It’s a big, big year of Production Sessions at SIGGRAPH.
SIGGRAPH has released the first wave of information about sessions at the conference which starts on 19 July 2026, and it includes some big-hitters. Here’s a breakdown of the big production sessions in VFX and animation:
We’re All In This Together: The Making Of Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers
Sunday, 19 July 2026 11:15am – 12:15pm PDT
Beth Albright, Visual Effects Supervisor, Pixar
Ian Megibben, Director of Photography, Pixar
Jon Reisch, FX Supervisor, Pixar
Andrea Goh, Layout Lead, Pixar
Christina Garcia Weiland, Set Dress Lead, Pixar
Laurie Kim, Sim Lead, Pixar
Research to Reality: Scaling Generative AI for The Wizard of Oz at Sphere
Sunday, 19 July 2026 4:15pm – 5:15pm PDT
Rudy Grossman, Director of Gen AI, Magnopus
Irfan Essa, Principal Research Scientist, Google DeepMind
Kevin Mullican, VP of Technology, Magnopus
Steven Hickson, Senior Staff Research Engineer, Google DeepMind
Ben Grossmann, CEO, Magnopus
Wyatt Bartel, Director of Production Technology Innovation, Sphere Entertainment Co.
Wētā FX Presents: Avatar: Fire and Ash
Monday, 20 July 2026 2:30pm – 3:30pm PDT
Eric Saindon, Senior VFX Supervisor, Wētā FX
Dan Barrett, Senior Animation Supervisor, Wētā FX
Nicky Muir, VFX Producer, Wētā FX
Richard Baneham, VFX Supervisor, Lightstorm Entertainment
Peter Litvack, VFX Producer, Lightstorm Entertainment
Pavani Rao Boddapati, VFX Supervisor, Wētā FX
Nicholas Illingworth, Lead FX Supervisor, Wētā FX
Chasing De’Snake! – Developing the Worlds and Characters of Disney’s “Zootopia 2”
Tuesday, 21 July 2026 9:30am – 10:30am PDT
Jack Fulmer, Head of Environments, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Keith Wilson, Head of Characters, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Chad Sellers, Head of Animation, Walt Disney Animation Studios
David Hutchins, Head of Effects Animation, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Tyler Kupferer, Director of Cinematography Layout, Walt Disney Animation Studios
Daniel Rice, Director of Cinematography Lighting, Walt Disney Animation Studios
The Fate of Humanity rests with Project Hail Mary. The Visual Effects behind the film
Wednesday, 22 July 2026 9:30am – 10:30am PDT
Tristan Myles, Visual Effects Supervisor, Industrial Light & Magic
Shaun Roth, Associate VFX Supervisor, Industrial Light & Magic
Ron Radeztsky, Astrometric Systems Modeling Engineer, Lucasfilm
Toys meet Tech: The Making of Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5
Wednesday, 22 July 2026 11:15am – 12:15pm PDT
Thomas Jordan, Visual Effects Supervisor, Pixar
Athena Xenakis, Shading Supervisor, Pixar
Mariana Galindo, Tailoring and Simulation Supervisor, Pixar
Stephen Marshall, Effects Supervisor, Pixar
Paul Kanyuk, Crowds Technical Supervisor, Pixar
Jean-Claude Kalache, Director of Photography, Pixar
Bringing The Mandalorian and Grogu to Life: Virtual Production, Creatures, and VFX Innovations
Wednesday, 22 July 2026 4:15pm – 5:15pm PDT
John Knoll, Executive Creative Director/Sr. VFX Supervisor, Industrial Light & Magic
Hal Hickel, Animation Supervisor, Industrial Light & Magic
Tania Richard, Associate Visual Effects Supervisor, Industrial Light & Magic
Find the schedule here: https://s2026.conference-schedule.org/
