PBS SoCal To Debut New Don Hahn Film "Huz: Drawn to Life" as Anchor of Black History Month Programming Slate

PBS SoCal is set to debut a new film from Disney Legend Don Hahn, celebrating one of groundbreaking artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios in the acclaimed "renaissance" era.

What’s Happening: 

• PBS SoCal has announced that a new film, directed by Disney Legend Don Hahn, will lead a curated slate of programming across Black History Month. 
• Hahn’s (Howard, Waking Sleeping Beauty new film follows the groundbreaking career of Ron Husband, the first Black “Animator” at the Walt Disney Animation Studios, bringing his creative legacy during a pivotal era in animation history - Disney’s animation renaissance of the 80s and 90s. 
• Sidebar: “Animator” is in quotes, as some will be quick to point out that Floyd Norman worked at the studio before Husband, though he was never technically titled an animator, giving that honor to Husband.
• The new film examines creativity, resilience and the enduring power of mentorship, at a moment when conversations around these topics are continuing to reshape the entertainment industry. 

• HUZ: DRAWN TO LIFE anchors PBS SoCal’s Black History Month lineup celebrating artists, activists and cultural leaders whose influence continues to shape American life on screen and beyond.
• You can check out the trailer for the new film below, which also features Disney Legend Glen Keane, who worked alongside Husband at the studio, sharing what it was like when Husband first arrived at the studio. 
• HUZ: DRAWN TO LIFE premieres Thursday, February 12 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Tuesday, February 24 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus. It may also appear later on the free PBS app. 

About Ron Husband: 

• Ron Husband is a veteran animator and director from Walt Disney Animation Studios, first hired back in 1975, and best known for his work as a supervising animator on some of Disney’s most iconic animated films from the late 1980s through the 2000s.
• Having joined Disney during the studio’s animation renaissance, Husband became known for his work on some of the biggest characters of the era, including Gaston from Beauty and the Beast, Jafar from Aladdin (both under supervising animator Andreas Deja), John Smith in Pocahontas, and others before becoming the Supervising Animator himself overseeing Djali in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Titans (and Cyclops) in Hercules, and contributing to segments of Fantasia 2000. 
• He has also had a hand in some way in nearly every production since The Fox and the Hound up through Treasure Planet. 
• Outside of the studio work, Husband has also been prolific in mentoring young animators, teaching classes and workshops, and is known for his generosity and knowledge within the animation community. He also has a book, published several years ago, Quick Sketching with Ron Husband.