Born and raised in Canada, Nick DiLiberto has always had a passion for drawing and film making. Graduating with Honours from the Sheridan College Classical Animation program, he began his career in the video game industry. After working his way up to Lead Animator, he moved to Japan where he worked as an Animation Director. Now, founder of his own animation studio Gorgon Pictures Inc., he has produced and directed his first fully 2D hand-drawn animated feature film, Nova Seed.
The Filmmakers
Nick DiLiberto
Creator, Writer, Animator, Executive Producer
Ricardo Curtis
Executive Producer
Ricardo Curtis is one of the animation industry’s most successful professionals, and has played a pivotal role in the production of 20+ successful feature films.
A Toronto native, Curtis relocated to Los Angeles after graduating from Sheridan College’s Classical Animation Program. Working with Pixar, DreamWorks Animation Studios, Fox, Miramax and Warner Bros, he contributed to a number of projects as a story artist (The lncredibles, Monsters Inc.), Head of Story (Book of Life, Horton Hears A Who), Supervising Animator (OsmosisJones) and was an animator and designer on The Iron Giant.
Curtis returned to Canada in 2004 to launch House of Cool Inc. with Wesley Lui. As Co-Founder and Head of Story, he is the creative lead on studio projects. Curtis just wrapped up a franchise project for 20th Century Fox/BlueSky Studios.
He has developed and sold properties to Disney, Bravo! and Teletoon, earning accolades at MIPCOM for his work. He has produced, written and directed short films, pilots, television series and commercials. Curtis is a mentor to animation students and a guest teacher at Sheridan College.
Wesley Lui
Executive Producer
Wesley Lui made his mark in commercial lending and personal finance at TD Canada Trust, The Bank of Montreal and CIBC Wood Gundy. Later, as Area Finance Manager, he helped grow VFC Inc. into Canada’s largest subprime lending institution.
In 2004, Lui was approached by longtime friend Ricardo Curtis to form House of Cool Inc. and dove headfirst into the entertainment industry, first as Director of Operations and as CEO since 2010. Continually fostering growth, he plays an instrumental role in all business undertakings and House of Cool Inc. productions, including the 2008 acquisition of Red Rover.
Lui is President of the Computer Animation Studios of Ontario (CASO), an association dedicated to the Ontario animation and visual effects industry.