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Here is the press release:
The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is proud to announce the return of SCAD AnimationFest to SCAD Atlanta Sept. 23–25, 2026. The highly anticipated three-day festival will be held at the university’s state-of-the-art SCADshow theater and will honor Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar, the executive producers of the groundbreaking and award-winning comedy series The Proud Family, and Academy Award, BAFTA, and Golden Globe Award nominee Joel Crawford, director and writer of the upcoming DreamWorks Animation filmForgotten Island.
The 10th anniversary of SCADFILM’s signature festival for digital media will feature sessions with top executives and creatives from Adult Swim, Prime Video, Awesome Inc., Bento Box Entertainment, CBS Studios, Crunchyroll, Disney Television Animation, DreamWorks Animation, FOX Entertainment, LAIKA, Marvel Animation, Paramount +, Pixar Animation Studios, Sony Pictures Television, Titmouse, Walt Disney Imagineering, and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. SCAD AnimationFest will also showcase SCAD students and alumni whose creative work is at the forefront of animation, motion media design, and visual effects.
“Animation continues to be one of SCAD’s most popular degree programs and this incredible signature event provides students unique access to the creatives leading in the industry,” said Jud Estes, associate dean of the SCAD School of Animation and Motion. “We have alumni from our school of animation and motion working and innovating around the globe, and we are thrilled to welcome many of them back to SCAD for this year’s event to share their experiences with the next generation of SCAD graduates.”
The festival kicks off on Wednesday with the newly added Animated Shorts Competition, an exclusive sneak peek at new feature The Cat in the Hat, and special screenings of new series President Curtis and Helluva Boss — the latter featuring voice actorsRichard Horvitz and Brandon Rogers. Other Wednesday screenings include the recently released films Toy Story 5 and Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. Following the screening of Avatar Aang, attendees can join director Lauren Montgomery for a special conversation exploring the creative vision, storytelling, and artistry behind bringing Aang and the beloved world of Avatar to the big screen.
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation presents an exclusive sneak peek of the highly anticipated The Cat in the Hat, the first animated theatrical feature starring Dr. Seuss’ iconic character. Discover the imaginative new world, artistry, and creative vision behind this all-new adventure — featuring Bill Hader as the voice of the Cat — before the film arrives in theaters this November.
Thursday’s programming continues with special screenings of Batman: Knightfall — Part 1: Knightfalland new series GET JIRO. Also screening is Sony Pictures Television’s Universal Basic Guys, co-created and executive produced by brothers Adam Malamut and Craig Malamut, with the show’s third season set to premiere Sunday, Sept. 27. The critically acclaimed smash Hoppers and the North American premiere of Sekiro: No Defeat, presented exclusively by Crunchyroll, round out Thursday’s lineup.
Thursday kicks off with the exclusive and innovative panel discussion The Magic of SCAD Alumni: Inside Walt Disney Imagineering, where university alumni who have turned their creative passions into rewarding careers at Walt Disney Imagineering will offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to turn big ideas into unforgettable experiences.
A Warner Bros. Animation double feature starts with a special screening of Batman: Knightfall — Part 1: Knightfall, adapted from one of the most iconic and beloved sagas in Batman comics history. The screening is followed by a conversation with studio executive vice president for alternative programming and creative affairs Peter Girardi and supervising producer Rick Morales.
Fans will then enter the dangerous world of GET JIRO, the new Adult Swim animated series based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose. Girardi and Morales retake the stage, joined by executive producers and showrunners Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, for a conversation about adapting Bourdain and Rose’s singular vision for animation, building GET JIRO’s distinctive world, and blending food, action, dark comedy, and storytelling into one killer recipe.
SCAD celebrates 25 years of the groundbreaking animated series The Proud Family with creator and executive producer Bruce W. Smith and executive producer Ralph Farquhar. Smith and Farquhar will receive the Animation Trailblazer Award during this special anniversary celebration honoring their groundbreaking creative vision, unforgettable characters, and lasting legacy of a series that changed the animation landscape — and continues to inspire audiences and artists today with The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.
