SCAD Creatives Power 21 Oscar-Nominated Films in 2026

More than 200 alumni and students helped bring Academy Awards contenders to the screen

ATLANTA and SAVANNAH, Ga. – March 4, 2026 — The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) continues its decades-long legacy of shaping the global film industry, with 211 SCAD alumni and current students and two professors contributing their talents to films nominated for the 98th Academy Awards — underscoring SCAD's role as a premier pipeline to the world's leading studios and creative teams.

SCAD talent worked on 21 films receiving nominations from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, including seven Best Picture nominees, three Best Animated Feature nominees, and all five films nominated for Best Visual Effects. These projects span critically acclaimed films such as Sinners and One Battle After Another as well as global blockbusters like Avatar: Fire and Ash, KPop Demon Hunters, and Zootopia 2.

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will be televised live on ABC Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET.

"This extraordinary showing reflects what makes SCAD unique," said Andra Reeve-Rabb, dean of SCAD's School of Film and Acting. "Our students and alumni are prepared across every aspect of filmmaking, learning from Oscar-winning professors and working with resources that rival professional studios — from an 11-acre Hollywood-style backlot to LED volume stages and industry-run casting offices. That hands-on, real-world training is how we prepare the next generation of artists and storytellers who will shape the films audiences around the world celebrate each awards season."

SCAD's School of Film and Acting and School of Animation and Motion have launched thousands of alumni into the entertainment industry, with graduates from multiple degree programs contributing across every stage of filmmaking to Academy Award-recognized films this year:

• Film and television: 21 alumni
• Production design and costume-focused majors: Six alumni
• Sound design: 12 alumni
• Visual effects: 79 alumni
• Animation: 68 alumni

Seventy-nine alumni who worked on Academy Award-recognized films earned degrees in visual effects, contributing to every film nominated for Best Visual Effects. Among them is Johnathan Nixon (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007), senior visual effects head of department and senior visual effects production manager at Weta FX, whose work on Avatar: Fire and Ash helped bring the world of Pandora to life through advanced water simulations. SCAD visual effects alumni are employed across the industry at studios like Industrial Light & Magic, Disney, Pixar, and Sony Pictures Animation.

"This year's nominations once again demonstrate the impact SCAD visual effects alumni are having across both animated and narrative filmmaking," said Gray Marshall, chair of SCAD's visual effects program. "Our graduates are not only contributing to these films — they're leading teams, solving complex creative challenges, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible on screen."

SCAD's influence is equally strong in animation, with 98 total alumni credits represented in the Best Animated Feature category alone on films like Zootopia 2, Elio, and KPop Demon Hunters. Alumni hold key creative leadership roles across these films, including Tyler Kupferer (M.F.A., animation, 2011), director of cinematography and layout for Zootopia 2, and Nathan Engelhardt (B.F.A., animation, 2007), who directed and co-wrote Best Animated Short Film nominee Forevergreen and served as animation supervisor on Zootopia 2.

"What we're seeing this year reflects years of dedication to craft, collaboration, and creative leadership," said Dan Bartlett, dean of SCAD's School of Animation and Motion. "We're incredibly proud of our alumni, who are trusted with shaping the visual language of major films — from cinematography and lighting to animation and storytelling — because they graduate with the ability to think holistically, collaborate across disciplines, and lead creative teams at the highest level."

Top Creative Contributors

• Nathan Engelhardt (B.F.A., animation, 2007) directed and co-wrote Forevergreen, a Best Animated Short Film nominee that tells the handcrafted, visually inventive story of an orphaned bear cub who finds an unlikely home with a fatherly evergreen tree, while also serving as animation supervisor on Best Animated Feature nominee Zootopia 2. A supervising animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Engelhardt has helped shape beloved films like Moana, Frozen 2, Encanto, and Zootopia, blending heartfelt storytelling with innovative animation techniques.
• Stephen Null (B.F.A., visual effects, 2005) worked as the lighting supervisor on Zootopia 2 and Forevergreen, guiding lighting teams in establishing mood, atmosphere, and visual continuity across complex animated sequences in each of these Oscar-nominated films.
• Jordan Rempel (B.F.A., visual effects, 2009) served as director of photography on Pixar Animation Studios' Elio, a Best Animated Feature nominee, crafting the film's cinematic lighting and visual language. Known for sci-fi-inspired lighting cues that add richness, depth, and a distinctly cinematic feel to animated storytelling, Rempel will next contribute to Pixar's upcoming Toy Story 5.
• Johnathan Nixon (B.F.A., visual effects, 2007) is a senior visual effects head of department and senior visual effects production manager at Weta FX. On Best Visual Effects nominee Avatar: Fire and Ash, Nixon helped lead the creation of cutting-edge water simulations that bring the world of Pandora to life with unprecedented realism.
• Virginia Berg (B.F.A., production design, 2015) worked as assistant art director on Avatar: Fire and Ash, contributing to the Best Visual Effects-nominated film's expansive visual worldbuilding. At the 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Berg was recognized as one of Variety's Top 10 Artisans to Watch for her work on the blockbuster franchise.
• Tyler Kupferer (M.F.A., animation, 2011) served as director of cinematography and layout on Zootopia 2, overseeing shot composition, camera movement, and staging to define how audiences experience the Best Animated Feature nominee visually, long before final lighting and rendering. His previous credits include Frozen 2, Ralph Breaks the Internet, and Moana.
• Filipe Messeder (B.F.A., sound design, 2016) served as the supervising sound editor and re-recording mixer on The Perfect Neighbor, a Best Documentary Feature Film nominee. The Emmy-winning sound editor shaped the immersive sonic landscape of the film, balancing emotional nuance with technical precision.
• D.W. Moffett, chair of SCAD's film and television program, was part of the star ensemble in One Battle After Another, the Paul Thomas Anderson drama that received 13 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. A working actor, Moffett brings current, on-set industry experience into the classroom, providing students with firsthand insight into professional performance, collaboration, and the realities of today's film and television industry.
• Rob Nagy, a production design professor, served as set designer on the Best Supporting Actress-nominated horror thriller Weapons. Filmed in Atlanta, an additional 22 SCAD students and alumni contributed to the film's immersive, tension-filled environments.

SCAD School of Film and Acting

With resources that rival Hollywood studios, award-winning professors, stunning locations, professionally run casting offices, and stellar film and television festivals, the SCAD School of Film and Acting is the ideal place to launch into the film and television industry. Students are prepared to command roles onstage and on screen through live performances, sitcoms, dramatic series, music videos, commercials, and more.
 

SCAD School of Animation and Motion

SCAD School of Animation and Motion students deliver captivating moments across multiple platforms. From illuminating fantastical realms and characters to expertly integrating motion media in virtual studio environments and public spaces, students develop the acumen, creativity, and dexterity necessary to launch their creative careers.
 

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls approximately 18,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 100 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university's renowned research lab and prototype generator. SCAD has earned top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. A 2025 study found that 99% of recent SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 12 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more. 

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Michelle Gavin
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Wendy Gardner
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