LA’s Animation Is Film Festival argues animation isn’t ‘less than’

The Animation Is Film festival kicks off in L.A. this Friday.

Now in its eighth year, the three-day festival champions animation as a cinematic artform with premieres, film competitions and filmmaker panels at the TCL Chinese Theatres in Hollywood.

The festival is a chance to see some of the most anticipated animated films from around the world, all in one place. It also offers opportunities to catch sneak peeks of films that aren’t even completed yet, like Disney’s Zootopia 2 .

The Animation Is Film mission

As Animation Is Film director Matt Kaszanek explains, the festival has a mission: “What we're trying to do is to kind of combat the idea that animation is something ‘less than.’”

That idea may be surprising, given the massive success of films like Inside Out 2 , The Sup