Animated director Gil Kenan’s rapid rise from unknown film student to Oscar-nominated filmmaker was the stuff that makes others struggling in Hollywood seethe with jealousy. Born on Oct. 16, 1976 in London, England, his family moved to Tel Aviv, Israel before settling in Los Angeles, CA. Though an avid filmgoer – he cited “E.T.” (1982), “Gremlins” (1984) and “Back to the Future” (1985) as early influences – he never conceived of making movies for a living until late in life. He did pursue theater acting, but the 1994 Northridge earthquake swallowed up the play he was working on. It was then
