Jeff Chiba Stearns

Jeff Chiba Stearns is an award-winning animation and documentary filmmaker, illustrator and writer.  Born in Kelowna, BC, of Japanese and European heritage, he graduated from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design with a degree in Film Animation (2001).  Soon after, he founded Meditating Bunny Studio Inc. specializing in the creation of animated, documentary, and experimental films aimed at both children and adults that combine different philosophical and social elements together to create humorous inspiring stories.  His animated shorts, Kip and Kyle (2000), The horror of Kindergarten (2001), and What Are You Anyways? (2005) have screened at film festivals around the world and broadcast on the CBC.

What Are You Anyways? winner of the 2006 CAEAA for Best Animated Short Subject was the first animated film that explored multiethnic issues and lead Jeff to becoming an international spokesperson for multiracial issues. Yellow Sticky Notes (2007), winner of the 2008 CAEAA for Best Animated Short Subject and the Prix du Public at the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival was animated with just a black pen on over 2300 sticky notes and is the official selection of over 60 international film festivals, winning 10 awards.  Currently he is working on a feature documentary entitled, One Big Hapa Family, about children of mixed-Japanese decent and the high Japanese Canadian interracial marriage rate with funding from Rogers, The Canada Council for the Arts, and Knowledge.  On top of filmmaking, Jeff is also a college animation instructor who has written articles for national publications and lectured around the world on topics of multiracial identity, cultural awareness, filmmaking, and animation.