Olivier Cotte

Olivier Cotte (born 20 June 1963) is a French film director, writer, graphic novel author, illustrator, and animation historian.

After studying music, ballet, fine arts and films, and directing his first film at the age of 14, he worked 15 years in the industry as director, flame artist and director of special effects, with such people as Wim Wenders (Until the End of the World), Roman Polanski (Death and the Maiden), Costa-Gavras (Mad City), Bob Swaim (The Climb), Josiane Balasko (Un grand cri d'amour), Jaco van Dormael (The Eighth Day), Leos Carax (Pola X), and Matthieu Kassovitz (Assassin(s)).

As critic and historian Olivier Cotte is the author of several works about animated films, including a technical and historical encyclopedia about animation worldwide, monographs on film directors, and a book on Oscar-winning animated short films. He also has translated into French 'The Animator's Survival Kit' by Richard Williams, written several technical works and over a hundred articles for magazines. He collaborates with numerous international animation festivals and cinematheques, and lectures at Gobelins, Ecole Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle, l'Eesa, Film Academy Baden-Wuerttemberg, Waide Somme, European Animation Master Class, Taiwan Film Center, Communication University of China, and others.

Olivier Cotte has directed several short films, mainly in animation, or mixing animation and live action.

He is also a writer and author of graphic novels.

• Concerto pour une image, writer/director short film S8 mm., 1977
• Le justicier, writer/director short film 16 mm., 1984
• Monsieur TiVi script writer (animated TV series), 1984–85
• Documentary about CGI director (made for the Futuroscope), 1997
• Oniric séquence for "L'annonce faite à Marius", integrated in the feature film directed by Armelle Sbraire, 1997
• Terra Incognita, writer/director short film 35 mm interpreted by Michael Lonsdale, 1995
• Fukushima 'The Mermaid', director, short film, 2005
• Fukushima 'The Fox', director, short film, 2006
• Fukushima 'Kohatayama', director, short film, 2006

DVD

Contribution to the bonus (interviews or booklets writing)

• Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata). 2004, Wild Side Vidéo
• Jan Svankmajer Vol.1 (Jan Svankmajer). 2005, Chalet Films
• Astérix, the Gaumont trilogy (René Goscinny). 2005, Gaumont Vidéo
• Jan Svankmajer Vol.3 (Jan Svankmajer). 2007, Chalet Films
• Nuvole e mani. Il cinema animato di Simone Massi. 2014, Minimum Fax.

• Public prize at Imola festival for Terra Incognita
• Best script for L'ultime défi de Sherlock Holmes at Festi'BD 2011.
• Prix Lucioles BD 2011 for L'ultime défi de Sherlock Holmes.
• Award for Special Contribution to Animation Research, at the World Festival of Animated Film - Animafest Zagreb in 2012.