Q&A with animation legend Floyd Norman alongside directors Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkey

Tuesday, Sep. 30 2025, 6:00

• Floyd Norman is the undisputed “Forrest Gump” of the animation world. Hired as the first African American at Disney in 1956, he would later be hand-­picked by Walt Disney to join the story team on the Jungle Book. After Walt’s death, Mr. Norman left Disney to start his own company (Vignette Films, Inc.) to produce Black history films for high schools. He and his partners would later work with Hanna Barbera, where they animated the original Fat Albert Special as well as the titles to Soul Train. Mr. Norman returned to Disney in the 1980s to work in their Publishing department. And in 1998, he returned to Disney Animation to work in the story department on Mulan. But an invite to the Bay area in the late 90s became a career highlight. Mr. Norman was now working with another emerging great: Pixar and Steve Jobs, on Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. Life as an animator is a nomadic one, but Mr. Norman spent the majority of his career at Disney; he views it as his “home.” Retired by Disney in 2000 at age 65, the documentary focuses on Mr. Norman’s difficulty with a retirement he was not ready for. Not one to quit, Mr. Norman chose to occupy an empty cubicle at Disney Publishing for the last 15 years. As he puts it, “[He] just won’t leave.” A term has been coined by Disney employees — “Floydering.” While not on staff, his proximity to other Disney personnel has led him to pick up freelance work. He continues to have an impact on animation as both an artist and mentor. As Mr. Norman says, “[He] [plans] to die at the drawing board."
• Michael Fiore (co-­director/producer/DP/editor) is a proud graduate of the esteemed NYU Film School. As owner and CCO of Michael Fiore Films, Michael and his team develop, finance, and create content for the film, TV, and ad worlds. In 2016, Sony Screen Gems released Keep Watching — a suspense thriller that Michael produced with his fellow producers at Voltage Pictures (The Hurt Locker) and The Picture Company. The movie stars childhood Disney star Bella Thorne and Chandler Riggs of The Walking Dead.
• Erik Sharkey (co-­director) is no stranger to the world of documentary. Before An Animated Life, his last feature documentary about famed movie poster artist Drew Struzan titled Drew: The Man Behind the Poster was noted as an “acclaimed documentary” on Netflix and screened at festivals all over the world. Floyd Norman: An Animated Life marks Erik and Michael Fiore’s first collaboration together.

Tickets: $15 (members), $20 (nonmembers)

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