Robin Starbuck

Robin Starbuck is a Professor of Experimental Film and Animation and the current Chair of Filmmaking & Moving Image Arts at Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) since 2003. A pioneering filmmaker and artist, she creates experimental nonfiction films, installations, and animated media for theatre and opera, blending documentary and reflexive styles to invite viewer interaction and self-reflective meaning-making.

Education:

• BA, Salem College (North Carolina)
• MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
• Post-Graduate Certificate, New York University Tisch School of the Arts

Research & Practice: Starbuck’s work focuses on nontraditional cinematic forms, emphasizing perception over knowledge. Her recent film How We See Water explores environmental narratives through abstraction, while exhibitions at venues like the Anthology Film Archives and Milan Biennale highlight her global influence. Themes include trauma, environmental storytelling, and hybrid film/animation techniques.

Recognition & Affiliations: As an award-winning filmmaker, she was recently nominated for four international documentary awards at the X Short Film Festival in Rome. She actively contributes to the Women in Animation Association, shaping discourse around alternative animation practices since 1960.