By Judy Flannery, Executive Director, San Francisco Dance Film Festival,
and Alison Gibson, NATAS Trustee
Tony Hurd, pictured in 2017 at the closing night of the San Francisco Dance Film Festival
San Francisco Bay Area media and cultural organizations are mourning the passing of Tony Hurd, who died suddenly in November. Multi-talented in motion picture, animation and special effects production, Hurd also brought his prodigious skills in strategic planning, finance and budget management to his many clients.
Over 40 years in the Bay Area, Hurd worked at KQED, Colossal Pictures, Industrial Light & Magic, The Orphanage, the San Francisco Ballet, and his own company, Polygon Entertainment. In recent years he helped with the San Francisco Dance Film Festival and became an avid fan of dance films and dancers. Hurd brought a warm sense of humor and kindness to his many professional roles: as a unit, production, and operations manager, chief operation officer, visual effects producer and producer. His generosity, humanity and laughter endeared him to everyone who crossed his path.
In addition to his many friends, Hurd is survived by his spouse, Michael Strickland, and his sister, Patrique Alton Hurd and his brother, George Hurd.