Women in Animation has announced the lineup for this year’s WIA World Summit in Annecy. The theme is “Frame by Frame: A Global Celebration of Women and Nonbinary Creators.”
Producer Bonnie Arnold will appear at the summit and join us for a fireside conversation.
“As we celebrate the Summit’s 10th anniversary, we are also asking what happens next and how we will continue to create opportunities, support talent, and ensure a wide range of voices are represented within the industry. It feels especially fitting to end the day with Bonnie Arnold,” WIA Vice President Jinko Goto told Variety.
“Bonnie has been a long-time champion of both animation and WIA, and her perspective on leadership, creativity, and continued work for our industry will be a great way to conclude the celebration.”
According to WIA President and Head of Skybound Entertainment Animation Marge Dean, this year’s event is an opportunity to celebrate “a decade of hard work with amazing people to make a huge impact on the industry and community we love.”
She added: “This gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on all that we have achieved together.”
That includes “hundreds, perhaps thousands” of women who have found employment in the animation industry thanks to WIA’s advocacy and talent development programs, she said.
“Wherever WIA shows up, we hear anecdotes of our programs opening doors.”
“While we are still working toward our 50/50 goal, we have expanded our reach beyond the United States in recent years. Our next goal is to position ourselves in the emerging animation industry where we can influence the foundations when it comes to gender balance. We want them to get off to the right start and not have to fix things later.”
Dean emphasized that this year, the team wants to look back on the past while also looking to the future.
“We’re looking forward to our session, ‘Enduring Voices, Essential Work,’ which focuses on creators over 60 who continue to make bold and meaningful contributions to animation. We’re also bringing together directors from around the world to discuss the realities of directing today.”
Goto points out that issues around AI and gender equality are “big” topics for WIA.
“We welcome the opportunity to talk more[about it]. Protecting the human creative process is essential, but we also cannot ignore the impact that AI will have on our industry. We need to educate ourselves and direct how to best leverage technology to enhance creativity.”
Dean and Goto also reminisced about some of their favorite moments over the years.
“In 2018, for a moment, there was a woman at the head of a major American animation studio. We brought them all together on a panel at the WIA World Summit,” Goto said, noting the partnership agreement with UNESCO in 2023 to advance the USC Annenberg Study on Gender Balance in the Animation and VFX Industry, and the conversation between Rebecca Sugar and Linda Simensky.
“Rebecca sang a song about creativity,” she said.
Dean said WIA has always been designed to be “flexible and responsive.”
“When the pandemic hit and the world considered the murder of George Floyd, we were in the midst of planning the 2020 WIA World Summit and had to pivot quickly. We reconfigured our panel to run completely virtually and refocused our theme of uniting communities against racism in a matter of weeks.”
“For 10 years, the WIA World Summit has sustained and fostered the debate on gender equality, keeping the issue of representation at the forefront at a time when it is being challenged from all directions.”
The full WIA World Summit schedule can be found here.
Session 1 | 10am Timeless Voices, Essential Work
This panel spotlights creators over 60 who are creating bold and relevant work in animation. In an industry where new voices often take center stage, this conversation focuses on artists whose creative work remains relevant and evolving. Panelists including Florence Miailje (Director), Imogen “Mo” Sutton (Animation Masterclass, Producer/Director) and Joanna Quinn (Director, Beryl Productions International Limited) will share insights into their current work and creative practices and how they continue to contribute to the medium today. This conversation celebrates the creativity of artists whose work spans decades.
Session 2 | Today is 11am Animation Director
This panel brings together feature animation directors from around the world who bring a variety of creative and production approaches to their work. Elshadai-Gabrielle Dawit Tedesse (Creative Director, Writer, Editor, Arma), Matisse Gonzalez Jordán (Director), Lauren Montgomery (Director, Paramount Animation), and Alyce Tzue (Director, Netflix) share insights on their current projects, creative processes, and how they develop and realize their visions through different paths. The conversation explores how these different approaches shape the work itself, showcasing both the creative and practical journeys behind today’s feature animation directors.
Session 3 | 2:30pm Short films and fresh perspectives
Moderated by Meredith Shea (Chief Member, Impact and Industry Director, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), the festival will bring together the directors of short films selected for this year’s festival to spotlight a variety of creative approaches in animation. Karla Casteneda, Catherine LePage, Kat Messing, and Agnes Patron (Sacrebleu Productions) share insight into their creative process and how they use short form to explore and experiment with ideas. The conversation highlights that this short film is a space for fresh perspectives, creative risk-taking, and original work.
End Fireside Chat | 3:30pm From Then to Now: A Conversation with Bonnie Arnold
This closing hearth conversation features Bonnie Arnold, a prolific two-time Academy Award-nominated producer and past member of the Board of Directors and Vice President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His leadership and vision helped shape a pivotal chapter in WIA’s evolution. In conversation with Justin Johnson, Head of Programs at the British Film Institute, Bonnie reflects on her creative work and role in WIA’s transformation, as well as changes across the industry and what’s next as WIA celebrates its 10th World Summit in Annecy.
WIA will also be hosting a picnic meet-and-greet in the European Garden on Wednesday afternoon, June 24th.
