WIA Global

The short-lived program also recently produced a gold winner in the 2025 Student Academy Awards in the alternative/experimental category.

🗞️ Article by USC Annenberg Media
🔊 For full article, link in bio!

💔The four-year-old master’s program will be dissolved June 30, leaving students confused and grieving. Current first-year students in the program can still achieve the degree by taking substitute classes or transferring to another School of Cinematic Arts program.

And if you have any additional concerns or feedback, we encourage you to reach out to events@wearewia.org or wia@wearewia.org.

Hi Elliot. This is an educational series born of our members' desire to understand the issues more deeply, as shown in the chart. Talks around ethics & bias are also part of the series. Unfortunately, our website is down, but I encourage you to visit the series page as soon as it comes back online.

This is a Creator+ level in-person event. A recording will be available to Maker+ level members shortly after the session. Sign up or upgrade your membership and sign up today!

#WIA #WeAreWIA #AIFluency

We're kicking things off THURS, March 5, 2026 with this in-person discussion: AI Foundations: What Every Creative Should Know, featuring Julie Lottering, Director of Education, Learning & Training at Epic Games.

📅 Thurs. March 5, 2026
📍 In-Person - Epic Lab
⏰ 6:30 p.m. PT

🔗 Reg link is in our bio.

You asked. We delivered. 🎙️✨

Our latest WIA Community Survey revealed you want practical, accessible learning around AI.

We’ve created Building AI Fluency in Animation, VFX & Gaming, a new educational conversation series designed to demystify AI and explore how it can impact YOU.

General Information and Membership
wia@wearewia.org

Communications (Weekly Digest, Newsletter, & Social Media)
Communications@wearewia.org

WIA Talent Database
Database@wearewia.org

WIA Mentorship Program
Mentorship@wearewia.org

Education (Student Clubs & Scholarship)
Education@wearewia.org

Our website is currently offline while we perform maintenance. We'll be back up and running as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience while we perform this much-needed work on the website. For any questions, please contact WIA via the information below:

💌 We saved a spot just for you! 💌

You can still register to be part of the audience for our FIRST WIA Portfolio Reviews session taking place NEXT TUES. FEB. 24, 2026!

Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this virtual event! Register today by clicking the link in our bio!

Will you be at Annecy this year? Sign up to receive alerts about the World Summit, special meet-up opportunities and more by clicking the link in our bio!

#WIA #WeAreWIA #WIAWorldSummit

A decade of dialogue. A decade of advocacy. ✨

We are thrilled to return to Annecy for our 10th World Summit, and we owe it all to YOU, our incredible global community. Thank you for 10 years of support and advocacy. We can't wait to see you in France next June! 🇫🇷

📣 ATTENTION 📣
These Mentorship Circles are still OPEN!

Find a Circle that meets your experience level and sign up by Feb. 16th!

Don't miss your chance! Click the link in our bio for more information!

'Two Black Boys in Paradise': From Poem To Stop-Motion Short A deeply personal poem on self-acceptance becomes a five-year effort to craft a stop-motion short centered on Black queer love.

BAFTA-nominated 'Two Black Boys in Paradise' isn’t just an awards story. It’s a five-year journey that turned a deeply personal poem about Black queer love into stunning, handcrafted stop-motion.
www.cartoonbrew.com/shorts/two-b...

in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges across the country. To read more of this article, click on our link in bio!

🗞️ Article by IGN

💰️🎨 The Indian government presented their ninth consecutive Union Budget and outlined new steps for India’s animation and gaming sectors. The government will back the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies to set up Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVCG) content labs...

If you are trying to sign up for an event, check on the status of your membership, or access our website, you may experience some delays or encounter a waiting room due to the increased number of people applying for the mentorship program.

We thank you for your patience.

Ready to connect with fellow studio owners? ✨

Then join our newest community: WIA Connects for Independent Studio Owners.

This is your space to meet, network, and discuss the unique opportunities and challenges you face as a creative entrepreneur.

👉 Click the EVENTS link in our bio.

WIA Names Hayley Porter As Its First Executive Director A 25-year industry veteran, Porter has led global campaigns, advised top studios, and worked on the Oscar-winning short 'War is Over!'

WIA has named Hayley Porter its first executive director. A 25-year industry veteran, Porter brings global leadership experience and a track record spanning top studios and Oscar-winning work.
www.cartoonbrew.com/executives/w...

Happy to welcome Hayley to the team!

Applications for Round 1 of our 2026 Mentorship Program are NOW OPEN!

Don't miss your chance! Check out the Circles and apply by clicking the link in our bio.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

Click the link in our bio to apply or to register for the event!

Applications for the 1ST WIA Portfolio Review session ARE OPEN!

Industry vet Matt Roberts, Sr Artistic Recruiter at Walt Disney Animation Studios, will lead this session. His key areas of expertise & focus for this review will be Character Animation, Story and VisDev.

Click the link in our bio!

There is a lot that goes into creating a film or television show including invisible VFX.

Did you know that unseen work goes on behind the scenes of some of your favorite flicks and shows? To read more, click the link in our bio.

🔊 Applications for our first WIA Portfolio Reviews session will open on Jan. 20!

How to Register or Apply
📝 Applications and registration for the session will Jan. 20, 2026
✉️ Visit our link in bio

🎉 We would like to congratulate our very own WIA Board Member, Sachi Ezura on her new role as a Talent Manager at Underscore Talent! She has worked on shows such as Clone High, Ren & Stimpy, Tooning Out the News, Digman! and Everybody Still Hates Chris, and now joins Underscore’s new Comedy unit.

It's #MembershipMonday!

Have you seen all the events WIA has to offer its members? Check them out in our calendar section and then sign up by clicking the link in our bio!

Show your WIA pride! Our online shop is now open, featuring WIA-branded merch & digital gift cards! When you shop with us, you're not just getting a great item for yourself or a friend, you're directly fueling our mission of gender equity in animation, VFX, and gaming.

Links in bio!

#WIA #WeAreWIA

Join us and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation for an inspiring WIA panel featuring 3 directors as they share their journeys.

This is a hybrid 𝕚𝕟-𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕠𝕟 & 𝕧𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕦𝕒𝕝 event! Make sure you sign up for the right one.

🗓️ Th Jan 22
⏰ 6:30 p.m. PT
VIRTUAL: Maker-Level+
IN-PERSON: Creator-Level+

Link in bio!

🎬 Animation is breaking barriers & reshaping representation for queer women! The Appalachian highlights how “Arcane” & “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” are leading the way. Read more by clicking the link in our bio.

💬 How's animation impacted your sense of representation? Let us know below! 👇