Lyndon, VT – The Vermont Animation Festival is thrilled to announce its 10th annual celebration of creativity, collaboration, and art, taking place on March 28th and 29th at the Lyndon campus of Vermont State University (VTSU). This milestone event will feature a variety of screenings, workshops, and artist talks, highlighting the innovative work of animators from Vermont and beyond.
The Vermont Animation Festival is hosted annually by VTSU Lyndon in partnership with Catamount Arts. The Festival includes a schedule of workshops, peer-reviewed animation Prizes for animated films will be awarded in the following categories: Best Student Film, Best Supershort, Best Film from a Vermont Animator, Best Use of Traditional Media, and Best Overall.
Kate Renner, Assistant Professor of Visual Art at VTSU Lyndon and Director of the Vermont Animation Festival, shared, “the Vermont Animation Festival is a fantastic opportunity to elevate student work and connect with animation professionals from across the industry. Over the past decade, we’ve seen incredible growth and innovation in the projects showcased here. We’re excited to celebrate our 10th anniversary and look forward to many more years of fostering creativity and collaboration in the animation community.”
Excitingly, this year’s keynote speaker will be Hayley Morris, an acclaimed artist and animation director based in Vermont, working under the studio name Shape & Shadow. Specializing in mixed media and stop-motion animation, Morris creates visually captivating stories through intricate textures, handcrafted details, and inventive storytelling. Her work spans commercials, music videos, projection design, miniature fabrication, and short-form animation for both documentaries and feature films.
“I am honored and excited to be a part of the Vermont Animation Festival this year, and to see the innovative work being produced in our animation community,” said Morris. “As a Vermont-based animation director, I’m especially excited to meet and connect with local animation lovers. I’ll be sharing my stop-motion and mixed media process from my body of work and show some sneak peeks of work in progress.”
Morris has collaborated with notable clients such as MTV, Netflix, Sesame Street, and Burt’s Bees, and has worked with musicians like Explosions in the Sky, Iron & Wine, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Hilary Hahn, creating visuals that complement their music and creative vision. Her approach to animation is deeply rooted in experimentation with physical materials—paper, clay, fabric, fibers, found objects, and natural elements—blending character-driven and abstract elements with a tactile, sensory quality.
The schedule of workshops for the 2025 festival will include:
- STORYBOARDING with KEVIN HARKEY: Vermont-based artist Kevin Harkey will teach participants how storyboards are used in the animation industry and how to create their own.
- STOP MOTION with KEYNOTE SPEAKER HAYLEY MORRIS: This workshop will explore the concept of anthropomorphism by combining everyday materials with stop-motion processes.
- ANALOG ANIMATION with LEIF GOLDBERG: Participants will try out direct drawing and etching techniques on 16mm film, creating a short experimental film that will be screened at the conclusion of the workshop.
Join us in celebrating a decade of animation excellence at the Vermont Animation Festival. For more information and a full schedule of events, visit our website: https://www.vtanimationfestival.org/
VERMONT STATE UNIVERSITY
Vermont State University provides a high-quality, flexible, and affordable education for students seeking associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, certificates, and in-demand professional credentials. The university builds upon a history of public higher education in Vermont dating back to 1787. More information about Vermont State University can be found here: https://vermontstate.edu/
