Darren Holmes, A.C.E.

Born the grandson of James H. Nicholson, founder of American International Pictures, Darren Holmes was introduced to filmmaking at an early age and was destined to work in the movie business. Growing up in LA in the sixties, Darren followed in his father’s footsteps and began as an apprentice film editor at age seventeen. His experience spans the many facets of editing, from cutting music and sound FX, to editing Live Action and CG-Animation features. His thirty years in the cutting room includes twenty years in Live Action and a decade in animation, both 2-D and 3-D.

Darren’s love of animation has taken him from cutting The Iron Giant for Brad Bird at Warner Bros., to Disney’s Lilo&Stitch, and most recently, Ratatouille for Brad Bird at Pixar Animation Studios. A family heritage continued, Darren strives to edit films that inspire him, and he enjoys the challenge of constantly adapting new tools to finesse the creative art of film editing.

Darren lives in the Bay Area and is excited by recent advances in technology and the focus it will bring to the work of film editors everywhere. Recently inducted into A.C.E., he sees it as an honor and a privilege to fulfill his obligations to that organization by promoting the craft, art, and science of editing, and advancing the role of film editor as one of the creative authors in the filmmaking process.

Panel: CUT TO THE CHASE