Remembering Mar Elepano (1954-2025)
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Visual Communications mourns the passing of our former staff member and lifelong friend, Mariano “Mar” Elepano, who was part of the VC family from 1985 to 2007. Mar’s journey with VC began in the 1980s, when he led animation and filmmaking workshops that opened new creative doors for young people in our community. Over the years he became an essential part of VC’s programs, from teaching storyboarding in our Armed With a Camera Fellowship, to guiding students in the Frame by Frame Youth Leadership Program, to mentoring participants in our Experimental Video Workshop.
As long-time VC’er Abraham Ferrer recalls,
“Earlier this week, I learned that yet another of our unsung movers and shakers in this Asian American ‘movement’ thing has left us, as Mariano Elepaño…passed away at the still-young age of 71. My memories drift back forty years, back to when he was recruited to teach Visual Communications’ Graphic Filmmaking workshop (that’s film-speak for animation) as part of VC’s Filmmakers Development Program. His class, which included Stuart Iwasaki, Kent Hirohama, Kelly Takemoto, and a pre-teenage Van Troi Pang, benefitted from Mar’s comprehensive yet patient and encouraging tutelage. That class’ creative output, headed by Troi’s Mochi Monster and Stuart’s Reptilian Brain Function, was well-travelled and enhanced VC’s portfolio of pace-setting celluloid film productions. Mar continued onward with the Graphic Filmmaking workshop into the late 1980s, when he was asked to continue his involvement with VC as the instructor of the animation and graphic filmmaking workshop, this time as part of VC’s Digital Academy, a filmmaking initiative that Mar shepherded well into the 2000s.”
Born in the Philippines and arriving in Los Angeles in 1975 to study film at USC, Mar embodied the spirit of cross-cultural creativity. His career extended far beyond VC. As a longtime production supervisor and educator at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, he shaped the path of countless young animators and filmmakers. Through Fulbright work in Malaysia and teaching engagements across Asia and the Pacific, Mar brought his gifts to communities worldwide.
We are deeply grateful for Mar’s contributions to Visual Communications and to the larger Asian American and Pacific Islander arts community. His legacy lives on in the filmmakers he nurtured, the workshops he led, and the creative bridges he helped build. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, students, and all who were touched by his presence.
