The Hollywood Reporter and Animation Is Film Festival Partner for Live Roundtable With Bill Hader, Travis Knight, and More

The Hollywood Reporter is partnering with the Animation is Film Festival in Los Angeles for the first-ever live edition of THR’s Animation Roundtable. This exclusive public conversation will bring together the visionary filmmakers behind this year’s most highly anticipated animated feature awards contenders.

This year’s prestigious live roundtable features a stellar lineup of creators, including Bill Hader, star and executive producer of The Cat in the Hat; Travis Knight, director of Wildwood; Louis Clichy, director of Iron Boy; 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. In an intimate conversation with THR, these artists will discuss their creative visions, the craft behind their films, and the industry forces shaping the medium’s future, including the growth of anime and the rise of artificial intelligence.

The live session will take place Sunday, Oct. 18, from 5 to 6 p.m. at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, the main venue for the Animation is Film Festival, which runs Oct. 16–19 in its ninth edition.

For more information on the roundtable, please visit: AnimationIsFilm.com.

The live event follows THR’s launch of its inaugural Animation Power List, which recognizes the most influential executives and talents in the global animation industry.

“The Hollywood Reporter launched its inaugural Animation Power List this year to recognize the talent and vision of animated filmmakers worldwide,” said Jeanie Pyun, deputy editorial director of THR. “We’re excited to bring THR’s Animation Roundtable to a live audience for the first time, in partnership with AIF, and put animated cinema at the center of the industry conversation.”

The partnership underscores the festival’s commitment to elevating animation to its rightful place alongside live-action cinema.

“Animation is one of the most dynamic and creatively ambitious forms of filmmaking today, yet the artists and industry leaders behind it deserve even greater visibility within Hollywood conversation, especially as it is making a massive impact at the box office,” said Matt Kaszanek, Animation Is Film director. “Partnering with The Hollywood Reporter to launch the first-ever live THR Animation Roundtable at AIF is an exciting milestone for the festival and a powerful opportunity to celebrate the people driving the medium forward.”

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