WIA celebrates 10 years of the WIA World Summit at Annecy
Skwigly
Today, WIA announced the lineup for this year’s WIA WORLD SUMMIT at the Annecy International Animation Festival and MIFA 2026. This year’s summit, themed “Frame by Frame: A Global Celebration of Women and Nonbinary Creators,” will celebrate women and nonbinary creators across the industry. The summit will feature leading creatives including two‑time Academy Award® nominee, prolific producer and former elected Board of Governors and Vice President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Bonnie Arnold, who will take part in a fireside chat during the Summit. Arnold’s leadership and vision helped shape a pivotal chapter in WIA’s evolution, and she also served on the WIA Board of Advisors. At a time when visibility matters more than ever, the WIA World Summit centers human creativity and the talent behind it.
Image: WIA
The milestone 10th annual WIA WORLD SUMMIT will take place on Monday, June 22nd at the Impérial Palace Hotel (Allée de l’Impérial, 74000 Annecy) at the Salle de l’Europe and will feature a day-long symposium of panels and focused conversations spotlighting key thought leaders, filmmakers and executives from around the world discussing gender justice – a system of equity and fairness for people of all genders, gender identities and presentations. This year’s event will be recorded and available to the general public at a later date via the WIA website.
Over the last 10 years, I’ve been privileged to witness real, tangible change across the animation, gaming and VFX industries, and I’m proud that conversations sparked on the WIA World Summit stage have helped shape and support that progress. While the industry continues to navigate a period of significant change and contraction, moments like this remind us why community, visibility, and advocacy matter so deeply. As we celebrate the women and nonbinary creators who blazed trails and broke down barriers, we’re also looking ahead with optimism and determination for the next generation of change still to come.
-Marge Dean (President, WIA)
For the past ten years, Annecy and WIA have shared the same commitment: helping build an industry that is more open, more representative, and that finally gives full space and visibility to the half of humanity that for too long was not equally represented. Over the last decade, things have moved forward. Real progress has been made, even if there is still a long way to go. This partnership has never been symbolic for us. It reflects values we deeply believe in. It is essential to continue creating opportunities, visibility and concrete support for women, and we are determined to keep building new initiatives and meaningful actions in that direction. I would like to warmly thank WIA, Marge Dean and all the teams who have carried this important movement over the last decade, and who have helped Annecy and WIA speak with one united voice.
-Mickaël Marin (Chief Executive Officer, CITIA)
The official program for the day will be as follows:
Welcome from WIA and Annecy Festival
WIA President Marge Dean and CITIA CEO Mickaël Marin welcome viewers and attendees, followed by an introduction to the day’s events by WIA Secretary/Inclusion Chair Julie Ann Crommett.
SESSION 1 | 10 a.m. – Enduring Voices, Essential Work
Description: This panel spotlights creators over the age of 60 who are producing bold, relevant work in animation. In an industry that often centers emerging voices, the conversation highlights artists whose creative output remains vital and evolving. Panelists, including Florence Miailhe (Director), Imogen “Mo” Sutton (Animation Masterclass, Producer/Director) and Joanna Quinn (Beryl Productions International Ltd, Director), will share insights into their current work and creative practice, and how they continue to contribute to the medium today. The conversation celebrates the creative force of artists whose work spans decades.
SESSION 2 | 11 a.m. – Directing Animation Today
Description: This panel brings together feature animation directors across the globe whose work reflects a range of creative and production approaches. Elshadai-Gabrielle Dawit Tedesse (Arma, Creative Director, Writer, Editor), Matisse Gonzalez Jordán (Director), Lauren Montgomery (Director at Paramount Animation) and Alyce Tzue (Netflix, Director) will share insights into their current projects, creative process, and the ways they develop and realize their vision through different pathways. The conversation explores how these varied approaches shape the work itself, offering a look at both the creative and practical journeys behind directing feature animation today.
SESSION 3 | 2:30 p.m. – Short Films and Fresh Perspectives
Description: This panel, moderated by Meredith Shea (Chief Membership, Impact, and Industry Officer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences), brings together directors of short films selected for this year’s festival, spotlighting a range of creative approaches in animation. Karla Casteneda, Catherine LePage, Kat Messing and Agnes Patron (Sacrebleu Productions, Director) will share insights into their creative process and how they use short form to explore ideas and experiment. The conversation highlights the short film as a space for fresh perspectives, creative risk-taking, and original work.
CLOSING FIRESIDE CHAT | 3:30 p.m. – From Then To Now: A Conversation with Bonnie Arnold
Description: This closing fireside chat features two-time Academy Award® nominee Bonnie Arnold, a prolific producer and past elected Board of Governors and Vice President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, whose leadership and vision helped shape a pivotal chapter in WIA’s evolution. In conversation with Justin Johnson, Head of Programme for the British Film Institute, Bonnie will reflect on both her creative journey and her role in WIA’s transformation, as well as the changes across the industry and the work still ahead as WIA marks its 10th World Summit at Annecy.
Stoking the sense of community beyond our day-long symposium, for the second year, WIA will be hosting a picnic meet-up at Jardins de l’Europe the afternoon of Wednesday, June 24. It’s a great way to connect with other attendees and professionals in a relaxed environment.
Talented South Korean artist Jisoo Kim created this year’s powerful WIA World Summit Art. Kim’s talent has won her various awards and accolades, including receiving a CalArts full scholarship from LAIKA and numerous international animation awards.