Animex Festival

01/06/2026

The Animex Research and Innovation Conference team are delighted Andy Lomas will be delivering this year's keynote.

Andy Lomas is a computational artist, mathematician and Emmy award-winning supervisor of computer-generated effects and will be talking on the subject of working with 'unruly agents.'

He has worked on productions including Walking with Dinosaurs, Matrix: Revolutions, Matrix: Reloaded, Over the Hedge, The Tale of Despereaux, and
The Animex Research and Innovation Conference team are pleased to announce Andy Lomas as this year’s keynote speaker.

Andy Lomas is a computational artist, mathematician and Emmy-winning supervisor of computer-generated effects, and he will speak on working with unruly agents.

His credits include Walking with Dinosaurs, The Matrix: Reloaded, The Matrix: Revolutions, Over the Hedge, The Tale of Despereaux and Avatar. He earned Emmys for The Odyssey (1997) and Alice in Wonderland (1999).

His practice investigates complex sculptural forms and has been shown internationally at venues such as the Pompidou Centre, the V&A, the Royal Society, SIGGRAPH, Ars Electronica, the Science Museum and ZKM, and you may recall his immersive exhibition at Animex Festival last year.

There’s still time to submit papers to the conference — the submission deadline is 26 June 2026. Full details are on the website: https://www.tees.ac.uk/minisites/animexconference/callpapers.cfm

Best wishes
The Conference Team

We're seeking submissions for proposals for 20-minute conference presentations from across the fields of animation, VFX and games.

20/05/2026

We’re pleased to announce submissions are open for the 4th Annual Animex Research and Innovation Conference 2026. This year we’re hosting two separate events: an in‑person day at Teesside University on Wednesday 18 November (embedded in the Animex Festival) and an online‑only day on Wednesday 25 November. We’ll also publish our first peer‑reviewed conference proceedings. We invite submissions across animation and games—technological, cultural, ethical and environmental perspectives. Full call and OpenReview submission details: https://www.tees.ac.uk/minisites/animexconference/callpapers.cfm. Deadline: 26 June 2026. Questions: [email protected]

We're seeking submissions for proposals for 20-minute conference presentations from across the fields of animation, VFX and games.

21/11/2025

What an amazing week! And Double Eleven have been there every step of the way!

We would like to give a huge thank you to our fantastic headline sponsors Double Eleven. They have been supporting Animex for many years as not just sponsors, but as champions for what we're trying to achieve with this event for our students, the next generation of games makers and animators, and for the region.

They work with us throughout the year with guest lectures, mentoring, and game jams, as well as talks, workshops, portfolio reviews and networking opportunities at Animex.

This year they provided a fantastic and essential workshop on How to Network Well, which was absolutely packed out and standing room only, plus a superb workshop from Phoebe Francis-Aylward, Double Eleven Concept Artist and Animex first timer, who we hope will return again!

They attended the Portfolio Review sessions and gave invaluable advice to the next generation of talent and they were networking at the Animex Marketplace all day.

Thank you!!!

21/11/2025

What an amazing week! And Double Eleven have been there every step of the way!

We would like to give a huge thank you to our fantastic headline sponsors Double Eleven. They have been supporting Animex for many years as not just sponsors, but as champions and advocates for what we're trying to achieve with this event for our students, the next generation of games makers and animators and also for the region.

They work with us throughout the year with guest lectures, mentoring, and game jams as well as talks, workshops, portfolio reviews and networking opportunities at Animex.

This year they provided a fantastic and essential workshop on How to Network Well, which was absolutely packed out and standing room only, plus a superb workshop from Phoebe Francis-Aylward, Double Eleven Concept Artist and Animex first timer who we hope will return again!

They attended the Portfolio Review sessions, gave invaluable advice to the next generation of talent and they were networking at the Animex Marketplace all day.

Thank you!!!

20/11/2025

Thanks to all who made the Animex Conference a success! Stay tuned for next year's updates. Hope to see you soon!

19/11/2025

How do biological processes inspire breathtaking digital worlds?

Step inside the work of Andy Lomas, computational artist, mathematician, and Emmy award–winning VFX supervisor, as he reveals how intricate sculptural forms can emerge from simulated life itself.

From The Matrix Reloaded to Avatar, Andy’s career spans groundbreaking visual effects and internationally acclaimed digital art, including exhibitions at the Pompidou Centre, Ars Electronica, SIGGRAPH, the V&A, and more. His celebrated series Cellular Forms even earned the Lumen Prize Gold Award.
Explore a selection of his video works right here at Teesside University.
Andy Lomas: An Exhibition of Video Work

📍 Digital Life Building, 3rd Floor Immersive Suite (DLB 3.20b)
🕙 10:00am – 4:00pm (subject to availability)

Discover how art, science, and computation collide.

17/11/2025

Animex Pro-Workshops are now live.

Join industry experts for hands-on learning designed to strengthen your skills and expand your creative toolkit.
Spaces are limited, and bookings are open now.

Start Animex 2025 with a day of insight, inspiration, and practical experience.

16/11/2025

The wait is almost over, Animex 2025 begins tomorrow.

The full schedule is now live, packed with talks, workshops, and portfolio reviews led by the voices shaping the future of animation, games, and VFX.
Start planning your timetable, lock in the sessions you can’t miss, and get ready for a week of creativity, community, and career-shaping insight.

16/11/2025

What does it take to build worlds, shape player experiences, and design levels that stay with you?

Join our panel “From Teesside to Level Design” with industry talents sharing their journeys from local beginnings to global game projects.

Oliver Walker (OMG / MetStudios): Oliver has worked across studios big and small, from creating benchmark content on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora at Ubisoft, to serving as the sole Level Designer on ZERO PARADES: For Dead Spies. His career began on Sniper Elite and Minecraft Dungeons, and he now leads the Game Design & Development course at Met Studios. Oliver is also a proud neurodiversity advocate and mental-health first-aider.

Jack Chapman (Auroch Digital):
Principal Level Designer with nearly a decade in the industry, Jack has contributed to titles at TT Games, PlayStation, Supermassive Games, and now Auroch Digital, where he’s working on Warhammer 40K: Boltgun II. He’s also developing his debut indie horror title, ROOST.

Featuring additional speakers: Matty McGrory, Matt Houghton & Beth Reed

Discover how each of them forged their own path into level design and what aspiring devs can learn from their experiences.

16/11/2025

How do concept artists turn a simple brief into a fully realised world?

Join Phoebe Francis-Aylward, concept artist at Double Eleven, for a behind-the-scenes look at her creative process.

With experience across both video games and animation, Phoebe has contributed to projects for Netflix, Nickelodeon, Disney Jr, Mojang, and more.

Her work blends strong visual storytelling with a love for world-building, shaped by a career that began at Arts University Bournemouth, where she pitched and directed her own short film Hubris.
Discover how she breaks down, interprets, and brings a brief to life, from first idea to final vision.