Blog - INDAC

21 Feb. 2026

Johannes Wolters Animation/VFX History, News, Sonstiges No Comments Permalink

LIVESTREAM – The 53rd Annual Annie Awards is taking place tonight, Saturday, February 21, 2026. 07.00 p.m. (19:00) PST (Pacific Standard Time)

Johannes Wolters 21. Februar 2026 No Comments

Dress Code: Black tie, dressy, after-five attire.

Honoring excellence in the field of animation, the 53rd Annual Annie Awards will be presented

in 37 categories including Animated Feature, Animated Feature-Independent, Television/Media Production(s), Sponsored Production, Short Subject and Student Film, as well as the Achievement and Honorary awards.

The 53rd Annual Annie Awards will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD

This past year has been a challenging one for ourcommunity. Amid sweeping changes across the industry, we have heard from many artists experiencing displacement and uncertainty about what the future may hold. These moments can feel isolating—but they also remind us how vital our collective strength truly is. It’s important to remember that behind every technological advancement lies the need for artists to guide the way. Our community leads with vision. We are trained to think beyond boundaries, to imagine what doesn’t yet exist, and to use creativity as a compass. That has always been—and will always be—our greatest power as we navigate what comes next. ASIFA-Hollywood is here for you. We see ourselves as a conduit: a place to help empower artists, elevate concerns, and work together toward meaningful solutions. As a nonprofit organization, our role is toprovide assistance where it’s needed most and to create opportunities for connection, growth, and collaboration.
While ASIFA-Hollywood is widely recognized for the Annie Awards, our work extends far beyond a single annual celebration. Especially in times like these, when community matters more than ever, we support artists, studios, educators, and students through a broad range of year-round programs.

In 2025, this community showed what it means to stand together. When more than 90 animation artists lost their homes in the California wildfires, we listened—and we acted. Through AnimAID, and with the generosity of this community, nearly $700,000 was raised to help our colleagues begin rebuilding their lives. This is who we are: a community that shows up for one another. ASIFA- Hollywood is proud to help create the structure that makes that possible.
Our mission for 2026 is to elevate animation as both an art form and a profession, strengthening the community that sustains it. Animation is one of the most influential and enduring creative mediums in the world, yet it is still too often undervalued and misunderstood within the entertainment industry. With your support, we can help change that.
By investing in ASIFA-Hollywood, you help ensure that animation is seen, heard, and valued; that its creators are recognized and supported; and that our community remains connected, resilient, and strong for generations to come.

Thank you for being here.
Warm regards,

20 Feb. 2026

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Ottawa International Animation Festival marks 50 years with new poster by acclaimed Canadian cartoonist Seth

Johannes Wolters 20. Februar 2026 No Comments

OTTAWA, Ont. – February 19, 2026 – To celebrate its 50th anniversary in September, the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), North America’s largest animation festival, has unveiled its official 2026 poster, created by acclaimed Canadian cartoonist and designer Seth.

Founded in 1976, the OIAF has spent five decades championing animation as an art form, presenting groundbreaking films and connecting audiences with world-class creators. Each year, the festival commissions an artist to design its official poster, a long-standing tradition that has included illustrators and animators such as Torill Kove (2025), Matthew Rankin (2023), Wong Ping (2022), Gary Baseman (2007), Gary Panter (2005), Dave Cooper (2001), and Wendy Tilby (1990).

For this milestone year, Seth brings his signature mid-century aesthetic and storytelling flair to a whimsical new image featuring Owlbert, a scholarly owl surrounded by stacks of books, and Frogworth, a projector-operating frog. The pair reflect the festival’s mix of intellect, creativity and humour.

“When I was asked to draw the poster for the Ottawa International Animation Festival, I was only given one requirement,” said Seth. “It must have an owl in it. That was fine with me. I like owls. They are a great classic cartoon image … Out of nowhere, a nerdish frog appeared to run the film projector. No names were requested for these characters yet, ‘Owlbert’ and ‘Frogworth’ found their way into my brain.”

In his artist’s statement, Seth highlights the creative kinship between comics and animation. “Graphic novelists and animators are related, but they come from very different branches of the cartooning family,” he said. “My medium is all about stillness, and animation is all about movement … I have the deepest respect for the noble calling of animation in all its various forms, and it is a lovely honour to draw this year’s poster.”

“For our 50th, I wanted to find an artist who truly reflects a Canadian sensibility and aesthetic,” said OIAF artistic director Chris Robinson. “I’ve long admired Seth’s hypnotic, emotive, and original work. With an introduction from Luc Chamberland, who directed Seth’s Dominion, the OIAF Grand Prize winner for Best Feature in 2014, I reached out and was thrilled when Seth agreed to collaborate. The result is everything I hoped for: a distinctly Seth creation that captures the OIAF’s spirit—warm, mysterious, and a little offbeat.”

