The animation world came together once again to celebrate SCAD AnimationFest once again. This year marked a special moment for the event as the 2026 edition celebrated its 10th year of the event. The three-day event was held at SCAD Atlanta’s SCADshow theater once again.
While this animation festival is open to the public, it’s also a great opportunity for students to learn from big companies and industry leaders from the likes of Pixar, Warner Bros., Amazon Prime, Adult Swim, LAIKA, and DreamWorks—even from fellow SCAD alumni and student animators.
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SCAD AnimationFest 2026 featured many screenings, panels, and premieres. The 10th anniversary also hosted award ceremonies for three honorees: Ralph Farquhar, Bruce W. Smith, and Joel Crawford. Here are a few of the coolest events we got to check out at SCAD AnimationFest.
A Sneak Peek at Warner Bros. The Cat in the Hat
As part of the talk at SCAD AnimationFest 2026, the directors (Alessandro Carloni, Erica Rivinoja), art director (Amos Sussigan), and head of story (Ryan Gaffney) over at Warner Bros. Pictures Animation brought some footage from The Cat in the Hat. Each clip showed off the three worlds seen in the trailer: the real world, the fantastical Seuss world, and the boxes’ world. Every world had its own distinct art style, mixing 2D and 3D hand-drawn illustrations with some CG work.
If there’s one thing to tease about this upcoming animated film, it’s that color storytelling will play a huge part. This is the first animated theatrical feature starring Dr. Seuss’s iconic character. The film arrives in theaters on November 6, 2026.
The SCAD Student Spotlight Films: Laika Howl & Immortals
One of the best parts of SCAD AnimationFest is that it always showcases two student films. This year’s spotlight films include the relatable Laika Howl from SCAD Atlanta and action-packed Immortals from SCAD Savannah.
Laika Howl follows Laika, who “accidentally grabs a misplaced How to Spot a Werewolf book from the self-help section of the library. Pulled into the book’s world, he is judged by an antagonistic arrow that points out all the reasons he should be ashamed of who he is.” This was a touching film that reminded me of Jimmy Neutron’s animation style. Kudos to director Jack Trew and his team on this movie.
Meanwhile, Immortals “explores three settings: 1980s New York, 1800s China Seas, and 1600 Tenochtitlan. In each timeline, the protagonists Detective Bazinski, Zhu Feng, and Tecuani all suffer terrible loss at the hands of the wicked. The three unlikely heroes each take revenge, sharing parallel stories, and delivering justice.”
Immortals is a really well-thought-out narrative, filled with exciting transitions and action set pieces. Director Nina Kwon and her team should be proud of putting together this superb action-revenge film that kept the pacing up where it needed to, and blended the emotional beats on the right cues.
Exclusive Look at Get Jiro! and Q&A with Director, Showrunners, and Exec
Enter the deliciously dangerous world of Get Jiro!, the new Adult Swim animated series based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose. Set in a near-future Los Angeles where master chefs rule the city and people will literally kill for a seat at the best restaurants, the series follows mysterious sushi master Jiro as he enters a bloody culinary war and begins crafting his recipe for revenge.
The panelists included executive producers and showrunners Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, director Rick Morales, and Warner Bros. Animation executive vice president Peter Girardi. Girardi said he’d been talking about adapting Bourdain’s graphic novel since about 2015/16. He talked about how he knew that Bourdain was a cinephile and loved anime too.
I was impressed by what I saw from the first episode screened at SCAD AnimationFest 2026. Without giving away too much, expect many food puns and gory kills. Get Jiro premieres on Adult Swim’s Toonami block at midnight on October 3rd, and then out on HBO Max on October 4th.
North American Premiere Screening of Sekiro: No Defeat
Anyone who attended SCAD AnimationFest 2026 on the evening of Thursday, September 24 was treated to a special screening of Sekiro: No Defeat. This was the first time the film was screened in North America, following the world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. The film was first screened in Japan for three weeks, starting on September 4, 2026. Crunchyroll will be streaming an 8-episode TV series adaptation in January 2027.
I thoroughly enjoyed the hand-drawn 2D animation, which still captured a similar essence of the FromSoftware video game original art style. For those who are not gifted enough to complete soulslikes games like me, Sekiro: No Defeat is a great way to enjoy the story. The colors of almost everyone’s clothing popped, along with any shots where color stood out strongly against the snowy white background.
Wildwood Exclusive Sneak Peek
SCAD AnimationFest has been increasing its presentations on stop-motion animation, so it only made sense to host LAIKA head of animation Brad Schiff and stop-motion animator Tilly Fidler (B.F.A., animation, 2022). Fidler was a SCAD alum who went on to work at LAIKA, beginning her career working on Wildwood.
From the Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning studio and director Travis Knight, Wildwood is a sweeping adventure about love, sacrifice, and the magic that reveals itself when we dare to look beyond the familiar. The film draws on the novel of the same name, written by The Decemberists’ lead singer, Colin Meloy, with illustrations by his wife, Carson Ellis.
Schiff and Fidler brought a few exclusive clips from the upcoming film. Out of all the clips, I found the opening journey through the small Portland, Oregon town a fantastic introduction to the Wildwood world. The music matched the clip’s energetic pace, with all elements working in unison. Wildwood releases in the United States and worldwide on October 23, 2026.
The Special Forgotten Island Premiere Screening
As for Forgotten Island, I adored this experience. I wouldn’t want to experience this film anywhere else. This movie meant so much to me and Filipino people from all around the world. Set during the 1990s and early 2000s in the Philippines, the story follows two best friends, Jo and Raissa, who are trapped in the mystical world of Nakali, which they have grown up hearing stories of.
The SCAD AnimationFest crowd is always responsive during screenings, so this movie was no exception. I appreciated seeing my Filipino culture on the big screen and learning about some folklore I had never heard of. I hope global audiences will give this original story a chance and be open to this visually gripping animated film.
SCAD AnimationFest 2026 was filled with exciting exclusives, Q&As, and more for amazing animation coming to theaters throughout the fall.
