Tony Bancroft

Biography

Tony Bancroft is a seasoned animator, director, and educator with over 30 years in the animation industry. He began his career at Disney Feature Animation, contributing to classics like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Emperor’s New Groove. Notably, he co-directed Mulan, earning the Annie Award for Best Director in an Animated Feature. After leaving Disney, Bancroft served as animation supervisor for Sony’s Stuart Little 2 and worked on Warner Bros.' Space Jam: A New Legacy. He also co-founded Toonacious Family Entertainment and authored the book Directing for Animation: Everything You Didn’t Learn in Art School. In 2018, Bancroft joined Azusa Pacific University as the head of its Animation and Visual Effects program. He currently serves as the Program Director for Lipscomb University’s Animation Program and co-hosts the Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast with his twin brother, Tom. The podcast is recognized as the #1 animation podcast on iTunes. Bancroft continues to inspire the next generation of animators through his teaching and creative endeavors.