The creators behind Netflix’s runaway hit “KPop Demon Hunters” the platform’s most-watched original film with over 300 million views will headline the Seventh Annual LightBox Expo when thousands of animation professionals converge in Pasadena Oct. 24 to 26.
Co-directors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, with producer Michelle Wong, will lead programming at the Pasadena Convention Center celebrating major industry anniversaries. Tim Burton’s “Corpse Bride” marks its 20th anniversary, while Industrial Light & Magic celebrates 50 years and Lucasfilm Animation reaches 20 years.
“LightBox Expo is a time to celebrate the creators, visionaries, and storytellers who ensure that dreams and magic exist in the world,” Kang said. “It is a reminder that we are a community brought together by our shared passion to create, to ignite joy, to bring hope, and today we are needed more than ever.”
The Walt Disney Family of Companies will host 12 panels featuring artists behind “Zootopia 2,” Pixar’s “Elio,” and “Wicked.” Legacy creators John Musker (“Aladdin”) and Ron Clements (“The Little Mermaid”) join contemporary voices like Patrick McHale (“Over the Garden Wall”).
The expo will honor Tim Burton and Stan Winston with Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Concept Art Awards ceremony Saturday evening.
Additional highlights include the Animation Showcase screening Oscar-qualifying short films and outdoor community events including SketchCrawl and Paint the Scene.
Children 12 and under attend free with a paid adult.
The Seventh Annual LightBox Expo will run Friday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 26, at noon to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green St., in Pasadena. For more call (626) 793-2122 or visit https://www.showclix.com/tickets/lightboxexpo2025. Tickets: $60–$175.
