Joaquin Baldwin is a multifaceted writer/director currently residing in Los Angeles, California, with a distinct specialization in the creation of animated films.
Notably, his animated shorts, Sebastian's Voodoo (2008) and Papiroflexia (2007),have garnered an impressive total of over 120 international awards. In 2008, he was crowned the South American winner of Pangea Day, a monumental event that took place simultaneously worldwide and was viewed by millions of people.
Throughout his career, Baldwin has received numerous accolades from prestigious organizations such as the Cannes Short Film Corner, Student Academy Awards, Cinequest, USA Film Festival, Angelus, Sedona, Ashland, August Sun, The Accolade Awards, BendFilm, Cine Awards, and many others. In 2008, his film Papiroflexia was a finalist at the Cannes Film Festival on the Short Film Corner, and in 2009, he took home the Cannes award in the same category with his film Sebastian's Voodoo.
Baldwin's work has also been recognized by the Annie Awards, with his film Sebastian's Voodoo being nominated in 2008, competing against four other shorts from renowned studios such as Pixar, Disney, Plympton, and Aardman.
Born in Paraguay, Baldwin's early life was influenced by his mother, an environmental activist, and his father, an artist. At the age of 15, he began experimenting with computer graphics and taught himself basic 3D animation using 3D studio max.
He soon met Christian Chena, the founder of Hypermedia, the first multimedia magazine in Paraguay, and worked as a multimedia designer, creating animated intros for the magazine's CD. As the company grew, Baldwin's responsibilities expanded to include website design and interactive design projects across the country.
The company eventually evolved into Chena Ventures Inc, where Baldwin worked primarily as a web designer for several years, specializing in Search Engine Optimization, design, and architecture. He designed websites for top Hispanic domains such as animacion.com, juegos.com, paraguay.com, cocina.com, horoscopo.com, peliculas.com, viajes.com, fotos.com, and sitios.com.
In 2002, at the age of 19, Baldwin moved to the United States to pursue his education at the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio. Initially, he intended to major in advertising and graphic design but was drawn back to his interest in animation. After changing his major to animation, he focused exclusively on filmmaking. Baldwin went on to complete his BFA at CCAD and later earned his MFA in animation at UCLA in 2010.
