Erica Milsom

Erica Milsom: Award-Winning Filmmaker and Co-Founder of Ryzo Studios

Erica Milsom is an Oscar-winning and Emmy-nominated filmmaker who co-founded Ryzo Studios, a new animation studio, with Todd Shaiman. Together, they bring over 30 years of leadership experience from Pixar Animation Studios.1

Career Highlights

• Milsom joined Pixar in 2002 and has directed behind-the-scenes documentaries for every Pixar film since "Cars", including Academy Award-winning films like "Finding Nemo", "Ratatouille", "WALL•E", "Up", "Toy Story 3", "Inside Out", and "Coco".2
• Her SparkShorts film "Loop" tells the story of two kids adrift on a lake searching for a way to connect. The film features a non-verbal autistic girl and has been praised for its representation.24
• Prior to her film career, Milsom worked in non-formal education projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nepal.2
• She has directed independent films like "So Much Yellow", a period piece set in the 1960s that won the Austin Film Festival Audience Award.2

Ryzo Studios

At Ryzo Studios, Milsom aims to tell stories that move audiences to action. Their first film in production is "Release the Beast", an animated comedy exploring anger, bullying, and the triumph of self-reflection.35

Milsom was recently honored with the inaugural Impact Award from the True West Film Center for her dedication to uplifting marginalized voices through her work.6