About Seth

Seth is a cartoonist, designer and collector. His Books include Wimbledon Green, George Sprott, and It’s a Good Life if you Don’t Weaken. He was the designer for The Complete Peanuts, The Collected Doug Wright and The New World-Comics from Mauritania. He is the subject of the award-winning NFB documentary Seth’s Dominion and was the winner, in 2011, of the prestigious Harbourfront prize. After 20 years of serialization, his Graphic Novel, Clyde Fans, was published in 2019 and went on to be the first graphic novel ever nominated for the Giller Prize. In 2021, his bronze sculpture arrangement, Living Room Suite, was installed in front of the Art Gallery of Guelph. In 2022, Seth was honoured by the French government as a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. He is currently working on a new long graphic novel which will appear in the years to come. He lives in Guelph, Ontario, with his beloved wife Tania.

Statement from the Artist

When I was asked to draw the poster for the Ottawa International Animation Festival, I was only given one requirement. It must have an owl in it. That was fine with me. I like owls. They are a great classic cartoon image. Immediately, I settled on a typical bookish, tweedy owl. The go-to owl. I suppose I could have gone against type and done, say, a skinny little punk-rock owl, but who am I kidding? It was always going to be this frumpy old owl. That’s my sensibility. Out of nowhere, a nerdish frog appeared to run the film projector. No names were requested for these characters yet, “Owlbert” and “Frogworth” found their way into my brain. I assume they have a kind of Siskel and Ebert sort of relationship (aha—thus the “Bert” part of the name).

When I turned in the drawing, my good friend Luc Chamberland (animator and director) asked me why I had surrounded Owlbert with books instead of film canisters. It was a good point. Though, to be honest, it never even occurred to me. Owls are wise. Owls read books. If I had a screening room, it would be full of books. In this case, surely they are books about animation!

Graphic Novelists and animators are related, but they come from very different branches of the cartooning family. My medium is all about stillness, and animation is all about movement. It is an interesting difference. When I first saw some of my work animated, I was amazed to fully realize how utterly apart these two branches are. It was a good experience for someone like myself who genuinely loves animation and thinks they understand it…but perhaps is kidding himself. I have the deepest respect for the noble calling of animation in all its various forms, and it is a lovely honour to draw this year’s poster.

Good luck to all the nominees.

Seth
Palookaville, 2026

About the Ottawa International Animation Festival

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is one of the world’s leading animation events, providing screenings, exhibits, workshops, and entertainment since 1976. Attracting artists, producers, students and animation fans from around the globe, the OIAF brings together art and industry to experience world-class animated works. OIAF’s 50th celebration runs from September 23 to September 27 at venues throughout downtown Ottawa

Festival

19 Feb. 2026

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Toy Story 5 | Official Trailer | In Theaters June 19

Johannes Wolters 19. Februar 2026 No Comments

Times may change but friends are forever #ToyStory5 is only in theaters June 19

An all-new trailer and poster for Disney and Pixar’s highly anticipated upcoming animated adventure “Toy Story 5” debut today.

The toys are back and this time, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they come face-to-face with Lilypad (voice of Greta Lee), a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. Will playtime ever be the same?

The trailer also teases the anticipated reunion of Woody and Buzz following Woody’s decision to leave the gang and start helping lost toys at the end of 2019’s “Toy Story 4.”

As the toys face the tech devices of today, it’s going to be all hands on deck with some familiar and all-new characters.

Several actors have joined the incredible roster of voice talent including Craig Robinson as Atlas, a cheerful talking GPS hippo toy; Shelby Rabara as the excitable camera toy Snappy; Scarlett Spears as the sweet and shy 8-year-old Bonnie; Mykal-Michelle Harris as Blaze, an independent 8-year-old girl who loves animals; and Matty Matheson as the tech-fearing toy Dr. Nutcase.

Also rounding out the voice cast are John Ratzenberger as the wisecracking piggybank Hamm; Wallace Shawn as Rex, the anxiety-riddled tyrannosaurus rex toy; Blake Clark as the ever-loyal Slinky Dog; Jeff Bergman as the sarcastic Mr. Potato Head; Anna Vocino as the nurturing Mrs. Potato Head; Annie Potts as the adventure-loving Bo Peep; Bonnie Hunt as the wise rag-doll Dolly; Melissa Villaseñor as Karen Beverly, Bonnie’s homemade toy fashioned out of a plastic knife; John Hopkins as the dignified hedgehog plush toy Mr. Pricklepants; Kristen Schaal as the plastic triceratops toy Trixie; Ernie Hudson as the action figure Combat Carl; and Keanu Reeves as Canadian daredevil toy Duke Caboom. The previously announced voice cast includes Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Greta Lee (Lilypad), Conan O’Brien (Smarty Pants) and Tony Hale (Forky).

