This year’s Kilkenny Animated will take place in Kilkenny City from October 3rd – 5th 2025 with special guests including K-Pop Demon Hunters directors, Maggie Kang & Chris Applehans; Tuca & Bertie creator & Long Story Short producer Lisa Hanawalt; history-maker, Brenda Chapman, the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for Brave; and writer and director Kevin Lima, whose debut Disney feature, A Goofy Movie, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Hosted by five-time Oscar ®nominated animation studio, Cartoon Saloon, BAFTA-winning Lighthouse Studios, and Schweppe Curtis Nunn Events, Kilkenny Animated is a celebration of the creativity and craft of animation set against the backdrop of medieval Kilkenny. It offers a unique opportunity to connect and engage with world-class industry talent in a relaxed and intimate setting.
The main programme of events runs on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October in Kilkenny’s Ormonde Hotel and features a stellar line-up, including Maggie Kang and Chris Applehans, who will discuss what it took to make the Netflix smash hit of the Summer; Lisa Hanawalt, creator of Tuca & Bertie and production designer of Bojack Horseman, who will join BAFTA winning director Gilly Fogg of Lighthouse Studios, to discuss her most recent work – the eagerly anticipated animated Netflix special, Long Story Short, which hit the streamer last week.
Academy Award winner Brenda Chapman will reflect on an incredible decades-spanning career, with a Q&A led by Academy Award nominee and Cartoon Saloon co-founder, Nora Twomey. Magic Light Pictures’ founders, Michael Rose & Martin Pope will share insights from over two decades of delivering much-loved stories including The Gruffalo and The Snail & The Whale, to the screen. Meanwhile, director Kevin Lima will discuss and screen the Disney Plus documentary, Not Just A Goof, which follows a young Lima and his creative team tackling their first Disney feature, its initial disappointment and its surprising resurgence decades later. Chloe Farr and Adam Sillard will discuss their multiple-award winning film, Au Revoir Jerome, with Academy Award nominee and Cartoon Saloon co-founder, Tomm Moore.
Artists and creators, Delphine Coudray, Colm Dowling, Giovanna Ferrari, Alan Holly, Clíodhna Lyons & Paddy Lynch will join panels and talks focusing on different aspects of creative careers, including a spotlight on women first-time directors; a workshop on securing funding for creative projects; and the challenges of building a creative practice away from the studio environment. As part of its continued focus on sharpening talent with talent, Kilkenny Animated will again offer Pathways to Animation, an educational strand for 2nd and 3rd level students interested in studying or working in animation; plus workshops and activities for the general public that continue to foster inspiration and appreciation for visual storytelling.
Throughout the festival weekend, audiences will also have the chance to purchase some art work from the local community of artists and animators, with the Art Market returning to Kyteler’s Inn for another year on Saturday and Sunday of the festival.
Kilkenny Animated is core funded by Fáilte Ireland and Kilkenny County Council and supported by Coimisiún na Meán.
Speaking about their support of Kilkenny Animated, Ciara Sugrue, Head of Festivals and Events at Fáilte Ireland, said: “Festivals and events present an excellent opportunity to showcase the rich heritage and unique culture that Ireland has to offer. They are also important drivers of tourism revenue across the country, particularly in areas that are outside of the traditional tourism hotspots. Developing unique and immersive visitor experiences like Kilkenny Animated plays a key role in motivating both international and domestic visitors to choose a destination, while helping drive the sustainable development of the tourism sector for the county and the wider region.”
Event sponsors include Animation Ireland, Screen Ireland, Cultural and Creative Industries Skillnet, RTÉ and TG4, with workshops sponsored by Brophy Gillespie and Gorilla Post Production.
Ticket Info:
Early Bird rates for the main festival programme go on sale this Friday, 29th August and are priced at €119 until September 12th with discount code Disc1525
Student discount available.
Individually ticketed events outside the main festival programme includes workshops, sketching tours and screenings with details announced soon.
Visit kilkennyanimated.com for more information and to purchase a pass from Friday.