Four illustrated portraits of artists: top left features a person with red dots and sunglasses; top right shows a person with spiky hair and a paintbrush; bottom left depicts a bearded man in blue; bottom right is a woman in colorful clothes, celebrating the 2026 CalArts Producers' Show Opening. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Stay in Character: 2026 CalArts Producers’ Show Opening

CalArts animation seniors Sofia Kondrasheva and Veda Lee co-direct a small army of their fellow students on this rousing, character-packed trip through art history for the school’s 2026 Producers’ Show Opening. [Watch]

A colorful, abstract painting by Roberts Rurans features geometric buildings, arches, and shapes. A small figure in a hat kneels on orange steps, holding a magnifying glass to observe a tiny black object. The vibrant background bursts with pink, yellow, and blue. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Roberts Rurans & Eduards Balodis Open “Kultureshock”

Playful abstract animation may not be what comes to mind to open an investigative journalism program, but Riga-based director/illustrators Eduards Balodis and Roberts Rurans do exactly that for Latvian Television (LTV). [Watch]

A desk with a miniature construction scene—workers, scaffolding, and cranes from Studio Bump Underconstruction building concrete letters spelling "home." Tools, blueprints, and construction vehicles are scattered around. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Process & Materiality: Studio Bump Builds Up the Brand Film

If a brand film for your own studio should be fun to work on, co-founders/directors Uri Lotan and Kobi Vogman at Studio Bump in Tel Aviv certainly met the mark in this jaunty mock stop-motion piece called Under Construction. [Watch]

A blue parakeet stands on the edge of an open birdcage lined with newspapers. In the cozy, warmly lit room, a bed, bookshelves, and a lamp set the scene—just like in Perlin & DOM&NIC’s "The Bird. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

The Perlin & DOM&NIC Break Out “The Bird” for Erste Bank

Launched in 2025 by creatives from MPC and The Mill (and fresh off this Spike Jonze spot), London VFX shop The Perlin team with directors DOM&NIC on a clever feathery escape for Austrian banking giant Erste thru Jung Von Matt Donau. [Watch]

A fluffy, teal animated spider swings through an amusement park on a silk thread in this energetic filmic animation—perfect for a cinema spot for Gröna Lund Spindeln, with blurred rides and buildings in the vibrant background. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Not so Itsy Bitsy: Filmic Animation Spin Up a Spider Fantasy

The crew at Sweden’s Filmic Animation craft an intricate, carefully lit, and web-filled CG adventure in this TV/cinema spot for Stockholm amusement park Gröna Lund and their newest ride called Spindeln (The Spider). [Watch]

A humanoid figure in a glowing suit slices through a monstrous creature, sending a spray of blood across a dynamic, orange-striped background—an epic moment from Kris Brady’s Ultramega Kaiju Klash! Short Film. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Kris Brady Unleashes “Ultramega Kaiju Klash!” Short Film

Paris-based director/designer/animator Kris Brady, whose credits include Black Panther and Love, Death + Robots, pays homage to American comics artist James Harren and his Ultramega IP with this high-intensity personal film. [Watch]