SCAD AnimationFest is back again for its three-day festival in Atlanta, on September 25-27th—hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
It is time for a demon takedown! SCAD AnimationFest is back again for its three-day festival in Atlanta, on September 25-27th—hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). This year, the university is honouring the co-creators of Disney’s award-winning, global hit series Phineas and Ferb, Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, and directors of the Netflix global phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters, Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. The festival will also be featuring premieres—such as The Mighty Nein preview screening—and premium panels presented by industry guests from Netflix, Disney, Crunchyroll, Warner Bros. Animation, and SCAD’s very own students.
“SCAD AnimationFest returns to SCADshow with a delicious mix of childhood nostalgia and the new sensations lighting up today’s feeds,” said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. “This year, SCAD salutes the legends behind Phineas and Ferb, awards the wildly popular KPop Demon Hunters, and welcomes everyone’s favorite Tiny Chef (IYKYK!)—alongside premieres and panels with partners from Amazon MGM Studios/Prime Video, Warner Bros. Animation, and Netflix. Here in Atlanta’s animation corridor, SCAD students rub shoulders with the creatives they admire and the employers who hire. SCAD AnimationFest: big screens, bigger career breakthroughs!”
One of the best parts of the festival is when SCAD’s students get to screen their films alongside great animation films and TV shows. This year’s selections to SCAD AnimationFest’s SCAD Student Spotlight films include Inkwashed and Blood and Bamboo. Inkwashed is described as a 3D animated film pondering the question of what life would be like inside a drawing, envisioning the mischief these drawings might get into. Blood and Bamboo follows a mother who teaches her daughter an ancient fighting style disguised as dance—only for its true purpose to be revealed when Spanish soldiers raid their village.
SCADAnimationFest kicks off on Thursday with an insightful panel discussion, including esteemed Disney veterans who have worked at Disney Television Animation and Disney Jr. Then, attendees can “step inside the stump” with Ozlem Akturk, co-creator and director of photography of The Tiny Chef Show. In this exclusive behind-the-scenes talk about the wildly popular stop-motion series, Akturk will share how she carved out her place in the world of stop-motion, blending meticulous craftsmanship with creative resilience and life beyond the studio. This is a must-see presentation for students looking to get into stop-motion work.
As the sun begins to set, SCADFILM will present this year’s SCAD AnimationFest Legends in Animation Award to Povenmire and Marsh for their impressive creative contributions to the animation and entertainment industries. This special event features a screening of a fan-favorite episode and a live conversation with Povenmire and Marsh as they reflect on the show’s legacy, their creative process on crafting 104 days’ worth of summer vacation content, and their enduring impact on the world of animation.
Thursday night ends with an exclusive look at The Mighty Nein premiere season. Following the screening, stick around for an in-depth conversation with the series’ showrunner Tasha Huo, art director Joseph Martinez, and lead character designer Jess Lackey, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the storytelling, worldbuilding, and creative process that brought the characters of The Mighty Nein to life. If you loved The Legend of Vox Machina like so many Critical Role fans, you do not want to miss this SCAD AnimationFest 2025 panel.
Friday and Saturday are also packed with a lot of entertaining screenings and panels, from Warner Bros. Animation’s Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires to Netflix’s global phenomenon KPop Demon Hunters. On closing night, SCAD will transform into a K-pop concert as the film will be screened on SCADshow’s main stage. Stay tuned as director Chris Appelhans will receive the SCAD AnimationFest Impact Award on behalf of himself and fellow director Maggie Kang, and share insights on the film during a post-screening Q&A.
“We are at a pivotal point in the industry and, more than ever, our students will benefit from the real-world insight from successful creatives,” said director and producer of SCADFILM, Molie Brock. “This year’s programming reflects the many professional paths our SCAD students can travel and the diverse opportunities to tell their stories.” SCAD AnimationFest is always looking for new opportunities to give its students the best experience and avenues for launching their future careers by connecting them with pivotal industry leaders.
For SCAD AnimationFest passes, current schedule, and more information, visit the official website.