“Toy Story 5” is directed by Academy Award® winner Andrew Stanton (“WALL•E,” “Finding Nemo,” “Finding Dory”), co-directed by Kenna Harris (“Ciao Alberto”), produced by Lindsey Collins (“Turning Red,” “WALL•E,” “Finding Dory”), and features an original score by Academy Award® winner Randy Newman who returns to score his fifth “Toy Story” feature.

The film releases exclusively in theaters nationwide on June 19, 2026.

ABOUT PIXAR: Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award®-winning film studio with world-renowned technical, creative and production capabilities in the art of computer animation. The Northern California studio has created some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including “Toy Story,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Cars,” “The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,” “WALL•E,” “Up,” “Brave,” “Inside Out,” “Coco,” “Soul,” “Turning Red,” “Elemental,” and “Inside Out 2.”

19 Feb. 2026

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15 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS TO BE HONORED WITH ACADEMY AWARDS®

Johannes Wolters 19. Februar 2026 No Comments

February 18, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 15 scientific and technical achievements, represented by 27 individual award recipients, will be honored at its annual Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

Awarded since 1931, the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards honor the individuals and companies whose discoveries and innovations have contributed in significant and lasting ways to motion pictures. These awards include the Scientific and Technical Service Award, the Technical Achievement Award and the Scientific and Engineering Award.

„The Academy is honored to announce this year’s Scientific and Technical Awards recipients, whose extraordinary achievements continue to shape the art and craft of filmmaking,“ said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor. „Their innovation, dedication and technical excellence have had a profound impact across our industry, enabling filmmakers to bring powerful stories to audiences around the world. We are thrilled to celebrate these individuals and achievements.“

„This year’s awards celebrate a global community of innovators who solve the industry’s most complex technical challenges,“ said Darin Grant and Rachel Rose, co-chairs of the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards Committee. „Whether through enhancing the safety of practical effects with lead-free bullet hits or pushing the limits of stop-motion animation and sound restoration, these technologies are now fundamental to the craft. We are honored to recognize the brilliant minds behind these tools, which continue to elevate the moviegoing experience.“

The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements are:

TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

To Brent Bell for the research and development of safe, reliable and effective small lead-free pyrotechnic devices used extensively in motion picture productions throughout the world.

Brent Bell at De La Mare Engineering, Inc. successfully modernized the industry standard for bullet hits by engineering a high-output, lead-free product line through extensive chemical research and the development of specialized and precise manufacturing processes.

To Josef Köhler for developing the first small lead-free pyrotechnic devices available at scale.

Josef Köhler Pyrotechnics set a critical precedent by overcoming significant chemical engineering hurdles to provide the film industry with a non-toxic, low-flash alternative that preserved the use of practical bullet hits while meeting rigorous new European safety and environmental standards.

To Ian Medwell for developing small lead-free pyrotechnic devices used extensively for motion picture production throughout the United Kingdom.

Sterling Pyrotechnics‘ high-performance, lead-free alternative to traditional squibs provides the film industry with a non-toxic, repeatable solution for practical bullet effects that maintains technical compatibility with legacy devices.

To Andrea Weidlich, for her research on layered materials and implementation of the layering operators and BSDFs in Wētā FX’s Manuka renderer.

Weidlich’s research and the methods underlying Manuka’s layered material system have been influential across the visual effects industry and have allowed Wētā FX to raise the bar for photorealism.

To Luca Fascione for the initial design and development of the layered materials system at Wētā FX.

The Manuka renderer’s efficient and flexible system for layering materials has unlocked workflows that have allowed Wētā FX to scale to ever-larger productions while giving artists both creative freedom and physical accuracy.

To Vincent Dedun and Emmanuel Turquin for the design, architecture and engineering, and to Jonathan Moulin for the design and creative vision of Lama at Industrial Light & Magic.

Lama provides an artist-friendly approach to composing materials built from layers representing distinct physical phenomena. Its modular, carefully curated design allows look development artists to create unique, physically plausible appearances without writing shader code. Its ease of use has expanded and accelerated shading workflows at Industrial Light & Magic and led to broader industry adoption via its inclusion in Pixar’s RenderMan.

