Kelsey Mann
Kelsey Mann (born November 16, 1974) is an American film director and storyboard artist. He is best known for directing the Pixar animated film Inside Out 2 (2024), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for the Best Animated Feature.
Kelsey Mann

Kevin Paul · CC BY 4.0
- Name
- Kelsey Mann
- Born
- 16 November 1974
- Education
- Northern Michigan University (BFA)
- Occupation
- * Film director
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- film direction · film screenwriting
- Languages
- English
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Kelsey Mann (born November 16, 1974) is an American film director and storyboard artist. He is best known for directing the Pixar animated film Inside Out 2 (2024), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for the Best Animated Feature.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q58640889 · wikipedia · Kelsey Mann
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Kelsey Mann • Born — 16 November 1974 • Education — Northern Michigan University (BFA) • Occupation — * Film director • storyboard artist • Employer — * Cartoon Network Studios (2003–2009) • Pixar Animation Studios (2009–present) • Years Active — 2003–present
Early life and education
Early life and education
Mann graduated from Burnsville High School in 1993. He went on to attend Northern Michigan University, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts illustration in 1998.
Career
Career
Mann started his career at Cartoon Network, where he worked as a storyboard artist on Duck Dodgers, Megas XLR, My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, before joining Pixar in 2009, where he started as a story supervisor for Monsters University, The Good Dinosaur (also co-wrote the story for the film), and Onward. He made his directorial debut with the short film Party Central, which he also wrote, taking place shortly after Monsters University. In September 2022, during the D23 Expo announcement, Mann was announced to direct the feature film Inside Out 2, which serves as the sequel to the 2015 film Inside Out, taking over for Pete Docter, who is instead the executive producer of the film, which was released on June 14, 2024. In 2025, for Inside Out 2, Mann received an Academy Award nomination for the Best Animated Feature.
Television series
Television series
• Year — Title — Director — Storyboard Supervisor — Storyboard Artist — Background Artist — Background Designer — Creative Consultant — Notes • 2003 — Kid Notorious • 2003–2005 — Duck Dodgers • 2004–2005 — Megas XLR • 2006 — The Amazing Screw-On Head • 2006–2007 — My Gym Partner's a Monkey • 2006–2009 — Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends • 2007 — Shorty McShorts' Shorts — Episode: The Imperfect Duplicates of Dodger Dare • 2008 — Underfist: Halloween Bash — Additional — Television special • 2009–2010 — Star Wars: The Clone Wars • 2010 — Sym-Bionic Titan • 2012 — Ultimate Spider-Man • 2021 — Monsters at Work
Accolades
Accolades
Accolades received by Kelsey Mann • Award — Date — Category — Nominated work — Result — Ref(s) • Academy Awards — March 2, 2025 — Best Animated Feature — Inside Out 2 • Astra Film Awards — — Best First Feature • Visual Effects Society Awards — — Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Kelsey Mann was born at Burnsville.
Birthplace
Burnsville.
Birth place
Films
Films
• Year — Title — Director — Story — Story Supervisor — Other — Notes • 2013 — Monsters University • 2015 — The Good Dinosaur • 2020 — Onward — Additional Story Material • Soul — Special Thanks • 2021 — Luca — Pixar Senior Creative Team • 2022 — Turning Red • Lightyear • 2023 — Elemental • 2024 — Inside Out 2 • 2025 — Elio
Short films
Short films
• Year — Title — Director — Writer — Other — Notes • 2013 — Party Central — Additional Voices • 2019 — Purl — Voice of Office Bros • 2020 — Lamp Life — Special Thanks • 2022 — Cars on the Road: Gettin' Hitched — Pixar Senior Creative Team
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Kelsey Mann”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q58640889: Kelsey Mann
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Mann Directing Pixar's 'Inside Out 2'. January 20, 2023.
- 2.Four Alumni Involved in 'Onward' Film. May 27, 2020.
- 3.Ventimiglia, Aidan. PIXAR ANIMATOR KELSEY MANN REVEALS THE SEVEN-YEAR PROCESS TO MAKE 'ONWARD'. VOX ATL. March 2, 2020.
- 4.Pritchard, Tiffany. Rome: Pixar story editor Kelsey Mann talks 'The Good Dinosaur'. ScreenDaily. 22 October 2015.
- 5.Choksi, Angela. Onward and Upward: A Conversation With Pixar's Kelsey Mann. The Emory Wheel. March 3, 2020.
- 6.The Story Behind the Story of Pixar's Party Central Short. Oh My Disney. January 22, 2014.
- 7.Chapman, Wilson. 'Inside Out 2' Coming in Summer 2024, With Amy Poehler Returning. September 9, 2022.
- 8.Fuge, Jonathan. Inside Out 2 Details Revealed by Pixar CCO Peter Docter. February 22, 2023.
- 9.Watch: Meet Anxiety, the New Emotion Introduced in Pixar's 2024 Sequel, Inside Out 2. Animation Magazine. November 9, 2023.
- 10.Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). The 97th Academy Awards (2025) Nominees and Winners. January 23, 2025.
- 11.Nordyke, Kimberly. Oscars: Full List of Winners. The Hollywood Reporter. March 2, 2025.
- 12.Pond, Steve. 'Wicked' Leads Nominations for Astra Film Awards. TheWrap. November 25, 2024.
- 13.Verhoeven, Beatrice. VES Awards: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Scores Top Honor, Dune: Part Two Leads With Four Wins. The Hollywood Reporter. February 11, 2025.
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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