VIEW Conference Announces Free Online Panel With 2026 Oscar-Nominated Animated Feature Directors

Moderated by Ramin Zahed, editor-in-chief of Animation Magazine, the one-hour live session will include a virtual Q&A where attendees can submit questions to the panelists directly.

The lineup features:

• Ugo Bienvenu — Arco
• Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi — Elio
• Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans — KPop Demon Hunters
• Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han — Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
• Byron Howard — Zootopia 2

The panelists bring impressive credentials to the discussion. Bienvenu's Arco received the Annecy Crystal Award for Best Film and was included in the official selection at Cannes. Shi previously won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for Bao and directed the Oscar-nominated Turning Red. Sharafian directed the Academy Award-nominated short Burrow. Kang and Appelhans previously collaborated on Sony Pictures Animation's Wish Dragon, while Howard directed the original Oscar-winning Zootopia and Disney's Tangled.

Registration is free via the official VIEW Conference website. And, VIEW Conference 2026 will take place October 12-16, 2026, in Turin, Italy, with registration now open.