SCAD AnimationFest 2026 honorees

SCAD AnimationFest honors The Proud Family co-creators Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar and Forgotten Island director Joel Crawford in 2026.

Joel Crawford

Variety Creative Impact in Animation Award

Influenced as a child by Katsuhiro Otomo's 1988 animated cyberpunk film Akira and intrigued by the work of legendary directors Sergio Leone and Akira Kurosawa, Joel Crawford knew from an early age that he wanted to develop a distinct style of visual storytelling. A CalArts graduate, Crawford joined DreamWorks Animation in 2006 and quickly became an integral part of the studio's creative process, working as a story artist on Trolls, Shrek Forever After, Rise of the Guardians, Bee Movie, and all three Kung Fu Panda films.

In 2017, Crawford directed his first project, the Trolls Holiday Special for NBC. He made his feature film directorial debut film in 2020 with The Croods: A New Age. Two years later, Crawford was able to marry his passion for the spaghetti western with his love of absurdist comedy as director of the Academy Award-nominated box-office smash Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Crawford's latest film Forgotten Island, written and directed alongside his longtime collaborator Januel Mercado, will premiere in theaters Friday, Sept. 25. A member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences, and ASIFA-Hollywood, Crawford was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by SCAD in 2023 in recognition of his contributions to the field of animation.

Ralph Farquhar

Animation Trailblazer Award

Ralph Farquhar is the executive producer of Disney+'s groundbreaking and award-winning animated series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. Farquhar began his career writing for Garry Marshall's classic ABC series Happy Days, after which he went on to develop and executive produce several award-winning series of his own, including South Central, Moesha, The Parkers, and Real Husbands of Hollywood. Farquhar and his producing partner Bruce W. Smith recently extended their overall deal with Disney under their BaR Productions banner, which calls for them to produce animated and live-action series and movies for Disney Kids & Family. Their first project, the stop-motion extravaganza A Proud Family Wizmas, will premiere on Disney+ later this year.

Bruce W. Smith

Animation Trailblazer Award

Bruce W. Smith is an award-winning director, producer, and animator who is best known as the creator and executive producer of Disney+'s The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder as well as the original Disney Channel hit series The Proud Family. A CalArts alumnus, Smith first joined Walt Disney Animation Studios as an animator on Who Framed Roger Rabbit and rose through the ranks to become a supervising animator on Disney classics like Tarzan, The Emperor's New Groove, and Winnie the Pooh. Smith most notably brought animated life to the evil villain Dr. Facilier from The Princess and the Frog. His directing and co-directing credits include Bebe's Kids, Space Jam, The Proud Family Movie, and the Academy Award-winning animated short Hair Love. Smith is currently directing a musical Christmas special titled A Proud Family Wizmas, which is slated for release this upcoming holiday season on Disney+.

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