Entertainment
SCAD AnimationFest 2026 announces lineup featuring 'Forgotten Island' premiere and 'The Proud Family' tribute
The three-day Atlanta festival will host industry sneak peeks, award presentations, and an inaugural shorts competition.
The short version
- SCAD AnimationFest 2026 will run Sept. 23-25 at SCAD Atlanta's SCADshow theater.
- The festival will honor Bruce W. Smith, Ralph Farquhar, and Joel Crawford with marquee animation awards.
- The 10th-anniversary program introduces an Animated Shorts Competition and becomes the new host for Variety's 10 Animators to Watch.
- The full list of the 10 Animators to Watch honorees will be revealed on Sept. 10.
Key facts
- SCAD AnimationFest 2026 takes place from Sept. 23 to Sept. 25 at the SCADshow theater in Atlanta.[Variety]
- Executive producers Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar will receive the Animation Trailblazer Award during a 25th-anniversary tribute to 'The Proud Family'.[Variety]
- Director and writer Joel Crawford will receive the Variety Impact in Animation Award alongside the closing-night premiere of DreamWorks Animation's 'Forgotten Island'.[Variety]
- The festival marks its 10th year by launching an inaugural Animated Shorts Competition and serving as the new venue for Variety's 10 Animators to Watch franchise.[Variety]
- Featured screenings and previews include Warner Bros Pictures Animation's 'The Cat in the Hat', LAIKA's 'Wildwood', and Crunchyroll's North American premiere of 'Sekiro: No Defeat'.[Variety]
What remains uncertain
- The specific honorees for Variety's 10 Animators to Watch have not yet been made public and will be revealed on Sept. 10.[Variety]