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The intersection of artistic craft and technological innovation takes center stage this October as Variety’s acclaimed “Pixels and Pencils” panel returns to the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. Now in its fifth year, the event has solidified its reputation as the premier industry barometer for the animation world, serving as an essential platform for the visionary directors behind the year’s most anticipated animated features.
As the 29th edition of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival prepares to welcome over 63,000 attendees to the historic coastal city, the “Pixels and Pencils” session stands as a marquee attraction. This year’s assembly represents a formidable cross-section of the animation industry, bringing together established maestros and bold independent voices who are currently defining the medium’s aesthetic and narrative frontiers.
A Stellar Lineup: The Visionaries Behind the Screen
The 2026 iteration of the panel features a robust group of six filmmakers, each representing projects that are already generating significant buzz in the lead-up to the awards season.
The participants include:
- Brad Bird: The legendary director brings his latest project, Netflix’s Ray Gunn, to the forefront of the conversation.
- Daniel Chong: Representing Pixar, Chong will discuss the creative process behind the highly anticipated Hoppers.
- Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado: This dynamic duo returns to represent DreamWorks Animation with their latest feature, Forgotten Island.
- Travis Knight: Representing the stop-motion powerhouse Laika, Knight will offer insights into the production of Wildwood.
- Leah Nelson: Representing Independent Film Company, Nelson will highlight the artistry behind the film Tangles.
The return of Joel Crawford is particularly noteworthy. Having first appeared on the inaugural 2022 panel with the Academy Award-nominated Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Crawford becomes only the second filmmaker in the panel’s history to be invited back for a second appearance. He follows the precedent set by Domee Shi, who graced the stage in 2022 with Turning Red and returned in 2025 with the visionary Elio.
A Chronology of Success: The "Oscar Bellwether"
Since its inception in 2022, “Pixels and Pencils” has evolved from a simple discussion series into an essential stop on the "road to the Oscars." The track record of the panel is nothing short of extraordinary, with a high correlation between participation at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival and subsequent recognition by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The 2025 Benchmark
The most recent edition of the festival proved to be a prophetic look at the 98th Academy Awards. An astounding four out of the five nominees for Best Animated Feature participated in the panel. The discussion was anchored by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, whose Netflix sensation KPop Demon Hunters eventually claimed the Oscar trophy. They were joined by fellow nominees Ugo Bienvenu (Arco), Domee Shi (Elio), and Maïlys Vallade (Little Amélie or the Character of Rain), underscoring the panel’s uncanny ability to curate the industry’s most significant voices.
The 2024 and 2023 Legacy
In 2024, the panel spotlighted the eventual winner Flow, alongside fellow nominees Inside Out 2, Memoir of a Snail, and The Wild Robot. The 2023 session was equally prescient, featuring Peter Sohn (Elemental), Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (Nimona), and the creative team behind Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Joaquim Dos Santos, Justin K. Thompson, and Kemp Powers). Each of these films went on to secure Academy Award nominations, confirming that the Savannah stage is a launchpad for critical acclaim.
The Inaugural 2022 Vision
The 2022 panel established the high bar for the series. By featuring Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell With Shoes On), Domee Shi (Turning Red), and Joel Crawford (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish), the festival immediately signaled that “Pixels and Pencils” would not be a mere promotional event, but a deep-dive technical and creative analysis of the year’s best work.
Strengthening the SCAD-Variety Alliance
The continued success of “Pixels and Pencils” represents the deepening of a strategic partnership between Variety and the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). This relationship was further solidified earlier this month when Variety hosted its “10 Animators to Watch” event at SCAD AnimationFest on the university’s Atlanta campus.
This synergy highlights SCAD’s unique position in the film industry—acting as both an academic powerhouse and a professional hub. By integrating industry-leading trade media with student-centric environments, the festival fosters a unique ecosystem where emerging filmmakers can witness the highest level of professional discourse.
In addition to the animation panel, Variety will present its fifth annual “10 Artisans to Watch” at the festival. This session will honor standout talent across a wide spectrum of film crafts, including cinematography, costume design, editing, hair and makeup, production design, sound design, and visual effects. Moderated by Jazz Tangcay, Variety’s senior artisans editor, the panel ensures that the festival celebrates the holistic nature of filmmaking, moving beyond directing to recognize the massive collaborative effort required to bring a film to the screen.
The Broader Implications for the Industry
The “Pixels and Pencils” panel serves a critical function in the contemporary film landscape. In an era where animation is increasingly recognized as a medium—not just a genre—the ability to hear from the directors themselves provides a necessary counter-narrative to the marketing-heavy discourse of studio releases.
By focusing on the technical hurdles of stop-motion, the complexities of CGI character performance, and the nuance of hand-drawn animation, the panel elevates the discourse for students and seasoned professionals alike. For the studios, the event offers a high-visibility platform to discuss the creative labor behind their films, humanizing the massive corporate projects that dominate the box office.
For SCAD, the festival continues to fulfill its mission of bridging the gap between education and the industry. With more than 63,000 attendees, the event acts as a city-wide celebration of the arts, transforming Savannah into a focal point for the global film industry each autumn. The presence of these world-class directors provides an invaluable educational experience for SCAD students, who have the opportunity to see their classroom studies reflected in the work of the industry’s most respected professionals.
Looking Toward the Future: The 29th Edition
The 29th edition of the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, which runs from October 24 to October 31, promises to be the most ambitious to date. With a programming slate that includes award-winning professionals alongside student filmmakers, the festival maintains a democratic spirit that is increasingly rare in the contemporary festival circuit.
Festival passes are currently on sale, with individual event tickets scheduled for release on Friday, October 2. Given the prestige associated with the “Pixels and Pencils” panel and the caliber of the directors involved, organizers expect record-breaking attendance for this year’s session.
As the industry prepares for the upcoming awards cycle, all eyes will be on Savannah. Whether it is Brad Bird’s exploration of retro-futuristic aesthetics in Ray Gunn or the intricate stop-motion textures of Travis Knight’s Wildwood, the films featured at “Pixels and Pencils” are destined to leave an indelible mark on the year in cinema. The panel remains a testament to the fact that, even in an age of rapid technological change, the most powerful stories are still built one pixel and one pencil stroke at a time.
Pevita Pearce
Asep Darmawan
