Iain Alexander Gardner is a Scottish animator and director based in Edinburgh, Scotland.[1] His notable works include the 2023 Scottish-Polish animated short film A Bear Named Wojtek (2023).[2]
After graduating, Gardner worked at the John Coates TVCartoons[4] studio and at Channel 4, as part of their MOMI Animation residency.[5][6] Between 2001 and 2002, he lived in Canada and worked in the Aniamtion and Illustration departments at Bruce Alcock’s Global Mechanic on The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam (2003) directed by Ann Marie Fleming.[7]
In 2013, Gardner founded the production company Animation Garden, which developed the series Mustard & Ketchup (later renamed as Badger Beats) and produced projects such as ABear Named Wojtek (2023).[8]
In 2014 , Gardner was the Artistic Director of McLaren2014 , a project in partnership with the National Film Board ofCanada that celebrated the Centenary of animator Norman McLaren.[10]
Filmography
Film
1996: TheFlight of the Dodo (short film) - director.[11]
2000: The Canterbury Tales – The Squire’s Tale (season 2, ep. 1) - director.
Other
2017: Looper: Farfisa Song (music video) - director.[10]
Recognition
Gardner's films have received several awards from international film festivals, including a Scottish BAFTA nomination for his film The Tannery (2010),[16] as well as the 2024 British Animation Award for Best Long Form Film and the 2024 Venice TV Award for Best Animation with A Bear Named Wojtek (2023).[3] The film was also a recipient of the BFI's YACF Production Award.[17]
Gardner's work is mentioned in two books: Maureen Furniss’s The Animation Bible (2008) and the 2nd edition of Paul Wells and Samantha Moore’s The Fundamentals of Animation (2016).[18]
