Stateside Animators Directing Overseas...

I noted an interesting wrinkle buried in Britain's Guardian. To wit:

A Bollywood studio that has backed productions starring Shilpa Shetty will join Aim today, having successfully raised $70m (£35m) to fund a series of films...UTV Motion Pictures will be valued at $302m and the company is hoping to use the cash to raise its profile in the Hollywood studio system and capitalise on the growth of the Indian film market.

...UTV also wants to work more closely with the Hollywood studios,...and has a two-film deal with Overbrook Entertainment, founded by actor Will Smith and producer James Lassiter.

UTV, chaired by Indian media entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, hopes the deal with Overbrook will result in a full length animation feature for global markets. It is already working on four Indian animation movies for world markets, including one with director Simi Nallaseth, one of the animators of Ice Age.

Ms. Nallaseth follows a long line of American-trained animators into directorhood: Clements, Musker, Lasseter, Bird, the list is extensive.

But of course she falls into the category of foreign-born, American-experienced animators like Richard Williams. And Woolfgang Reitherman.

And lastly there are American animators-turned-directors with overseas gigs: Don Bluth is one. Mike D'Isa-Hogan is another (on the upcoming Hoodwinked 2: Hood Vs. Evil.)

I guess Ms. Nallaseth falls into the foreign-born-with-American-experience- returning-to-the-homeland-to-direct category.