To Josh Bainbridge and Nathan Walster for the design, architecture and engineering of the layered shading system at Framestore.

Framestore’s layered shading system was among the first to enable its users to generate novel, realistic appearances in a modular workflow by combining material layers in a physically plausible fashion. Its development has enabled Framestore to deliver diverse looks across a broad creative catalog of filmmakers’ requirements.

To Bret St.Clair and Marc-Andre Davignon, for the design and engineering of the suite of brushing and patching tools, and to Pav Grochola and Edmond Boulet-Gilly, for the design and engineering of the Superdraw and Kismet linework tools.

These tools at Sony Pictures Imageworks enabled the large-scale application of a wide variety of custom artistic styles across animated features that inspired the industry.

To Baptiste Van Opstal, Jeff Budsberg, Michael Losure, Jon Lanz and Eszter Offertaler for their contributions to the stylized animation toolset at DreamWorks Animation.

From linework authoring and animation to novel brushing and stamping methods, this toolset facilitates the wide range of unique art styles and painterly effects seen across DreamWorks Animation films while providing artistic control at every stage of production.

To Benjamin Graf for the design, engineering and development of dxRevive Pro.

dxRevive Pro has transformed modern dialog restoration practices, combining noise reduction, layered separation and resynthesis to achieve results that maintain the realism, continuity and the emotional fidelity of on-set performances thereby reducing the need for ADR in the postproduction process.

To John Ellwood for the innovative rules and heuristics underlying the metadata and timecode matching, and to Jeff Bloom for the groundbreaking waveform matching in the Titan auto-assembly software for digital audio.

Titan pioneered the auto-assembly of digital audio, eliminating the need for sound editors to manually align their sessions, and stood as the benchmark for many subsequent systems.

To Marc Joel Specter for the design and development of the Kraken Dialogue Editors Toolkit, enabling precise audio assembly.

With an intuitive user interface and transcription utility that provides audio asset management, enabling direct access to edit decision lists and audio session files, Kraken expedites the assembly of audio files while providing visual aids to find and resolve issues.

To Justin Webster for the design and engineering of Matchbox, a system for audio and video matching that enables auto-reconform.

Providing detailed insight into differences between audio and video files, even in the absence of metadata, Matchbox enables rapid application of changes in post-production while preserving previous creative work.

To Paul Debevec for his pioneering work in high dynamic range, image-based lighting techniques.

Debevec demonstrated the advantages of high dynamic range image-based lighting, and, through advocacy of the approach, led the industry to embrace new workflows. This has enabled artists to work more productively and improved the realism of computer graphics imagery in feature films.

SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING AWARD

To Jamie Caliri and Dyami Caliri for the design, engineering and continuing development of the Dragonframe software suite.

Dragonframe represents an expertly designed suite of integrated tools that has transformed stop-motion animation, eliminating fragmented, error-prone methods while enabling precision at scale.
Unlike other Academy Awards® to be presented this year, achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards need not have been developed and introduced during a specified period. Instead, the achievements must demonstrate a proven record of contributing significant value to the process of making motion pictures.

To learn more about the Scientific and Technical Awards, visit https://www.oscars.org/sci-tech.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s premier film organization and is home to a global membership of more than 11,000 of the most accomplished film industry artists and leaders. The Academy connects global audiences – its members, the film industry, and film fans – through their shared passion for making and watching films. The Academy does this by recognizing and celebrating the arts and sciences of moviemaking through renowned awards for cinematic achievement, including the Oscars®, the Governors Awards, and the Scientific and Technical Awards. The Academy’s affiliated charitable organization, the Academy Foundation, serves a public benefit through its robust educational, preservation and cultural activities. This includes the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the world’s largest global film museum, the Academy Collection, the largest film-related collection in the world, and talent development programs for emerging artists. Year-round, the Academy creates opportunities for all communities to engage with the film world.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
www.oscars.org
www.facebook.com/TheAcademy
www.youtube.com/Oscars
www.instagram.com/TheAcademy
www.threads.net/@theacademy
www.tiktok.com/@Oscars
www.x.com/TheAcademy

18 Feb. 2026

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FMX 2026 / Newsletter: Pandora’s Splendour, Animal Communication, and a Lone Wolf

Johannes Wolters 18. Februar 2026 No Comments

FMX Press Release February 18th 2026

HELLO EVERYONE,

It’s time for some real treats!

Eric Saindon (Senior VFX Supervisor) and Sam Cole (VFX Supervisor) from Wētā FX are going to share how they made everything look even more splendid in „Avatar: Fire and Ash“. One task was in the movie’s title: creating spectacular digital flames.

