Member Profile: Marina Antunes
1. What do you do, and how long have you been doing it?
I’ve been a film critic since the early 2000s, sharing my thoughts and insights through writing and podcasting. I host a bi-weekly film podcast called “After the Credits,” with over 300 episodes. Additionally, I’m the festival director for SPARK ANIMATION, Western Canada’s largest animation festival, and a year-round producer with the Spark Computer Graphics Society.
2. What was your first job?
My first job was as a weekend kitchen assistant at a private school. Shortly after I started, they promoted me to weekend cook. It was there that my passion for cooking and baking began.
3. Where did you complete your formal education?
I studied English at the University of British Columbia for three years and was a staff writer with the student paper, intending to complete a degree in journalism. I took a break to work and finance my education but a temporary position with Fisheries and Oceans Canada extended from three months to three years. I continued my administrative career while fueling my passion for writing, criticism, and technology in my free time, jumping into blogging and podcasting in the early 2000s, a passion that continues to this day. I have continued self-guided learning in leadership, communication, and technology through classes, workshops, conferences and conversations.
4. How did you first get involved with ACM SIGGRAPH?
I attended an event on the VFX of “The Matrix,” produced by the Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter. At the event, I met then-President Sylvain Provencher. We had a fantastic chat about movies and he told me about some of the events the chapter was hosting. After attending a couple of events, I started volunteering with the chapter in 2013.
5. What is your favorite memory of a SIGGRAPH conference?
All of SIGGRAPH 2014! It was my first SIGGRAPH and I had never been to a conference like it. The Vancouver Chapter hosted a boat cruise around Coal Harbour which I still remember fondly.
6. Describe a project that you would like to share with the ACM SIGGRAPH community.
SPARK ANIMATION! The festival is co-produced by the Vancouver Chapter and offers the best of a film festival and conference experience in one intimate setting. There’s nothing more gratifying than sitting in an auditorium and sharing the experience of a talk or a movie with a crowd and then hearing people excitedly talking about it afterwards. I highly encourage everyone to attend at least once!
7. If you could have dinner with one living or non-living person, who would it be and why?
There are so many amazing individuals I would love to spend face time with but right now, my choice would be Ilona Maher. She has done so much for female athletics and body positivity over the course of the 2024 Olympics. I want to bask in her energy for a while before delving into a discussion about how she stays motivated and positive. Plus I expect we would have amazing food adventures together.
8. What is something most people don’t know about you?
I’m an avid F1 fan. So much so that my sourdough starter is lovingly named Verstappen II. Sadly Verstappen didn’t survive to a second feeding. Oops.
9. From which single individual have you learned the most in your life? What did they teach you?
My mom. She encouraged me to pursue my passion for film and writing and even when I seemed to have “veered off track,” she was always there to offer encouragement (and sometimes to “push” in the right direction). From her, I learned to take chances, to be myself, and to be resilient.
10. Is there someone in particular who has influenced your decision to work with ACM SIGGRAPH?
Sylvain Provencher. He was not only my gateway to ACM SIGGRAPH but he has been a wonderful mentor and his passion for supporting the organization and the community has been hugely inspirational.
11. What can you point to in your career as your proudest moment?
Leading SPARK ANIMATION when the festival became Oscar-accredited was a monumental achievement. It also validated the decades I spent watching and talking about movies in my spare time.