Infinity Festival to Honor Brad Bird and Travis Knight
The 2026 festival will present career honors to the legendary directors during its upcoming Monolith Awards ceremony.
Updated on Oct. 22, 2026 in Science Fiction
Live Poll
Do you believe the intersection of entertainment and emerging technology improves the quality of media?
The Infinity Festival will present Brad Bird with its Lifetime Achievement Award and Travis Knight with the Monolith Award for Visionary Storytelling in 2026. This celebration of creative and technological breakthroughs will include an inaugural animation showcase.
Why it matters
The honors recognize Bird and Knight for their significant contributions to the evolution of animation and film. The festival serves as a critical nexus for filmmakers, artists, and innovators to explore new creative boundaries.
The 2026 Infinity Festival will run for 4 days, featuring diverse programming across film, television, gaming, and animation. Sponsors for the event include HP, NVIDIA, and Intel.
The players
Brad Bird
He is a renowned filmmaker and animator whose career includes directing major projects like The Iron Giant and The Incredibles.
Travis Knight
He is an acclaimed animation director and producer known for his innovative work at Laika studios and his role in the Transformers franchise.
Mark Mothersbaugh
He is a prominent composer and artist who gained initial fame as a founding member of the band Devo.
Paul Debevec
He is an award-winning computer graphics researcher known for his pioneering work in high dynamic range imaging and virtual production.
Tia Carrere
She is an actress and producer with a prolific career in film and television, including her breakout role in Wayne's World.
The details
Mark Mothersbaugh is slated to present the award to Bird, while Paul Debevec and Tia Carrere will co-host the ceremony. The event will also highlight sports technology through a partnership with LA28 and feature a special screening of the film Tangles.
Timeline
The 2026 Infinity Festival will take place in 2026.
Brad Bird's film Ray Gunn is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on December 18, 2026.
The LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games are scheduled for 2028.
Industry Dynamics
The inclusion of sports technology programming with the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games follows a pattern set by industry events attempting to bridge the gap between creative media and massive global athletic productions. This shift highlights how film and gaming festivals are increasingly positioning themselves as essential hubs for cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Attendees can plan their schedules by accessing information about the upcoming festival events and speakers on the official event portal. Those following the latest work from award recipients can also catch the Netflix premiere of Ray Gunn in late 2026.
The takeaway
The recognition of these directors highlights the growing importance of blending traditional storytelling with emerging animation technologies. Festival attendees should monitor upcoming announcements to secure access to specific panels and the inaugural animation showcase.
What happens next
Additional speakers, programming, and session details for the 2026 festival will be announced in the coming weeks.
Further reading
Explore more industry developments in the Science Fiction section.
More information
Visit the Infinity Festival for festival passes and information.
Source note: This article includes information reported by TheWrap.
Live Poll
Do you believe the intersection of entertainment and emerging technology improves the quality of media?
