Get Ready For SCADFILM’s AnimationFest 2023
Hang on to your software updates and bust out your 3d dance card; it’s time for SCAD AnimationFest 2023.
The Savannah College of Art and Design is proud to announce SCAD AnimationFest in Atlanta, September 28-30, 2023. The highly anticipated three-day festival will be held at SCAD’s new 700-seat SCADshow theater—the inaugural event in that space.
SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace says of this year’s event:
As the nation’s biggest and best festival celebrating student animators and industry trends, SCAD AnimationFest shines in three-dimensional wonder—especially true this year, as SCAD unveils our state-of-the-art, 700-seat theater in the heart of Midtown. This screen is as colossal as SCAD’s student talent. It’s the perfect stage for the world premiere of The Last Dungeon, the latest triumph from SCAD Animation Studios, and a collaborative marvel from more than forty SCAD Bees. Truly a masterpiece in motion!
SCADFILM’s signature festival for digital media will feature sessions with top executives and creatives from Netflix, Gearbox, Cartoon Network Studios, FOX, Viva Kids, Animal Repair Shop, Crafty Apes, Artie, and FuseFX, as well as SCAD faculty and alumni at the forefront of animation, motion media design, and visual effects. This year, SCAD AnimationFest programming has expanded to include gaming and virtual production, industries that have intertwined to create a new transmedia entertainment world.
Said Leigh Seaman, senior executive director of SCADFILM:
This year, SCAD AnimationFest explores how technology is evolving beyond traditional definitions of animation to develop new and innovative transmedia storytelling. As a top-ranked university in animation, interactive design and game development, visual effects, motion media design, illustration, and more, SCAD is uniquely qualified to host the best in the industry as presenters and mentors.
On Friday, Sept. 29, the “Alumni Voices” panel will include an appearance by Jalysa Leva, creator and director of the PBS Kids animated short series Jelly, Ben & Pogo.
“One of the most popular and invaluable panels at SCAD AnimationFest is Alumni Voices, and we are thrilled to have Jalysa join us this year,” said Seaman. “It comes as no surprise to those of us who know Jalysa that she’s had incredible success in the industry, and it’s exciting to have her back at SCAD to inspire current students as they prepare to launch their own creative careers.”
Leva will discuss the importance of Filipino-American representation in animation and the challenges of creative leadership. After graduating from SCAD Atlanta in 2015, Leva went to work at Primal Screen, the Atlanta studio with a close relationship with PBS Kids.
“Jelly, Ben & Pogo was a result of a PBS Kids request for proposals for new content from new creators, and they specifically wanted more diversity, and that was perfect for me,” Leva said of the network. Be sure to attend the panel as Leva prepares to make an announcement regarding the future of Jelly, Ben & Pogo!
Also at this year’s festival, SCAD will honor keynote speaker Theodore “Ted” Ty with the Outstanding Achievement in Animation Award. Ty, the global head of character animation at DNEG Animation, will present a behind-the-scenes look at the popular Netflix movie Nimona, based on the acclaimed 2015 graphic novel by ND Stevenson. SCADFILM will also present Adam Muto with the 2023 Spotlight Award for his innovative contributions to animation and entertainment. Muto will receive his award on Friday during a special screening event of his new Max series Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake, followed by a Q&A.
On Saturday night, Fox will host an exclusive preview screening of their comedy Krapopolis, with production team members on hand to give attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the new animated series. Several highly anticipated sessions at SCAD AnimationFest will feature work from students and faculty, including a preview of the new animated film Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow, which will be followed by a Q&A with producer and SCAD film professor Jason Kaminsky and screenwriter Rocco Pucillo. An attendee favorite, this year’s Saturday Morning Cartoons session will feature Vooks animated stories and Tab Time episodes.
SCAD Animation Studios, the world’s only animation studio at a university, is excited to host the premiere screening of The Last Dungeon, the first student-animated film created using Unreal Engine. A true SCAD collaboration, students from many different degree programs worked together on the production – including animation, visual effects, acting, and sound design students – to build a cohesive, harmonious score and riveting soundtrack that pulls the film together.
Animation is one of the largest and most popular of SCAD’s preeminent degree programs. The SCAD School of Animation and Motion is a powerhouse of academics, talent, and next-generation technology. Along with the SCAD School of Film and Acting, SCAD School of Creative Technology, and SCAD School of Visual Communication, these schools and academic disciplines exemplify SCAD’s reputation as the global leader for art and design in higher education and its mission to prepare students for creative careers.
SCAD AnimationFest is presented by SCADFILM, the university’s leading programmer of events for students and working professionals in animation, film and television, interactive game design, motion media design, virtual reality, and digital media art.
To purchase SCAD AnimationFest passes, view the full schedule, and explore other festival information, visit scad.edu/animationfest.
