SCAD Savannah Film Festival Interview: Talking ‘Forgotten Island’ with Writer/Directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado

Making an animated feature is hard enough. Now, imagine trying to make animation that has a personal touch to it. For the co-writers and co-directors of Forgotten Island, Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, it was a long road worth traversing down. Crawford had previously helmed Dreamworks animated films like The Croods: A New Age and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, scoring an Oscar nomination in the process for the latter. Now, with Mercado, they’ve crafted a movie with such unique personality and representation, easily setting itself apart as one of Dreamworks’ best animated efforts. While at the 2026 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, the three of us were able to set aside some time earlier this week to chat about their flick. Today, that discussion comes your way!

Forgotten Island is a visually dynamic and emotionally resonant coming of age story. Inspired by Filipino folklore and mythology, we follow best friends Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (voiced by Liza Soberano) as they accidentally stumble upon a portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali. The next day, with no memory of what happened beforehand, they must figure out how to escape the island, which is removing the memories of their lifelong friendship. If they don’t get home, they’ll become strangers. Joined by the hapless yet well-meaning weredog Raww (voiced by Dave Franco) their adventure includes new friends, the memory-stealing demon Batiba (voiced by Jenny Slate), the terrfying Manananggal (voiced by Lea Salonga), and much more.

Below, you can hear my conversation with Crawford and Mercado. Obviously, we’re talking about Forgotten Island, but we get into their thoughts on animation, how they’ve achieved what they’ve achieved in their careers, and much more. They were very generous with their time and easy to talk to, so we go in all sorts of directions. We laugh a lot, discuss some of what sets Forgotten Island apart, and also just have a lovely time. Excuse some of the coughing and music in the background, as for the former, I had a frog in my throat for a moment, and with the latter, well…that’s what hotel lobbies in Savannah can sound like. If you’ve yet to see Forgotten Island, definitely give it a look. Nothing else in animation this year is quite like it!

Here now is my interview with Forgotten Island filmmakers Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado. Enjoy:

Forgotten Island is in theaters now!