Visual Effects Supervisor Beth Albright (Pixar) will go into detail about the stylized animation in the long-awaited new feature „Hoppers“. Scientists are in for some surprises when they manage to decipher the communications of animals.

And then there’s the lone wolf who becomes a vegetarian in order to find friends. The French Intermarché commercial „Le mal aimé“ went viral globally, and animation director Benoit Bargeton (Illogic Studios) is going to explain how an independent studio can pull off top-notch animation.

Premium Partners of FMX make an important contribution to the conference: Welcome AMCRS, Accenture Song VFX and Ayon!

Early Bird options are in place until March 20 in the FMX Ticketshop – go have a look!

AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH: Taking Pandora to the Next Level

Academy Award® winning Senior VFX Supervisor, Eric Saindon and VFX Supervisor, Sam Cole, will overview the process of creating Wētā FX’s 3,100+ shots from „Avatar: Fire and Ash“. They will reveal how the team blended extensive native stereo photography with CG environments, fully digital performance-captured characters, and physics based coupled effects simulations.

They will also talk about how a new tool, Kora, was created for more art directable fire and the additional improvements that were made to Wētā’s muscle-driven facial system, to stay anatomically plausible, while preserving the intent of the performances. This film is the product of 20 years of close collaboration with filmmakers, and continual technical innovations to achieve the highest quality storytelling and visual spectacle.

This session is part of the FMX track VFX for Features.

HOPPERS: Stylization as a System

How do you design a world that can be funny, suspenseful, and epic—sometimes all at once? Visual Effects Supervisor Beth Albright (Pixar) breaks down the stylized visual language of Hoppers, from felted characters and tactile environments to an innovative brushstroke projection pipeline.

Learn how the team preserved physical realism to hold emotional stakes while shaping surfaces for clarity and appeal. It’s a deep dive into stylization as a system—across modeling, animation, simulation, and lighting—built in service of story.

This session is part of the FMX track Feature Animation.

LE MAL AIMÉ: Artistic Choices and Cross-Department Collaboration

In his talk, animation director Benoit Bargeton (Illogic Studios) explores how feature film level animation can be achieved in a commercial context. It takes the Intermarché campaign’s wolf as a central character and shows how an independent studio adapted its workflow and resources to deliver a project of this scale.

The session focuses on artistic and acting choices, and the technical decisions made to support these directions, as well as cross-department collaboration between modeling, rigging, and animation.

This session is part of the FMX track Shorts

18 Feb. 2026

Johannes Wolters Kurzfilme/Trailer, News No Comments Permalink

ITFS 2026 Trailer: KEY | Internationales Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart

Johannes Wolters 18. Februar 2026 No Comments

More about the trailer: https://itfstrailer.de/

Credits for KEY:

Directors: Katrin Merdian, Chaerin Yoo

Producers: Anna-Lena Haas, Katrin Merdian

Animators: Katharina Ernert, Fatima Wajid, Chaerin Yoo, Katrin Merdian, Hannah Bender

Lead Animators: Katharina Ernert, Fatima Wajid

Art Director & Compositor: Hannah Bender

Music Composers: Leon Maximilian Brückner, Constantin Rinke

Sound Designer, Re-Recording Mixer

Foley Artist: Vladyslava Kandyba

Foley Mixer: Hannes Bechtold

Editor: Jonathan Scheid

A Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg production

Director of Animationsinstitut: Dr. Jan Pinkava

Anitrailer & Aniplay: Johannes Weiland & Clara Deitmar

Creative Supervision: Prof. Andreas Hykade

Head of Production: Yannick Paul Petzold

We would like to thank the staff of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and ITFS

https://animationsinstitut.de/de/

https://www.filmakademie.de/de/starts…

17 Feb. 2026

Johannes Wolters Sonstiges No Comments Permalink

The Mandalorian and Grogu | Official Trailer | In Theaters May 22 | OV + Deutsche Fassung

Johannes Wolters 17. Februar 2026 No Comments

Star Wars returns to the big screen with The Mandalorian and Grogu. Watch the trailer now and experience the film, starring Pedro Pascal, only in theaters and IMAX May 22.

Regie: Jon Favreau

Mit: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver und Jeremy Allen White

Das Dunkle Imperium ist gefallen und die imperialen Kriegsherren sind weiterhin über die Galaxis verstreut. Während die aufstrebende Neue Republik daran arbeitet, alles zu schützen, wofür die Rebellion gekämpft hat, sichern sie sich die Unterstützung des legendären mandalorianischen Kopfgeldjägers Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) und seines jungen Lehrlings Grogu.

In STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU vervollständigen Sigourney Weaver und Jeremy Allen White neben Pedro Pascal den Cast unter der Regie von Jon Favreau. Produziert wurde der Kinofilm von Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni und Ian Bryce. Die Musik wurde von Ludwig Göransson komponiert.

05 Feb. 2026

Johannes Wolters

Twitter/X: Charles Curran – I recut the Melania trailer shot for shot with AI to replace her with Miss Piggy

05 Feb. 2026

Johannes Wolters Kurzfilme/Trailer No Comments Permalink

The Muppet Show – Seth Rogen Gets „Cut“ I EXCLUSIVE CLIP

Johannes Wolters 5. Februar 2026 No Comments

Seth Rogen gets the cut. 🐻✂️ „The Muppet Show“ special event is NOW streaming on Disney+

05 Feb. 2026

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Starsand Island – Overview Trailer | Xbox

Johannes Wolters 5. Februar 2026 No Comments

Tired of the city grind? Slip away to the warm, welcoming haven of Starsand Island. Here, you can settle into a peaceful, Chinese-inspired pastoral life: spend unhurried days with friendly capybaras, cats, and dogs, enjoy the satisfaction of a good catch, explore the enchanting Moonlit Forest, or simply take in the island’s natural beauty. Step away from the everyday and rediscover life’s simple pleasures on this quiet seaside retreat. Coming to Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Game Pass February 11th.

https://www.xbox.com/de-DE/games/store/starsand-island/9p86lldcl5cc

05 Feb. 2026

Johannes Wolters Games No Comments Permalink

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – S02 BlackCell Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games

Johannes Wolters 5. Februar 2026 No Comments

Do what others won’t. Be who others can’t. Season 02 BlackCell just makes sure you do it louder, faster, and fully loaded from the jump with a New Operator and iconic Blueprints. Season 02 launches on February 5.

https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/call-of-duty-black-ops-7/

05 Feb. 2026

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Disney Instrumental ǀ Neverland Orchestra – Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Johannes Wolters 5. Februar 2026 No Comments

04 Feb. 2026

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Annecy 2026: The Mifa Marks a New Chapter | Press Release

Johannes Wolters 4. Februar 2026 No Comments

After celebrating its 40^th anniversary, the Mifa is leaping forward with a brand-new chapter in 2026 riding the wave of technological, creative and economic evolutions in the global animation industry.

JOIN US EARLY ON THE MONDAY!

In 2026, the Mifa is launching two major new initiatives to promote innovation and new financing models.

Mifa AI: the new programme focused on AI in animation, led by the AI4Animation think tank.

Mifa Invest: a full day of meetings between animation and investment stakeholders, featuring workshops, networking and investor preparation to foster ambitious projects.

Two new initiatives to anticipate industry shifts and create new professional opportunities.

The Women in Animation World Summit will once again host a one-day event featuring round tables and focused discussions with opinion leaders, filmmakers and industry decision makers from around the world to discuss gender equality.

MIFA CROSS IP

New for 2026, Mifa Cross IP is a hub of opportunities to promote the adaptation and expansion of universes and narratives with significant international appeal, bringing together a host of creative industries.

Cross IP Area: on the 1^st floor of the Exhibition Area, it will be the first time that authors in the fields of immersive creation, video games, book publishing, comics and webtoon will unite in one place.
Explore our stands, corners, and cocktail reception opportunities.

A collaboration between the Mifa and the SCELF: Shoot the Book! Mifa is a fresh boost for adaptations.
Initiated by SCELF and its publisher members, Shoot the Book! is coming to Mifa this year, bringing 60 publishing houses showcasing works, stories and worlds with strong adaptation potential: comics, manga, novels, children’s books and webtoons.
Check out the most creative IPs in contemporary publishing at B2B meetings with the publishers from 23^rd to 26^th June right at the heart of the Mifa’s Cross IP Area.

Fast-forwarding IP’s future:
EFM 2026 – Mifa 2026 – gamescom dev 2026
Discover a brand-new international programme, in partnership with SpielFabrique, designed to connect video games, film, television and animation, by supporting studios in the co-creation of bold new IP, the creation of prototype teasers and community experiences.

PROGRAMME PLANNING

The Mifa has restructured its programme around four key lines of action to provide participants with greater support throughout the market: Mifa Business, Mifa Trends, Mifa Talent and Mifa Exhibition.
From now on, events will be grouped under these key themes to make navigation clearer and optimise the Mifa experience.

Check out the special days:

1^st European Day: Wednesday 24^th June

In order to support European animation in a context of profound change, for the first time ever, the Mifa is organising a day dedicated to Europe.

