Peter Sohn

Peter Sohn is an American filmmaker, animator, storyboard artist, and voice actor known for his work at Pixar Animation Studios. Sohn is the first Korean person to direct a Pixar film, bringing a unique cultural perspective to his projects. While studying at the California Institute of the Arts, he worked on Brad Bird's animated feature film, "The Iron Giant," an early experience that sparked his interest in animation. Before joining Pixar, Sohn worked at Warner Bros. with Brad Bird on "The Iron Giant" and at Disney TV.

Sohn joined Pixar Animation Studios and began working in both the art and story departments for the Academy Award-winning "Finding Nemo." He continued to contribute to "The Incredibles" in the art, story, and animation departments, focusing on animating members of the Parr family and developing key scenes. He also worked as a story artist on "WALL·E." Sohn helped design memorable scenes such as the dentist's office in "Finding Nemo" and the balloons lifting Carl's house in "Up." His presence at the studio inspired the character Russell in "Up."

Sohn is recognized for directing the short film "Partly Cloudy" and the feature films "The Good Dinosaur" and "Elemental." "Elemental" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Sohn's path to directing "The Good Dinosaur" involved unexpected challenges, but he ultimately took on the role and expanded his experience as a director.

After that production, Sohn pitched a personal story inspired by his immigrant parents and interracial marriage, resulting in "Elemental," a film about a girl made of fire and a boy made of water. The film took seven years to develop. During this period, Sohn experienced the loss of both parents, who inspired the movie. Internationally, "Elemental" performed well in South Korea, resonating with audiences due to Sohn's Korean-American background and cultural elements in the film. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and, after a slow start, gained positive word-of-mouth, becoming a sleeper hit and earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.

Sohn has also contributed voice work to several animated films, including Emile in "Ratatouille," Scott Squishy Squibbles in "Monsters University," and Sox in "Lightyear." He voiced Ganke in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse." Sohn's career spans multiple disciplines in animation, and he is recognized for transforming personal experiences into stories with broad appeal in the animation industry.