | title=2011 BCFC Film and TV Production Stats |
| September 14, 2012 | Partysaurus Rex | title=Disney Supplement 2012 |
| March 22, 2013 | Tales from Radiator Springs: Hiccups | |
| Tales from Radiator Springs: Bugged | ||
| Tales from Radiator Springs: Spinning | ||
| May 20, 2014 | Tales from Radiator Springs: The Radiator Springs 500 ½ | |
| :: |
References
References
- Sciretta, Peter. (April 20, 2010). "Pixar Canada Officially Opens". Slash Film.
- Valiquette, Mike. (April 5, 2010). "jobby: Animator, Supervising Animator, Pixar Canada, Vancouver". Canadian Animation Resources.
- (October 8, 2013). "Pixar Canada shuts its doors in Vancouver". [[The Province]].
- (17 March 2014). "Industrial Light and Magic opens permanent studio in Vancouver".
- Giardina, Carolyn. (May 7, 2009). "Disney/Pixar launching new studio". The Hollywood Reporter.
- Cooper, Sam. (April 20, 2010). "Pixar Canada studio in Vancouver to produce short films". The Province.
- (November 20, 2009). "Pixar Canada Creative Director Comes to VFS". Vancouver Film School.
- (9 October 2013). "Pixar Canada Closed In Surprise Move, Disney Lays Off 100 Employees".
- (19 December 2017). "Pixar Vancouver Studios closed three years after opening".
- (9 October 2013). "Pixar closes its Vancouver studio after 3 years". The Globe and Mail.
- Gronvall, Andrea. (November 27, 2012). "The Gronvall Files: To Canada (And Beyond?): PIXAR Canada Creative Director Dylan Brown". Movie City News.
- "2011 BCFC Film and TV Production Stats". BCFC.
- "Disney Supplement 2012". ToyWorld.
- "Films". Pixar Canada.
- Bryko. (March 14, 2014). "New 'Cars' Short Will Kick Off Second 'Cars Toons' Series". Upcoming Pixar.
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