Olivier Cotte (born June 20, 1963) is a French film director, writer, graphic novel author, illustrator, and animation historian.
After studying music, ballet, fine arts and films, and directing his first film at the age of 14, he worked 15 years in the industry as director, flame artist and director of special effects, with such people as Wim Wenders (Until the End of the World), Roman Polanski (Death and the Maiden), Costa-Gavras (Mad City), Bob Swaim (The Climb), Josiane Balasko (Un grand cri d’amour), Jaco van Dormael (The Eighth Day), Leos Carax(Pola X), and Matthieu Kassovitz (Assassin(s)).
As critic and historian Olivier Cotte is the author of several works about animated films, including a technical and historical encyclopedia about animation worldwide, monographs on film directors, and a book on Oscar-winning animated short films. He also has translated into French ‘The Animator’s Survival Kit’ by Richard Williams, written several technical works and over a hundred articles for magazines. He collaborates with numerous international animation festivals and cinematheques, and lectures at Gobelins, Ecole Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle, l’Eesa, Film Academy Baden-Wuerttemberg, Waide Somme, European Animation Master Class, Taiwan Film Center, Communication University of China, and others.
Olivier Cotte has directed several short films, mainly in animation, or mixing animation and live action.
He is also a writer and author of graphic novels.
