SCAD AnimationFest features industry leaders, presentations and student-produced premieres

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Top professionals in the animation industry and those aspiring to join them will have a chance to collaborate at SCAD AnimationFest 2021.

“We want the students to share what they produce to Disney, because they want Disney to look at them and say, that’s somebody we want to talk to,” SCAD Animation chair Chris Gallagher said.

SCADFilm’s fifth annual festival will be an all-virtual event Sept. 23-25, 2021. It features three days of presentations, special guests and a showcase of student-produced content.

“For us to be premiering ‘Hex Limit’ at Animation Fest is an honor to say the very very least,” SCAD Senior and ‘Hex Limit’ director Jordan Fleming said.

Fleming led a team of students who created the second film from SCAD Animation Studios and the film will be premiered as part of AnimationFest on Saturday.

“It’s incredible to be able to be amongst the panelists, and the different, huge animation productions that are coming in,” Fleming said.

“Students that are middle school and high school will be able to watch these programs and see themselves sitting in those seats, see the projects they’re getting worked on, seeing the professionals and decide ‘that’s what I want to do,” Gallagher said.

Gallagher has been in both seats. He graduated from SCAD and went on to work at Disney Animation studios and others before returning to his alma mater. Now he’s guiding the future of the growing industry.

Gallagher pointed to a report this summer highlighting new adult animated shows in the pipeline on top of those already airing somewhere.

“When the report came out in June of 2021, there were 53 new ones on top of that, so 103 animated adult TV shows,” Gallagher said. “Those are teams of 50, 80, 100 people working on each one of those shows. So, the future for animation employment is staggering.”

General passes for the festival are $40. Passes for students and educators are $20. To purchase passes and get more information about SCAD AnimationFest, click here.