From the Fest: Animation for Good

Available: Fri 13 Nov - Mon 30 Nov 2026

The power of animation is unmatched as a storytelling tool, but with great power comes the opportunity to do good. When animation can do anything, what limits do we need to set ourselves to ensure what we create is responsible both on screen and behind the scenes.

This event was pre-recorded during MAF 2026.

This event is supported by:

Guests

Julie Ann Crommett

Julie Ann Crommett is a powerhouse in media, driving transformative change at the intersection of entertainment, business, and culture. As the Founder & CEO of Collective Moxie, a global storytelling, media strategy and audience engagement agency, she advises top studios, brands, and creatives on strategies that drive creative innovation. Previously, she led multicultural audience engagement at Disney, influencing billion-dollar hits like Encanto, Black Panther, and Coco, and spearheaded global inclusion initiatives at Google and NBCUniversal. She serves as an emissary for the American Film Showcase, is a BAFTA & PGA member, and hosts the You Got Moxie! podcast. A proud Puerto Rican and Cuban American, she also competed on Jeopardy!

Ric Michael

A veteran of Manchester’s creative life back to Madchester Days, Ric’s career encompasses music, comedy, arts, TV, Radio and Animation. Ric has worked with animators as a producer and for the last decade has hosted Meet the Puppetmasters and worked closely with Cosgrove Hall Archive.

Samantha Moore

As a filmmaker, Samantha has worked with a variety of groups, from lingerie machinists to microbiologists. Her work encourages collaborators to claim space inside the frame, and they work together to build a 'collaborative cycle' of feedback. This process of collaboration always begins with conversation and connection.
Samantha's films have won several accolades, including two awards from the science journal Nature (2010, 2016) and a BAFTA nomination (2024). She is also Head of Animation at the Royal College of Art in London.