To close out the day, attendees will be the first audience in North America to experience the extraordinary new anime Sekiro: No Defeat on the big screen. Set against the fractured landscape of Sengoku-era Japan, Sekiro: No Defeat follows the desperate struggle to protect the sacred land of Ashina as an ancient threat rises from within. Directed by Kenichi Kutsuna at studio Qzil.la and based on FromSoftware’s acclaimed Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, this highly anticipated anime adaptation makes its North American premiere at SCAD AnimationFest, presented exclusively by Crunchyroll following its recent world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Rendered entirely in hand-drawn 2D animation, Sekiro: No Defeat is a breathtaking visual achievement that honors the artistry, intensity, and brutal beauty of its acclaimed source material. Before the premiere, Crunchyroll senior vice president of content Adam Zehner will introduce Sekiro, offering special insight into bringing the acclaimed game to animated film and the journey to bring this highly anticipated project to the screen.
Friday is the final day of the festival and begins with an exclusive sneak peek at LAIKA’s highly anticipated new stop motion feature Wildwood. LAIKA head of animation Brad Schiff and SCAD alum and stop motion animator Tilly Fidler (B.F.A., animation, 2022) will take audiences behind the artistry and ambitious animation process used to bring the film’s fantastical characters and richly imagined world to life. Featuring beautiful footage and a closer look at the extraordinary craftsmanship behind the production, this special presentation offers a rare glimpse into the making of LAIKA’s upcoming stop motion epic directed by Travis Knight.
Additional Friday programming includes a special screening of new series Golden Axe, an in-depth dive into the world of Marvel Animation’s X-Men ’97 with supervising producer Jake Castorena, the highly anticipated Variety’s 10 Animators to Watch presentation, with SCAD student and alumni screenings and discussions.
“SCAD AnimationFest is a unique opportunity to discover and celebrate creators, both students and professionals, who are carving out their own space in the animation landscape,” said Mollie Brock, director of SCADFILM. “To celebrate our 10th year, we are launching our inaugural Animated Shorts Competition and we are the new home to Variety’s prestigious 10 Animators to Watch.”
SCAD AnimationFest and Variety are proud to present the latest edition of 10 Animators to Watch, highlighting a dynamic group of artists and storytellers whose groundbreaking work and creative vision are shaping the future of animation. First launched in 2015, the celebrated 10 Animators to Watch program makes its SCAD AnimationFest debut this year. Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis will host a lively conversation with this year’s honorees as they share their creative journeys, explore the artistry and innovation behind their work, and offer a glimpse into where animation is headed next.
Closing night, SCAD hosts a special premiere screening of DreamWorks Animation’s highly anticipated new film Forgotten Island. Crawford, who recently celebrated his 20th anniversary with DreamWorks, will receive the Variety Impact in Animation Award, honoring his exceptional creativity, visionary storytelling, and contributions to the art of animation. Following the screening, Crawford will take the stage for a conversation exploring the creative journey behind Forgotten Island, as well as the experiences, collaborations, and creative vision that have shaped his remarkable career and established him as one of animation’s most exciting filmmakers.
Additional dynamic conversations, presentations, events and panels at SCAD AnimationFest include a look at independent studios and two curated events highlighting notable SCAD students and alumni:
- Draw Your Own Path: Independent Animation Studios
- From SCAD to the Studio: Alumni Voices
- Next in Animation: SCAD Student Spotlight
Animation is one of the largest and most popular of SCAD’s preeminent degree programs. The SCAD animation program has been named a top program in the U.S. year after year by Animation Career Review. The SCAD School of Animation and Motion brings together the university’s top-ranked animation, motion media design, and visual effects programs to create a powerhouse of academics, talent, and next-generation technology. Along with the School of Film and Acting, School of Creative Technology, and School of Visual Communication, these programs and schools exemplify SCAD’s reputation as the global leader for art and design in higher education and its mission to prepare students for creative careers.
For SCAD AnimationFest passes, tickets, the current schedule, and more information, visit scad.edu/animationfest. Passes are available now; individual event tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 18.
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