Check out some of the Special Events running at LightBox Expo, starting on the day before the show (Thursday, 10/24) all the way through the end of the weekend! Note: Except for the two events on Thursday, all the other events require your LBX Badge for entry!
LBX Community Picnic
Are you looking to connect with fellow LBX24 attendees ahead of the Expo? Bring your own food, a sketchbook, your drawing tool of choice, and join us at our Community Picnic!Date: Thursday, October 24th
Time: 1:00pm-3:00pm PT
Location: Pasadena Central Park (275 South Raymond Avenue)
Coffee Break!!
A Pre-LBX Ice Breaker: Mingle, Sketch, and Grab a Coffee!If you feel shy about not knowing anyone, want to meet some friends to enjoy the convention with, or just want to cafe sketch, then this is the event for you! Come join host Airi Pan (@pix_bun) and her friends, Janet Lin (@_ebsie_), Allie Irwin (@allie.irwin), and Jonathan Hsu (@jhsuart) to sit and sketch gorgeous old town Pasadena architecture while enjoying local coffee and bites!
Date: Thursday, October 24th
Time: 3:00pm-5:00pm PT
Location: One Colorado Pasadena (41 Hugus Aly)
Colossal Characters: Live Plein Air Painting with James Gurney & Friends
Returning after last year's incredible event, artist and author James Gurney (Dinotopia) and friends present a live 'plein air' painting event in front of the historic Civic Auditorium at the Pasadena Convention Center! Equipped with their sketchbooks, 12 professional artists will lead the art event, where artists will draw or paint on location while imagining a giant character. The character can come from animation, movies, video games, or comics. The interaction between the character and the building can be anything from playful to apocalyptic.Any artist is welcome to join! Each participant should bring their own materials, including a toy or figurine for reference. Each participant receives an official button. The mentors include James Gurney, Jess Karp, Thomas Fluharty, Karla Ortiz, John Burton, Kiptoe, Angela Sung, Sean Bodley, Jeff Hong, Amanda Grose, Qianjian Ma, and Kate Rado! We hope to see you there!
Date: Friday, October 25th
Time: 10:00am-12:00pm PT
Location: Pasadena Convention Center Plaza (outside in front of the Civic Auditorium)
Portrait Painting in Oils w/ Jon Hardesty
Join Schoolism instructor, Jon Hardesty, for a live oil painting demonstration, where he will create an alla prima style portrait over the course of three days.Jon will guide the audience through his process of completing a fresh portrait in a single sitting, showcasing the techniques and spontaneity of this direct painting approach. Come watch as the portrait unfolds, ask questions, and explore the dynamic world of oil portraiture.
Date: Every Day (Friday 10/25, Saturday 10/26 and Sunday 10/27)
Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm PT
Location:Exhibit Hall & Ballroom Building Lobby (outside Ballrooms D/E)
Screening: The Best of Animayo International Film Festival
Come see the very best international animated short films in one showcase!The Summit & International Film Festival Animayo presents the screening premiere of the Animayo 2024 Official Awards, voted by the International Jury of the Festival in May, which resulted in 15 Awards and 16 Special Mentions.
The Animayo Official Awards "The Best of Animayo" is a prestigious award and is the first and only animation festival in Spain to be designated a "Qualifying Festival" by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Hollywood for the Oscar® Awards in two categories: international animated short film for the 'Animayo International Grand Jury Prize' (since 2018) and 'Best Short Film in Spanish - Animation with Ñ' for countries that have Spanish as an official language (since 2023).
Date: Friday, October 25th
Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm
Location: Civic Auditorium (Pasadena Convention Center)
Screening: The 2024-25 Awards Season Very Best Animated Shorts
The annual collection of The Animation Showcase presents the cream of the crop of the most creative, moving and beautiful animated shorts of the year. This screening includes the most celebrated shorts film of the year in the biggest animation event and festivals around the world. This collection is being screened in the top animation studios such as Pixar, Netflix, Disney, Aardman, Illumination, Sony and many others.The shorts in the collection gathered more than 30 Academy Award® nominations and always included the Oscar® Winner since its creation, making this event as the screening with the highest Oscar® predictive collection.
Date: Friday, October 25th
Time: 8:15pm-9:45pm
Location: Civic Auditorium (Pasadena Convention Center)
Screening: "The Glassworker" Feature Film (CA Premiere)
This is a special presentation with an introduction by film director, Usman Riaz! Usman storyboarded, directed, animated, and composed "The Glassworker" then created a studio (Mano Animation Studios) to create it! It is Pakistan's first-ever animated film and already one of its most profitable films! See this once in a lifetime film!"The Glassworker" is a 2024 hand-drawn animated film produced by Mano Animation Studios. The film is directed by Usman Riaz from a screenplay written by Moya O'Shea and produced by Khizer Riaz and Manuel Cristóbal. Featuring anime-influenced animation, it premiered at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June and was accepted into the Official Competition at the Hiroshima Animation Festival in August. This is the first time it has been shown in North America
Date: Friday, October 25th
Time: 10:00pm-11:30pm
Location: Civic Auditorium (Pasadena Convention Center)
Sketchcrawl
Grab your sketchbooks and join the Sketchcrawl! Draw with Dave Pimentel and Nick Sung and capture the hustle and bustle of LightBox Expo.Dave Pimentel, a director, writer, and story artist, studied gesture drawing with Disney legend Walt Stanchfield. Nick Sung, story artist and producer, studied gesture drawing with Pixar great Tom Gately.
Dave and Nick have kept Sketchcrawls active in Southern California and New York City, encouraging artists to fill their draw inspiration from the world around them. Don't miss this chance to connect with them and fellow creatives in this fun and energizing event! Quick sketching is great for animators, and this is a fun way to practice together and make new friends.
Date: Saturday (10/26) and Sunday (10/27)
Time: 10:00am-11:30am
Location: LIGHTBOX Letters outside the Pasadena Convention Center
The Concept Art Awards
Join us for the Concept Art Awards at LightBox Expo, where we honor and celebrate the remarkable talents and achievements of artists in the fields of movies, games, and animation. This prestigious event shines a spotlight on the creative minds whose visionary works bring our favorite stories and characters to life, showcasing the depth, diversity, and innovation of concept art. The Concept Art Awards are judged by a panel of industry experts and recognize excellence in character, creature, vehicle/prop, environment, keyframe, color keys, and visual development.Be part of this inspiring celebration, witness the recognition of artistic excellence, and connect with the vibrant community of creators and enthusiasts! [LBX Badge Required For Entry]
Date: Saturday, October 26th
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Location: Civic Auditorium (Pasadena Convention Center)
