Cinesite Studios Vancouver Appoints Tara Kemes General Manager
Cinesite Studios has appointed Tara Kemes as General Manager of its feature animation studio in Vancouver. Tara, who takes over from Nicole Stinn, will be responsible for the overall management of the studio and will report directly to Cinesite Group CEO Antony Hunt.
As General Manager, Tara will combine many years of industry experience with a thorough understanding of what is required to execute Cinesite’s production commitments. As part of one of the largest independent studios producing feature animation, the Vancouver facility is now working on 'The Addams Family' for MGM and remains one of the city’s main feature animation studios. Tara will oversee the continued expansion and strengthen Cinesite’s profile within British Columbia.
Like many animation professionals in Vancouver, Tara started her industry career at Mainframe. She developed her leadership skills working as recruitment manager in the video game industry for Canada’s Relic Entertainment and Nexon, among others, before re-joining the new Rainmaker Entertainment in 2009 to build the team for its first animated feature film, 'Escape from Planet Earth'.
Until 2017, Tara continued her career with Rainmaker, successfully taking on the new role of VP, Culture & Talent and leading the development and expansion of the company’s creative and technical teams. She has continued to demonstrate her passion for nurturing talent throughout her professional career by teaching part-time at the Vancouver Film School.
“In a very short time, Cinesite Studios has made a real commitment to the feature animation business by bringing world-class creative leadership and artists into its studios,” Tara commented. “I feel privileged to join the growing team in Vancouver at such an exciting time as they take on Top-tier projects, and I look forward to creating a fulfilling and supportive environment for all and playing a key role in the studio’s continuing success.”
“We are delighted to have Tara join us,” said Cinesite Group CEO Antony Hunt. “She will be instrumental in our expansion and throughput of exciting animated projects at our Vancouver studio. Tara’s extensive operational experience and instincts for developing talent strikes that special leadership balance.”
Launching under the Cinesite brand in March 2017 with a core staff of 65, Cinesite Studios’ Vancouver facility now has close to 100 employees, with plans to continue expanding the team further to over 200 artists as talent is recruited to work on 'The Addams Family', which is based in Vancouver. www.cinesite.com
