Don Hahn Biography

Fast Facts

• Won a Heartland Film Festival Special Achievement Award for his contribution to animation in 2003
• Won a Golden Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture - Animated or Mixed Media for "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in 1997
• Graduated from California State University Northridge with a degree in Music and Art
• First worked as an associate producer on the 1988 film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit․"
• Started out as an assistant animator on the 1977 film "Pete's Dragon" before becoming assistant director on the 1981 film "The Fox and the Hound․"
• Quote: "You start out as an individual when you come to Disney, and slowly you become part of a greater community of artists․․․I can't look at animation as anything other than a team sport․"
• Directed and produced the 2009 documentary film "Waking Sleeping Beauty" about the behind-the-scenes journey at Disney Studios during the failures and successes of the mid-80's to the mid-'90s
• Founded the production company Stone Circle Pictures and works as executive producer of Disneynature films
• Best known as a producer of several Disney films, including "The Lion King" and "Beauty and the Beast․"
• Has written three books about animation: "The Alchemy of Animation," "Brain Storm - Unleashing Your Creative Self," and "Animation Magic․"