Canada Morning!: Thursday 25^th June

At a time when animation is dealing with major challenges, Canada is stepping up to make a strong, unified showing at the 2026 Mifa. Canada Morning! will showcase the drive, innovation and audacity behind today’s Canadian animation industry.

Music Day: Friday 26^th June

In partnership with the SACEM: Join us for our customary Music Friday to explore the director-composer relationship and discover new talent at Le Campus Mifa with 22D Music.

Many events have already been confirmed with participants including Ausfilm, Autodesk, Amazon MGM Studios, BBC Studios, DNEG Animation, Epic Games, Mediawan, Netflix, Nippon Animation, SideFX, TeamTo Animation, Warner Bros.

MIFA PITCHES

This year’s call for projects rounded off with 878 submissions. The selected projects will be announced in May.

View the 2026 Mifa Pitches agenda for the 7 sessions (by reservation):

TV Series & Specials

Session 1: Tuesday 23^rd June, 9:00 am to 10:15 am
Session 2: Tuesday 23^rd June, 10:45 am to midday

Feature Films

Session 1: Wednesday 24^th June, 9:00 am to 10:15 am
Session 2: Wednesday 24^th June, 10:45 am to midday

Immersive Experiences

Wednesday 24^th June, 5:45 pm to 7:00 pm

Short Films

Thursday 25^th June, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm

Documentaries

Thursday 25^th June, 1:30 pm to 2:45 pm

Mifa Pitches Awards Ceremony

Thursday 25^th June, 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm

EXHIBITION AREA

The 7,000 m² Exhibition Area will be hosting 975 exhibiting companies and greeting 18,200 accredited visitors over four days!

Would you like to reserve a stand? Please contact us.

Join us from 21^st to 27^th June at Annecy!

04 Feb. 2026

Johannes Wolters Animation/VFX History, News No Comments Permalink

Josh D’Amaro Named Next Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company – Disney Press Release

Johannes Wolters 4. Februar 2026 No Comments

Foto: Dana Walden, Josh D´Amaro (c)Disney

Dana Walden To Become President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors announced today that, in a unanimous vote held on Monday, it elected Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro to become Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, effective at the upcoming Annual Meeting on March 18, 2026, when he will succeed longtime Disney CEO Robert A. Iger. The Board also intends to appoint D’Amaro as a director immediately following that meeting. As head of the company’s largest business segment with $36 billion in annual revenue in FY2025 and 185,000 Cast Members and employees worldwide, D’Amaro, a 28-year Disney veteran, is the architect of the largest global expansion in Disney Experiences history, and has led the segment to new heights financially, creatively, and in guest satisfaction.

“Josh D’Amaro possesses that rare combination of inspiring leadership and innovation, a keen eye for strategic growth opportunities, and a deep passion for the Disney brand and its people – all of which make him the right person to take the helm as Disney’s next CEO,” said James Gorman, Chairman of The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors. “Throughout this search process, Josh has demonstrated a strong vision for the company’s future and a deep understanding of the creative spirit that makes Disney unique in an ever-changing marketplace. He has an outstanding record of business achievement, collaborating with some of the biggest names in entertainment to bring their stories to life in our parks, showcasing the power of combining Disney storytelling with cutting-edge technology. The Board believes he is exceptionally well prepared to guide this global company forward to serve our consumers around the world and create long-term value for shareholders.”

“Josh D’Amaro is an exceptional leader and the right person to become our next CEO,” said Robert A. Iger, CEO, The Walt Disney Company. “He has an instinctive appreciation of the Disney brand, and a deep understanding of what resonates with our audiences, paired with the rigor and attention to detail required to deliver some of our most ambitious projects. His ability to combine creativity with operational excellence is exemplary and I am thrilled for Josh and the company.”

“I am immensely grateful to the Board for entrusting me with leading a company that means so much to me and millions around the world,” said Josh D’Amaro, incoming CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “Disney’s strength has always come from our people and the creative excellence that defines our stories and experiences. There is no limit to what Disney can achieve, and I am excited to work with our teams across the company and brilliant creative partners to honor Disney’s remarkable legacy while continuing to innovate, grow, and deliver exceptional value for our consumers and shareholders. I also want to express my gratitude to Bob Iger for his generous mentorship, his friendship, and the profound impact of his leadership.”

