SCAD AnimationFest to honor industry legend Genndy Tartakovsky; Festival returns to Atlanta
SCADFILM Celebrates Animation with Exclusive Screenings and Presentations from Netflix, Adult Swim, DC Studios, IFC Films, Warner Bros., and SCAD Students
ATLANTA — AUG. 29, 2024 — The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is proud to announce the return of SCAD AnimationFest to Atlanta Sept. 26-28, 2024. The highly anticipated three-day festival will be held at SCAD’s state-of-the-art SCADshow theater and will honor industry legend Genndy Tartakovsky.
"This year, SCAD AnimationFest proudly honors a titan of animation and a hero to Bees across the world — Cartoon Network and Adult Swim legend Genndy Tartakovsky, the genius behind Hotel Transylvania and Dexter’s Laboratory. SCAD students grew up on Genndy’s classics, and now, in true SCAD fashion, they’ll experience this 2D icon in 8K reality!" said SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace. "And I’ll be first in line to see the latest creation from brilliant Bees at SCAD Animation Studios, Chelita — an homage to classic Mexican cinema — the latest animated jewel in SCAD student portfolios ready to launch them into this $260 billion industry. See you at SCADshow....I’ll bring the popcorn!"
SCADFILM's signature festival for digital media will feature sessions with top executives and creatives from Adult Swim, Bad Robot, Crafty Apes, DC Studios, DreamWorks Animation, Netflix, and Warner Bros. Animation, as well as showcase SCAD students and alumni whose creative work is at the forefront of animation, motion media design, and visual effects.
Thursday’s schedule kicks off with a behind-the-scenes presentation of the upcoming Max Original series from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation, Creature Commandos. From executive producer and writer James Gunn, Creature Commandos tracks a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for missions deemed too dangerous for humans. When all else fails…they’re your last, worst option. Warner Bros. Animation executive vice-president of alternative programming Peter Girardi and supervising producer Rick Morales will be on hand to provide an in-depth look into the artistry and creative processes behind this highly anticipated series kicking off a new era of storytelling in the DC Universe.
For the opening night screening, attendees will be some of the first to preview IFC Films charming stop-motion adult drama Memoir of a Snail, directed by Academy Award winner Adam Elliot. The film received rave reviews at Annecy and won the top prize, the Cristal Award, for best feature. Memoir of a Snail follows the life of Grace Pudel, a lonely misfit with a passion for collecting ornamental snails and a deep love for romance novels. Her life takes a downward turn when she’s separated from her twin brother at a young age. Despite ongoing hardships, Grace perseveres and finds inspiration through a friendship with Pinky, an elderly eccentric woman, as she slowly learns to find confidence and love.
SCADFILM is honored to present this year’s SCAD AnimationFest Award of Excellence to Genndy Tartakovsky for his impressive creative contributions to the animation and entertainment industries. Tartakovsky will be presented with his award on Friday during a special presentation by the award-winning animation visionary, director, writer, and producer who is best known for the popular animated series Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, as well as the hit monster movie franchise Hotel Transylvania.
Also on Friday, Blue Eye Samurai production designer Toby Wilson will take fans "behind the blade" with an exclusive snapshot into the creative inspirations of the Emmy Award-winning Netflix show and a glimpse at the development process, as explained through visual development images. Blue Eye Samurai is currently in production on its second season.
Friday night, attendees will be one of the first to preview an episode of Common Side Effects, a new original series coming to Adult Swim in 2025. Co-created by Joe Bennett and Steve Hely and executive produced by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, Common Side Effects follows Marshall and Frances, two former high school lab partners who share a secret: Marshall has discovered the world’s greatest medicine, a mushroom that can heal almost anything. The half-hour serialized comedic thriller is produced by Bandera and Green Street Pictures. Co-creators Bennett and Hely will take the stage for an exclusive Q&A following the screening.
"At SCAD, animation is our number one degree program, and a large part of student success includes the exclusive opportunity to be mentored by the best in the industry at this signature event," said Mollie Brock, director of SCADFILM. "Our students and alumni are creating incredible stories that pair passion with state-of-the-art technology, redefining what is possible in animation."
SCAD Animation Studios, the world’s only animation studio at a university, offers university students unprecedented opportunities to create short films. A professional-style animation studio with students at the helm, SCAD Animation Studios prepares students for postgraduate careers with inventive techniques and creative problemsolving. More than 600 current students and recent alumni from SCAD’s top-ranked degree programs have contributed to this year’s slate of creative shorts. SCAD Animation Studios will premiere two new original student films, Time Flies and Chelita, as well as host the annual student showcase that features the best of SCAD student work.
Dynamic conversations, presentations, events and panels at SCAD AnimationFest include:
- Meet the Executives
- The Making of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
- Saturday Morning Cartoons
Talented SCAD students, faculty, and alumni will present their expertise and insights in sessions and screenings such as:
- SCAD Alumni Voices
- SCAD Animation Spotlight: The Making of Chelita
- SCAD Animation Spotlight: The Making of Time Flies
- SCAD Student Animation Showcase
For SCAD AnimationFest passes, current schedule, and more information, visit scad.edu/animationfest.
Animation is one of the largest and most popular of SCAD’s preeminent degree programs. The SCAD animation program has been named a top program in the U.S. year after year by Animation Career Review. SCAD continues to innovate its academic curriculum. Its recent realignment of four new schools of study, including the SCAD School of Animation and Motion, brought together the university’s top-ranked animation, motion media design, and visual effects programs to create a powerhouse of academics, talent, and next-generation technology.
This advancement, along with the formation of the School of Film and Acting, School of Creative Technology, and School of Visual Communication, exemplifies SCAD’s reputation as the global leader for art and design in higher education and its mission to prepare students for creative careers.
SCADFILM
SCADFILM produces premier events for students and professionals working in film, television, animation, gaming, AR/VR, performing arts, and video production. Audiences experience year-round programming that includes screenings, master classes, and behind-the-scenes presentations from industry luminaries. SCADFILM’s events calendar includes SCAD AnimationFest, SCAD TVfest, and the Storytelling Series.
The preeminent authority in film and television with the only university-run casting office in the country, SCAD is driving the multibillion-dollar film and television industry in Atlanta, Business Facilities Magazine’s No. 1 city for film production, and Savannah, MovieMaker’s No. 1 small city for filmmaking. SCAD students, alumni, and faculty have won Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, Golden Reels, Tonys, Annies, and more. More than 8,100 SCAD students and alumni work in the fields of animation, entertainment, motion pictures, media production, writing, editing, broadcast media, and performing arts, with over 2,800 in Georgia alone.
SCAD: THE UNIVERSITY FOR CREATIVE CAREERS
SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls more than 17,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 100 countries. The futureminded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university’s renowned research lab and prototype generator. SCAD has earned top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. A 2023 study found that 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Wendy Gardner
Senior Director of Public Relations
wgardner@scad.edu