Meet Christina Fidler | 2D Animator & Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christina Fidler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christina, what do you attribute your success to?
I don’t consider my artistic practice a brand, but rather a series of repetitive thoughts, questions, and experiences I have that I then explore through art. I think the success of my work and its resonance with others has to do with where it’s coming from. I am extremely open about my struggles with self-worth, crippling anxiety, and obsessive thinking. To me, vulnerability is the heart of any project. Not only should you feel connected to the thing you’re making, but you also need to be willing to get a little uncomfortable and share pieces of yourself at each step of the process. People feel that, even if it isn’t an explicit retelling of the events of your life (even though it totally could be). My work is a tool for my own healing. Humor has gotten me through some pretty intensely traumatic events, especially within the last year, so if there’s anything I’ve learned in the process of emotional recovery, it’s that life is funny. It’s twisted and ironic that the feelings we think are so misunderstood and unique to our individual selves are, in reality, the glue that binds us. We connect over how similar some of our most unspoken worries, insecurities, and perceptions of the world line up with those of others. That’s why I believe vulnerability is the most important factor in my work — because the pain of the human experience is cruel, amusing, and universal.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a filmmaker. I tell stories about deeply personal experiences in several forms, but I tend to do this the most through animation (specifically 2D animation). I try to diffuse the terror and anxiety I’ve had about love, interpersonal relationships, my self-perception, the happenings in the world, etc., with humor. And more specifically, with a sense of exaggerated, zany, and surrealist humor. I don’t want to be afraid of all the things I’m afraid of anymore. Sometimes I’m so deep in my own brain, it feels like I’m drowning. So by making work about those fears and my pain, I feel a little bit more in control of my circumstances. I am also incredibly raunchy and vulgar (in tasteful ways, I promise) because sometimes I think I’m making up for lost time. I used to be incredibly afraid of sexuality growing up, for reasons probably rooted in my own childhood insecurities about my body and physical appearance. That leads me to my final point, which is that animation is not just for kids! It is a medium that can and should be used to explore some of the emotions and situations we experience that often times transcend words or the physical reality.

I made an award-winning short film titled “Condolences from the Vulgar Tongue or (Boner)” that recently wrapped its run in the festival circuit and earned a streaming deal with Curia.TV. And after some rest and studio work at Comedy Central, Bento Box, and most recently, Buzzfeed, I think I’m ready to get a start on a new independent short inspired by the insanity of this entire year. I don’t want to give too much away just yet or even jinx myself, so I’ll just stop there for now. 😉

I am extremely lucky and grateful to be in the position that I am in as an animator and independent filmmaker. I believe I’ve gotten to where I am professionally because I am genuine, funny, and enjoy being around other genuine, funny, and like-minded creatives. When you’re surrounded by people who inspire you and fuel your desire to make stuff, who challenge you to be better, to think outside of the box, and encourage you to be brave and vulnerable in your art, there’s no place to go but up. From there, you build a portfolio that you’re proud of, connections that want to support you in achieving your goals, and experiences that help you tell the difference between what is worth your time to pursue and what is not. And it isn’t easy by any means! I am INCREDIBLY lucky. I think it’s part timing, part skill, part persistence, and in some ways, just random how the kinds of opportunities you get can lead to other things. I think through it all, just be kind and curious with yourself and others. Really learn to develop your own sense of self amongst all the other kinds of people with their own truths in the world. At the end of the day, it’s only you who will be able to know you the best, if that makes sense. And being entirely transparent, building that confidence is still a work in progress for me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would definitely start the day with a visit to Kien Giang Bakery in Echo Park to grab a couple of veggie banh mi sandwiches and freshly baked pastries. Then I’d make them drive us (I’m from NYC, so I don’t know how to drive!) to the Long Beach Flea Market that happens once a month. It’s my favorite flea market of all the ones I’ve been to since I moved here in January. The runner up would probably be the Los Feliz Flea.

In the evening, we’d hit places like El Cid for their monthly Silverlake Shorts screening hosted by some of the sweetest people in town! They always curate a great mix of live action and animated shorts that really connect the filmmaking community together. Then we’d definitely head to Heavy Manners for a screening or a workshop, and some records and used books. And of course, Permanent Records Roadhouse for a late night concert, some drinks, more records, and pupusas from Salvamex Restaurant next door. We would also be hitting up Best Fish Tacos in Ensenada for their monthly comedy show and (surprise!) tacos.

Lots of daytime laps around Echo Park Lake, the Silverlake Reservoir, and a hike at Elysian Park would also be on the itinerary!

I don’t drive, so I walk anywhere that I can. I love doing that because it helps me feel connected to the city. I learn how different neighborhoods blend and shift and change into one another in a much more intimate way. And a lot of people complain about the buses here, but they’re really not all that bad in my experience! LA is a big city with a lot of interesting people, places, and opportunities to offer. There is still so much I haven’t explored yet, but my feet and I take it one day at a time. 🙂

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t have gotten this far in what I do without my whole army of friends who have not only been there to catch me when I start to spiral into an overthinking episode about the vulnerable work I’m making, but have also been there to emotionally support me through some of the toughest times of my life — way before the ideas for art about the traumas even begin. They make me laugh, they remind me that I’m funny and worthy of love, and even when they don’t know what to say, they’re always there to listen. Then once I get to the artmaking stage, they become my strongest little thinktank of creatives. I’m always hitting them with questions like, “Am I being too self-indulgent?” “Is this too messed up or intense to share?” “Is the message clear and are you sure I’m punching up?” Without their feedback, I don’t think my work would be nearly as concise and delicate in its balance of fact and fable as it is. So I owe so many thank yous to my fellow artist friends, Bryson Tullis, Garrett Nuttle, Izzy Geffner, Christina Brinzac, Morgan Wladkowski, Sarah Manley, Shoshana Schlauderaff, and Nyleen Perez, for being my council of emotional support and artistically trained eyes. My friends are the family I always wished I had. They encourage me to keep going, even when I can sometimes feel so deeply uncertain of myself. So this one’s for the homies. :’)

Website: christinafidler.com

Instagram: @schwiftybits

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-fidler-066b3215a/

Other: https://curia.tv/channel/condolences-from-the-vulgar-tongue/ (Where you can stream the film I mentioned!)

Image Credits
Headshot: Morgan Kelley Photography