Animation Is Film & THR Bring Animation Roundtable Live to Hollywood

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Hollywood, we need to talk about animation! Not just the box office numbers, not just the awards, but the incredible talent putting in the work to bring these stories to life. Animation has been delivering some of the most creative filmmaking in the business, and it’s about damn time the people behind the magic got more of the spotlight!

Animation Is Film (AIF) is teaming up with The Hollywood Reporter (THR) for the first-ever LIVE edition of THR’s Animation Roundtable, bringing together some serious creative heavy hitters behind this year’s biggest animated feature contenders. We’re talking filmmakers who are pushing boundaries, taking chances, and reminding everybody that animation isn’t just for kids. It’s CINEMA, PERIOD!

The lineup is stacked! We’ve got Louis Clichy, director of Iron Boy; Bill Hader representing The Cat in the Hat; Travis Knight, director of Wildwood; Joel Crawford, co-director of Forgotten Island; Leah Nelson, director of Tangles; Phuong Mai Nguyen, director of In Waves; and Fawn Veerasunthorn, co-director of Hexed. That’s a whole lot of creative firepower sharing one stage, and you already know the conversations could get interesting!

Moderated by The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Roxborough, this isn’t supposed to be another Hollywood lovefest where everybody pats themselves on the back and calls it a day. The discussion will dig into the actual craft of animation, the creative decisions behind these films, and the industry pressures shaping what audiences see on screen. Even better, they’re tackling two topics that deserve some serious conversation: the growing influence of anime and the rise of artificial intelligence. Because whether Hollywood likes it or not, those conversations aren’t going away anytime soon!

The live Animation Roundtable takes place Sunday, October 18, 2026, from 5 PM to 6 PM at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, California. The session is open to the public, giving animation fans a chance to hear directly from the people making these films instead of getting everything filtered through another press junket.

Matt Kaszanek, Director of the Animation Is Film Festival, emphasized that animation remains one of filmmaking’s most ambitious creative mediums, yet the artists driving that creativity still deserve greater recognition within Hollywood. He described the partnership with THR as an opportunity to celebrate those creators while giving animation a bigger voice in the industry’s conversations.

Jeanie Pyun, Deputy Editorial Director of The Hollywood Reporter, echoed that enthusiasm, pointing to THR’s inaugural Animation Power list as another effort to recognize the talent shaping the medium worldwide. Bringing the Animation Roundtable in front of a live audience marks another step toward giving animated filmmaking the same attention and respect as its live-action counterparts.

Let’s be clear, animation has NEVER needed Hollywood’s permission to be considered legitimate cinema. From hand-drawn masterpieces to stop-motion madness and the anime revolution, this medium has been breaking creative barriers for generations. The real question is whether the industry is finally ready to give its artists the recognition, opportunities, and respect they’ve earned. That’s a conversation worth having, especially when artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly significant part of the industry’s future.

This special event is part of the ninth annual Animation Is Film Festival, running October 16 through October 19, 2026, at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres. This year’s lineup brings plenty of serious contenders, including Louis Clichy’s Iron Boy, which has already earned major recognition at Cannes and Annecy, Leah Nelson’s critically acclaimed Tangles, and Julián, the latest feature from Ireland’s acclaimed animation studio Cartoon Saloon. For animation lovers, this festival is shaping up to be a celebration of the medium’s incredible range and the artists who refuse to play it safe.

The festival also benefits from support across the animation industry, including ASIFA-Hollywood, Crunchyroll, DreamWorks Animation, Illumination, LAIKA, Netflix, Nickelodeon, Paramount Animation, Pixar, Sony Pictures Animation, Toho International, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, BoxLunch, ELMA, Locksmith Animation, Radial Entertainment, and Unifrance.

With awards season approaching and the animation industry facing some major changes, this roundtable couldn’t come at a better time. Give the creators the microphone, let them speak freely, and let’s hear where this incredible art form is heading next. Because animation isn’t some side attraction at the movies. It’s one of the reasons we keep falling in love with storytelling in the first place!

For festival information and event details, visit AnimationIsFilm.com.