Maggie Kang & Chris Appelhans, Matt Stone & Trey Parker Among 2025 World Animation Summit Honorees

The World Animation & VFX Summit returns to the Garland Hotel in North Hollywood from November 17–19, bringing together top creators, executives, and up-and-coming talent for three days of keynotes, panels, and networking events.

The event opens with the Hall of Fame Awards Gala, hosted by Emmy-winning voice actor Eric Bauza (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety Bird). This year’s honorees span the spectrum of animation — from industry legends to rising directors:

• Loren Bouchard, creator of Bob’s Burgers
• Maggie Kang & Chris Appelhans, directors of K-Pop Demon Hunters (Movie of the Year Award)
• Matt Stone & Trey Parker, creators of South Park
• Martin Krieger, CEO of Studio 100 International (International Studio of the Year Award)
• Alex Woo (In Your Dreams) and Juan Jose Meza-León (Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires) — New Vision Awards
• Tim Miller,  creator of Love, Death + Robots, Secret Level
• Fumi Kitahara, posthumous recognition for her career in animation publicity
• Linda Simensky, longtime animation executive (PBS, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network)
• Kirsten Schaal, voice of Louise (Bob’s Burgers) and Mabel (Gravity Falls)

This year’s program features a mix of creative inspiration and industry insight. Warner Bros. Feature Animation president Bill Damaschke will host a discussion on A New Era for Warner Bros. Animated Features, while Jorge R. Gutiérrez (Maya and the Three) and Dana Terrace (The Owl House) headline creative keynotes on storytelling and world-building.

Other highlights include sessions such as:

• Women Who Lead: Featuring Kristine Belson (Sony Pictures Animation), Margie Cohn (DreamWorks Animation), and Hannah Minghella (Netflix Feature Animation)
• Inside the Mad, Mad World of Adult Animation: featuring talent from BoJack Horseman, The Simpsons, Krapopolis, and Invincible
• AI Myth Busters: on artists’ use of emerging tools
• Celebrating the Magic of LAIKA at 20: with Chris Butler, Thibault Leclercq, and Peter McCown

The Summit will also preview this season’s awards contenders, including filmmakers behind Zootopia 2, Dog Man, The Bad Guys 2, Scarlet, Arco, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.

There will also be a shorts showcase featuring filmmakers such as Malcon Pierce (Versa) and Aaron Blaise (Snow Bear), J.P. Vine (Cardboard), Nathan Engelhardt (Forevergreen), Giovanna Ferrari (Éiru), and Shabrayia Cleaver (Wednesdays With Gramps), with closing remarks by ASIFA-Hollywood’s Brooke Keesling.

Produced by Animation Magazine, the World Animation & VFX Summit has become a key Los Angeles industry gathering ahead of awards season, balancing creative celebration with candid conversations about the evolving business of animation.

Full program details are available here.