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On November 1, WIA NYC brings together the greater New York animation community to showcase 28 films from established student artists and established independent creators.
As part of the global WIA community, WIA NYC brings the organization’s mission of connection, advocacy and empowerment to the greater New York animation community. Through the WIA NYC Animation Festival, the chapter creates a platform for animators and storytellers, with a special focus on supporting people with gender non-conforming identities, while welcoming anyone committed to a more inclusive and equitable animation industry.
On November 1, 2026, the WIA NYC Animation Festival returns to the SVA Theater for its third annual celebration of independent animation, storytelling and creative collaboration. This year’s lineup features 28 animated films by local artists, bringing together student and professional work for an evening of screenings, networking and community building. The program includes award-winning films such as Worcestershire sauce by Dylan Baddell, Employee Crush by Ash Sue Spiral By Abbey Lynn Paccia and Our pockets are full By Anjali Pulim.
This year’s festival focuses on the theme “Community” and highlights WIA NYC’s commitment to creating meaningful connections between local animators, filmmakers, students and industry professionals. In addition to awards for Best Animation and Best Student Animation, the festival will present an award for Best Community Animation, honoring films that explore the relationships, shared experiences and collective interests that bring people together. ASIFA-East will also introduce its own “Best of” award, continuing the organizations’ collaboration and joint commitment to support local filmmakers and recognize outstanding animation.
Ashley Gerst, who founded the WIA NYC Animation Festival in 2024 while serving as WIA NYC Chair, shared her enthusiasm for the festival’s growth: “This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. It’s really exciting to see how much momentum the festival has gathered in New York over the past two years. NYC is honored to bring a small part of it to the big screen where it can be celebrated and supported. possible!”
Monica Joy, an animator and filmmaker whose work was selected for the inaugural 2024 festival, returned this year to serve as a festival jury. Reflecting on the experience, Joy said: “It was a pleasure to judge the incredible line-up of this year’s festival. I was honestly blown away by the level of talent, engagement and thoughtfulness of both the filmmakers and the event organizers. It’s rare to have such an amazing balance of community and creativity in one place.
The festival invites audiences to discover new works, meet like-minded creatives, and experience the diverse perspectives and stories that make New York’s animation community so vibrant. Doors open at 5:30pm, show starts at 5:30pm. The screening will be followed by an awards ceremony with a reception at 8 p.m.
The third annual WIA NYC Animation Festival is proudly sponsored by the School of Visual Arts’ BFA Animation and BFA 3D Animation and Visual Effects Departments, the Art of Aaron Blaise, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), and Moho Animation Software.
For tickets and more information, visit the WIA NYC Animation Festival’s Eventbrite page. For more information about WIA and opportunities to get involved, visit werewia.org.
