LBX Community Picnic
Are you looking to connect with fellow LBX26 attendees ahead of the expo? 🧺 Bring your own food 🥙, a sketchbook 📘, some pencils ✏️ and join us at our Community Picnic in Pasadena Central Park!Date: Thursday, October 22nd
Time: 1:00pm-3:00pm PT
Location: Pasadena Central Park (275 South Raymond Avenue)
Draw'n Together
A Pre-LBX Ice Breaker: Mingle, Sketch, and Chat!If you feel shy about not knowing anyone, want to make more friends in the arts, or just want to sketch and trade stickers, then this is the event for you!
Come join host Airi Pan (@pix_bun), Christina Zhang (@cronchy_baguette), Mariam Dennaoui (@miriasqa) and other friends for conversation and sketching!
Date: Thursday, October 23rd
Time: 3:30pm-6:30pm PT
Location:In front of the LIGHTBOX letters outside the Civic Auditorium
Paint the Scene with Angela Sung and Warrior Painters
In this plein air painting experience, you will step out and recreate your memories at LightBox Expo! Let's gather outside the iconic Pasadena Civic Auditorium, then spread out to capture the vibrant street scenes on location. Whether you’re painting a quiet architectural moment or a bustling character-filled vignette, this is your chance to observe, imagine, and create right in the heart of LA with Warrior Painter hosts! Bring your sketchbooks, painting supplies, or digital tablets—whatever you like to work with! Artists of all levels are welcome, and professional mentors will be on-site to offer feedback, tips, and encouragement throughout the session. Every participant will also receive an official event button to commemorate the day. Mentors include: Michelle Lin, Amanda Grose, Jeffrey Hong, Sean Bodley, Qianjiao Ma, Kayleigh Ma, Dan Nguyen, JoJo Lu, Angela Sung (Angothemango), and Accorvio!Date: Friday, October 23rd
Time: 10:00am-12:00pm PT
Location: Pasadena Convention Center Plaza (outside in front of the Civic Auditorium)
Yoshitaka Amano Signings
We're thrilled to have acclaimed illustrator Yoshitaka Amano appear at LightBox Expo this year. He will be doing two signings at the event, limited to 100 people per signing, with a 1 item per person limit. Please note the signings will be first-come, first-served, and you will need to bring your own item for him to sign.Signing Time 1: Friday, October 23rd at 3:00pm
Signing Time 2: Saturday, October 24th at 11:00am
Location: Exhibit Hall Lobby Signing Area
Special Screening: Ana, en passant (Animated Feature)
After her grandmother's death, Ana, a young Black French woman, follows the clues her grandmother left behind all the way to Belo Horizonte, where she finds Alice, her double, renting her grandmother's old apartment. A film about diaspora, inheritance and the distance between two continents, carried by an animation that works like a scrapbook, piecing together memories and new experiences.Date: Friday, October 23rd
Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm
Location: Civic Auditorium
Screening: The Best of Animayo International Film Festival
Come see the very best international animated short films in one showcase!The International Film Festival Animayo presents the Official Awards. The International Jury selected 18 award winners and 3 special mentions from nearly 2,000 films submitted from 78 countries, with only 75 works reaching the Official Shortlist. Animayo is the first and only animation festival in Spain recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as an Oscar® Qualifying Festival in two categories, and since 2026 it has also joined the exclusive Annie Awards Qualifying Festival List promoted by ASIFA-Hollywood. Over the past years, films showcased at Animayo have earned 7 shortlist, 5 Oscar® nominations and 1 Academy Awards with In the Shadow of the Cypress. This screening presents the festival’s most outstanding award-winning films.
Date: Friday, October 23rd
Time: 8:15pm-9:45pm
Location: Civic Auditorium
Storyboard Portfolio Reviews All Day (Storyboard Deli)
Storyboard Deli is a one-stop shop for all your story needs. Take a number and get in line for a portfolio review (with cheese), live demos (on rye), or just hang and chat story with animation industry veterans (but keep it kosher). Lead sandwich makers Michael Daley, Josh ‘Hat’ Lieberman and Christian Roman have a collective 66 plus years of experience behind the animation counter serving up story hits and comedy slices. We will also have a rotating menu of seasonal special guests.Date: Every Day (Friday/Saturday/Sunday)
Time: During Show Hours
Location:Booth 1500 - Exhibit Hall & Ballroom Building Lobby (outside Ballrooms D/E)
Drag & Draw - Figure Drawing, but Fabulous
It's life drawing, except the models are all drag queens! Join us for an hour and a half of celebrating local queer artistry, hosted by the team at ActuallyRea. And don't forget to bring your favorite art supplies! PS: Meet and Greet with the team and queens will occur after the panel. See you then!Date: Saturday, October 24th
Time: 2:00pm-4:00pm PT
Location: Civic Auditorium Landing (outside)
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 annual 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!
Date: Saturday, October 24th
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Location: Civic Auditorium
Special Screening: “IRON BOY” (Animated Feature)
Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes Festival and 3 Awards in Annecy Festival last spring, Pixar animator Louis Clichy’s gorgeous hand-painted animation tells the story of a boy in need of a back brace who seeks the courage to stand alone. For anyone who has felt alone or out of place in their surroundings, Christophe’s tale reminds us that we can all use some form of support, regardless of where it comes from. The film will be introduced by its writer/director Louis Clichy. Please arrive early as seating will be limited. Note: you will need your LightBox badge to be admitted the screening.Date: Saturday, October 24th
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Location: Regal Paseo (300 E Colorado Blvd - one block from LightBox)
Screening: The 2026-27 Awards Season Very Best Animated Shorts
Experience a rollercoaster of emotions and a dose of inspiration with The Best Animated Shorts of the 2026–2027 Awards Season. Curated by The Animation Showcase, this exclusive collection brings together some of the year's most acclaimed animated shorts, selected from the world's leading festivals.The shorts in the collection gathered more than 35 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: Saturday, October 24th
Time: 9:00pm-10:30pm
Location: Civic Auditorium
Sketchcrawl
The annual tradition returns! Join Director Dave Pimentel and Story Artist Nick Sung for SketchCrawl—a community event where we slow down, draw from life, and get a chance to meet one another. It’s a fun way to practice quick sketching, make new friends, and spend some time drawing together. Meet by the LIGHTBOX letters and get ready to draw!Date: Saturday (10/24) and Sunday (10/25)
Time: 10:00am-11:30am
Location: In front of the LIGHTBOX Letters outside the Civic Auditorium
Screening: Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender
We are pleased to host a special screening of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender, immediately following The Art of Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender panel (4:00pm-5:00pm in the Civic). As the convention wraps up this will be the only event on the schedule at 5:00 p.m., making it a special closing event for the weekend!Avatar Aang, the world's last Airbender, learns of an ancient power that could save his culture from extinction. With the help of his friends, he embarks on a global quest to find it before it falls into the wrong hands.
Date: Sunday, October 25th
Time: 5:00pm-6:45pm
Location: Civic Auditorium