“On behalf of the entire Board, we extend our deepest gratitude to Bob Iger for his extraordinary leadership and dedication to The Walt Disney Company,” continued Gorman. “The Board asked Bob to return as CEO in 2022 for two critical reasons. First, to lead the company through a challenging transition and ensure Disney was fit for purpose for the future. Second, to strengthen the leadership bench and to help develop candidates for the CEO transition. Bob has delivered on both priorities, while also guiding Disney through a transformative period with an ambitious strategy that has further strengthened its position as the world’s premier entertainment company. After nearly two decades leading Disney, the Iger era has been defined by enormous growth, an unyielding commitment to excellence in creativity and innovation, and exemplary stewardship of this iconic institution.”

About Josh D’Amaro

D’Amaro, 54, has served as Chairman of the Disney Experiences segment since 2020, and prior to that was President of Walt Disney World Resort. He joined the company in 1998 at Disneyland Resort.

As Chairman of Disney Experiences, D’Amaro oversees 12 theme parks and 57 resort hotels worldwide, with plans for a new park in Abu Dhabi. His responsibilities include Disney Signature Experiences—including Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Adventures by Disney, Disney Institute, and Storyliving by Disney—as well as overseeing Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Consumer Products. He also manages digital ventures, including the collaboration with Epic Games to create a Disney universe within Fortnite.

D’Amaro has been instrumental in expanding Disney’s iconic franchises through the creation of immersive, story-driven experiences at Disney’s theme parks, such as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the Marvel-themed Avengers Campus, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and World of Frozen. Building on this momentum, upcoming projects include the development of a Monsters, Inc.-themed land at Disney Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort, a new Avatar destination at the Disneyland Resort, and expansive new areas inspired by Cars and Disney Villains as part of the largest-ever expansion of the Magic Kingdom.

Over his nearly three-decade career at Disney, he has held leadership roles across the company both in the U.S. and internationally, including in finance, business strategy, marketing, creative development and operations. His past positions include President of Disneyland Resort and President of Walt Disney World Resort.

D’Amaro earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Georgetown University.

“I am incredibly proud to step away at a moment when Disney’s future has never been brighter,” continued Iger. “I’m confident Disney will continue to innovate and put the spirit of Walt at the heart of everything it does – from its new park in Abu Dhabi to the groundbreaking partnerships just announced with OpenAI and the NFL, to the countless upcoming creative projects that will enthrall audiences around the world. Disney has shaped who I am as a leader, and I will always be grateful to this extraordinary company and for the opportunity to lead it over all these years.”

James Gorman, Josh D´Amaro, Dana Walden, Bob Iger (c) Disney

Succession Planning Committee

D’Amaro’s election as CEO caps a thorough and extensive succession planning process. In January 2023, the Board of Directors formed a special Succession Planning Committee to support the Board in planning for a transition of leadership that aligns with the company’s long-term strategic goals. At the direction of the Board, the Committee and the full Board undertook a deliberate, multi-year succession planning process, meeting regularly to evaluate internal and external candidates, transition structures, organizational frameworks, and planning for potential impacts of succession decisions across the company. The Committee is led by Gorman as Chair since 2024, with directors Mary T. Barra, Jeremy Darroch, and Calvin R. McDonald also currently serving as members – all of whom have direct experience in CEO and senior leadership succession planning for Fortune 500 companies. D’Amaro and Walden underwent a rigorous preparation process, including extensive mentorship from Iger, external coaching, and direct engagement with all directors.

Experienced Senior Management

D’Amaro will be supported by a team of senior executives who have worked seamlessly together for several years at Disney to expertly advance Iger and the Board’s creative, financial, and reputational goals. The company’s senior leadership team brings decades of experience with a proven ability to navigate periods of change while delivering strong business outcomes. The company is fortunate to have Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman and ESPN Chairman James Pitaro continuing in their critical leadership roles working with D’Amaro and Walden. Additionally, supporting the new CEO is an exceptional team of executive officers. These leaders have overseen major strategic transformations, expanded key franchises, and driven performance across multiple business cycles. Their deep institutional knowledge, operational discipline, and collaborative culture provide a strong foundation for continued momentum, promoting continuity, stability, and clear execution as the company enters its next chapter under D’Amaro’s leadership.

27 Jan. 2026

Johannes Wolters Animation/VFX History, Kurzfilme/Trailer, News No Comments Permalink

The Nominees for the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards Revealed

Johannes Wolters 27. Januar 2026 No Comments

You’re about to find out the nominations for the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards.

Discover who wins on Sunday 22 February at the EE BAFTA Film Awards ceremony, hosted by Alan Cumming. Watch on BBC One & BBC iPlayer in the UK, and stay tuned to find out where to watch wherever you are.

A huge congratulations to all the incredible nominees.

For all nominations please click here

Here are the nominations for British Short Animation: