Animation directors from Netflix, Pixar and Laika set for SCAD panel
Six of the directors behind this season's animated features will share one stage in Savannah next month.
Variety's "Pixels and Pencils" panel will return to the SCAD Savannah Film Festival for a fifth year in 2026, Variety announced on 29 September Variety. The 29th edition of the festival runs Oct. 24-31.
The lineup cuts across the industry. Brad Bird will appear for Netflix's "Ray Gunn" and Daniel Chong for Pixar's "Hoppers". Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado will appear together for DreamWorks Animation's "Forgotten Island".
The list is completed by two further guests. Travis Knight will represent Laika's "Wildwood" and Leah Nelson will represent Independent Film Company's "Tangles". Together the six cover large animation houses and smaller outfits.
Bird's film is the nearest to reaching viewers. "Ray Gunn" is due in December on Netflix, according to Variety.
The panel takes its name from the two toolkits in modern animation. Pencils stands for hand-drawn work, frame by frame on paper or tablet. Pixels stands for computer-built imagery, modelled and lit in software. Most releases now blend the two, and the director guides that long chain from first sketch to final sound mix.
Variety will also present its fifth annual 10 Artisans to Watch at the festival. The showcase honours craftspeople who work behind the camera, from editors and casting directors to stunt teams. It runs alongside the animation discussion as part of the festival programme.
For fans, this means a chance to hear how decisions are made before a film reaches cinemas or streaming. Festival craft panels tend to stay close to process. Expect talk of story reels, voice sessions, rewrites and the late fixes that shape the finished picture.
Passes for the 2026 festival are now on sale, with tickets due on sale Friday, Oct. 2, according to the festival site SCAD. Submissions for the 2026 edition opened Monday, Jan. 5. The late-October slot puts the animation conversation in front of a public audience just as several of the featured titles head toward release.
