SCAD AnimationFest 2026 Lineup Includes Avatar, Batman and X-Men '97

Animation fans have a lot to look forward to at SCAD AnimationFest 2026.

The three-day Atlanta event has unveiled its 10th anniversary lineup, and it is packed with recognizable franchises, upcoming movies and fan-favorite series. Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, Batman: Knightfall — Part 1: Knightfall, X-Men '97, Toy Story 5, The Cat in the Hat, Sekiro: No Defeat,and LAIKA's Wildwood are all part of this year's programming.

SCAD AnimationFest runs Sept. 23-25 at SCADshow in Atlanta, with screenings, exclusive sneak peeks and conversations with the creatives behind some of the biggest projects in animation.

Avatar Aang and Batman: Knightfall Are Coming to SCAD AnimationFest

Avatar fans will get a closer look at Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, which will screen during the festival's opening day. Director Lauren Montgomery will join attendees afterward for a conversation about the creative choices involved in bringing Aang and the world of Avatar to the big screen. Toy Story 5 will also screen on Wednesday.

Another major preview comes from Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, which will show an exclusive sneak peek at The Cat in the Hat. The upcoming animated movie stars Bill Hader as the voice of Dr. Seuss' famous character and is currently set to arrive in theaters in November.

DC fans have something to look forward to as well. Batman: Knightfall — Part 1: Knightfall will screen Thursday, followed by a conversation with Warner Bros. Animation executive Peter Girardi and supervising producer Rick Morales about adapting one of Batman's most famous comic book storylines.

Girardi and Morales will also turn their attention to GET JIRO, Adult Swim's upcoming animated series based on the graphic novel from Anthony Bourdain and Joel Rose. They'll be joined by executive producers and showrunners Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka for a discussion about turning the book's unusual mix of food, action and dark comedy into an animated series.

X-Men '97, Sekiro, and Wildwood Round Out a Packed Lineup

Gaming and anime fans may want to keep an eye on Thursday's schedule. Sekiro: No Defeat, the anime adaptation of FromSoftware's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, will make its North American premiere at the festival after previously debuting at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

The adaptation is directed by Kenichi Kutsuna and rendered entirely in hand-drawn 2D animation. Crunchyroll senior vice president of content Adam Zehner will introduce the screening and discuss the process of bringing Sekiro to animation.

Marvel fans get their turn on Friday. X-Men '97 supervising producer Jake Castorena will lead an in-depth discussion about the hit Marvel Animation series, giving fans another opportunity to hear directly from one of the creatives behind the X-Men revival.

LAIKA is also bringing an early look at Wildwood. Head of animation Brad Schiff and stop-motion animator Tilly Fidler will present footage from the upcoming Travis Knight-directed movie and offer a behind-the-scenes look at how the studio is creating its latest stop-motion world.

The festival will also celebrate 25 years of The Proud Family. Creator Bruce W. Smith and executive producer Ralph Farquhar are set to receive the Animation Trailblazer Award in honor of their work on the Disney franchise and its lasting impact.

SCAD AnimationFest will wrap up with a premiere screening of DreamWorks Animation's Forgotten Island. Director and writer Joel Crawford will receive Variety's Impact in Animation Award before taking part in a conversation about the new film and his career at DreamWorks. SCAD AnimationFest 2026 runs Sept. 23-25 at SCADshow in Atlanta.

Fans can see the full SCAD AnimationFest lineup and schedule on SCAD's official website. Passes are available now, with individual event tickets going on sale Sept. 18.