Biography
Nicolás P. Villarreal was born and raised in La Plata, Argentina. He earned a degree in 2D Animation from the Escuela de Animación y Cinematografía de Avellaneda. During his studies, he was mentored by Miguel Alzugaray, a renowned Argentine fine artist. He continued his education in animation and fine art painting before enrolling in the Master's Program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Villarreal graduated with honors in Spring 2002. Since then, he has worked as a traditional animator, character designer, sculptor, and Visual Development artist for films and video games, collaborating with Walt Disney Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment, Jim Henson Studios, Sega, Reel FX, Digital Domain, Duncan Studios, and Amazon Studios, among others. He has presented at Pixar Animation Studios, DreamWorks Animation, Apple, Stanford University, The Sydney Opera House, and various universities in South America and Europe, as well as delivering a TEDx talk.
In 2020, Nicolás was recognized by VOGUE Latin America as one of Latin America's leading creative talents.
He is the co-founder of Red Clover Studios, where he is currently developing his first feature film. He is also the writer and director of award-winning animated short films including "Pasteurized," "Nieta," "ON/OFF," "The House of Colors," and the live-action short "Things Are Looking Up." His films have received over 400 international awards, including Best Animated Film at the 2015 Toronto Kids International Film Festival. Additionally, he serves as the Executive Director of the Visual Development and Traditional Animation Department at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he teaches film and animation design.
