Laika and The Gotham Film & Media Institute Reveal Inaugural Fellows for Animation Accelerator Program (EXCLUSIVE)

The Gotham Film & Media Institute and Laika have unveiled the inaugural fellows for the Laika x Gotham Animation Accelerator, a new initiative supporting early to mid-career animation creators developing animated short film pitches.

The first class of fellows includes Ben Ellebracht, Emily Ann Hoffman and Searit Kahsay Huluf. The six-month program provides mentorship, access to Laika’s Portland studio, participation in Gotham Week programming and visibility through Filmmaker Magazine.

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Ellebracht, whose project “Celestia” follows a mysterious girl raised alone in a forest who becomes obsessed with the moon, is known for visual development work with studios including Lucasfilm and DreamWorks TV, as well as stop-motion work on Yo Gabba GabbaLand!.

Hoffman, an animator and filmmaker whose work has screened at the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW and Slamdance, joins the accelerator with “The Pond Prince,” about a former reality dating show star frog struggling with life after fame.

Huluf, a former Pixar Animation Studios artist who worked on “Incredibles 2” and “Turning Red,” was selected for “Fuzzy,” a story set in a world where humans transform into floating fuzzballs. Huluf previously directed the Pixar SparkShort “Self,” which earned a 2025 NAACP Image Award nomination.

“The inaugural Laika x Gotham Animation Accelerator selected fellows stood out due to their remarkable visual creativity, deep respect for storytelling and genuine passion for animation as an artform,” said Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of The Gotham Film & Media Institute, in a statement.

David Burke, Laika’s chief marketing and operations officer, added, “The future of animation will be shaped by artists with distinctive voices, ambitious ideas, and the courage to push the medium forward.”

The fellows will also receive mentorship from animation creators Shawneé and Shawnelle Gibbs, Cami Kwan and Stephen P. Neary.

The accelerator marks the first collaboration between The Gotham and Laika. The stop-motion studio, founded in 2005, is behind Oscar-nominated animated features including “Coraline,” “ParaNorman,” “The Boxtrolls,” “Kubo and the Two Strings” and “Missing Link.” Its next feature, “Wildwood,” is slated for release Oct. 23.