More than 50 workshops, masterclasses, expert panels, film screenings and appearances by over 50 international animators and studios will be featured during the four-day event, running from May 1 to 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah.
The Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC) is set to return for its third annual edition from May 1 to 4, taking place at the Expo Centre Sharjah. Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority under the direction of Khoula Al Mujaini and artistic guidance from Pietro Pinetti, SAC 2025 promises an expansive, culturally rich programme catering to animation enthusiasts, students, professionals and the wider community.
This year’s edition welcomes a roster of international talent. Headlining the event are Disney legends Tom and Tony Bancroft, celebrated for their work on classics like Mulan, Aladdin and The Lion King. They’ll be joined by Sandro Cleuzo, known for his character designs in Anastasia, Tarzan and Chip’n Dale, as well as Masayuki Miyaji and Tamiya Terashima, both of whom have worked closely with Japan’s iconic Studio Ghibli.
Over four days, attendees will enjoy a blend of workshops, panels, roundtables and concerts, highlighting animation’s global evolution, cultural significance, and emerging technologies like AI.
The opening day features hands-on workshops by Tom and Tony Bancroft and Sandro Cleuzo on character creation and comedic animation. Industry leaders including Brian Wilson (Zero Gravity Studios), Tariq Ali (ZANAD) and Andrea Bozzetto (Studio Bozzetto) will discuss animation’s communicative power. A standout panel on AI’s role in children’s animation will include speakers from Mako Kids, Creatures Company and Blue Spirit. The day wraps up with a live concert of iconic Disney soundtracks.
Virtual reality storytelling takes centre stage with sessions from V-Nova Studios, alongside a deep dive into anime music with Tamiya Terashima and a behind-the-scenes discussion by Kumiko Habara of Bandai Namco. The Women in Animation panel will address challenges and progress in representation, while a session on East-West anime fusion will feature speakers from TOEI Animation and Brain Comet. A global broadcast roundtable with execs from Warner Brothers, ZDF and Spacetoon will close the day, followed by a talk on the 90th anniversary of Arabic animation.
Dedicated to Japanese animation, the third day includes sessions by YTV’s Hiroki Tanaka and Ayako Noguchi, celebrating six decades of anime. Workshops include Park Chang-Ha on webtoons, Ai Ikegaya on digital animation and Comfort Arthur on visual storytelling. The SAE Institute will also run hands-on sessions in scriptwriting, voice acting and dubbing. A special session by Sandro Cleuzo will reflect on his animation journey, followed by Miyashita Tomoyuki’s talk on anime tourism, ending with a Japanese-themed concert.
The final day explores adaptation, with talks by Inoue Shinichiro on manga-to-anime and webtoon creators Koo Eun-Min and Park Chang-Ha. Sandro Cleuzo returns for a fantasy animation workshop, while Yusuf Khaled (ZANAD) leads a session on figure drawing. Nicolas Monteiro will host “From Page to Pitch,” guiding creators in presenting ideas to investors. Panels on bridging publishing and production, and global animation trends featuring executives from Movimenti Production, Polygon Pictures and others, will wrap up the conference. The event concludes with an official closing ceremony and a Movie Soundtracks Concert.
Tickets are now available starting at AED 59 ($16.06).
