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Faith Hubley Remembered

John Canemaker remembers his friend and associate Faith Hubley, whose inspiration ranged far wider than her magical, Oscar-winning filmed images.

Faith Hubley was a fearless woman and fiercely dedicated to the life of an artist. Her films and the way she made them will always inspire. So will the story of her life, which she lived fully and always with great joy, even during the hard times, of which there were many. She packed a lot of living into her 77 years. To have completed 23 films of quality and originality in 24 years basically by herself is a singular achievement -- plus the collaborative work she did with her husband John -- it is all a testament to Faith's dedication, artistic vision and strong sense of purpose.

I was privileged to be a small part of her circle for the last 25 years and enjoyed every minute of it. She was great fun to be with socially (she had a wonderful loud laugh), but she also had enormous discipline and her work always came first. Personally, I will always remember her great style and class. She wasn't conventionally beautiful, but her energy -- her aliveness -- made her extraordinarily attractive. She had a wonderfully animated face dominated by dark intense eyes and a toothy, wide, incandescent smile that always lit up a room. Faith Hubley was a human light bulb -- an electric, unforgettable, illuminating presence. She was like a beacon who showed other animator/filmmaker/artists the way, through her work, to an alternative way of making animated art.

Please feel free to join our Discussion Forums and share your memories of Faith or discuss her many great films.

John Canemaker is a filmmaker and animation historian. He heads the animation program at New York University and his books include Before Animation Begins: The Art and Lives of Disney Inspirational Sketch Artists (Hyperion), Tex Avery: The MGM Years (Turner) and Felix: The Twisted Tale of the World's Most Famous Cat (Da Capo). His latest book is Walt Disney's Nine Old Men & The Art of Animation.

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