The 6-day event runs August 18-23 at Portland’s OMSI with more than 170 films including 130+ animated films, 30+ stop-motion works, 30+ world premieres, and 3D short with Paul Reubens’ final on-screen performance.
The Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology (PFCAT), running August 18-23, has announced its full 2026 festival lineup, expanding to six days at OMSI with more than 170 films from 31 countries, 130-plus animated films, more than 30 stop-motion works, two stop-motion features and more than 30 world premieres.
The festival lineup includes Paul Reubens’ final on-screen performance in the 3D animated short film The Crown with a Shadow and the Search for Self, the U.S. premiere of Memory Hotel and a panel titled “Meet the Animators of LAIKA” featuring LAIKA artists. Tickets are on sale now at omsi.edu/events/pfcat.
“PFCAT exists to support indie filmmakers and animators while encouraging collaboration and discovery of new creative and cutting-edge works,” Festival Director Marisa Cohen said. “The expansion to six days reflects the growth of the festival and the wide range of work being created. We look forward to welcoming artists and audiences to Portland for six days of creativity and connection.”
The 2026 festival will also feature more than 120 U.S., West Coast, Pacific Northwest and Oregon premieres, more than 100 attending filmmakers, four OMSI venues, three official festival parties and one Creator Expo.
Individual screening tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $9 for children, with a $2 discount for OMSI members. Festival All-Access Passes are $75, or $110 with admission to all three festival parties, with a $3 discount for OMSI members.
The stop-motion lineup highlights Portland-based talent, including Oscar- and Annie Award-nominated director Siqi Song with the Portland premiere of She Creates Change: Dewmini and Emmy- and Annie Award-winning filmmaker Rob Shaw with the Portland premiere of You Play Too Much, featuring the voice talent of Fred Armisen.
LAIKA artists will share insights into the studio’s filmmaking process in a dedicated panel. A second panel, “Attack of the Puppet People,” brings together stop-motion artists whose credits include Robot Chicken, The Tiny Chef Show, Wendell & Wild, The Shivering Truth and Portlandia. The panel is presented by Brian Capati from MOSMA alongside producer Melanie Coombs, whose credits include Mary and Max and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.
On Saturday, August 22, the free PFCAT Creator Expo will let attendees meet stop-motion artists and view original puppets and production materials. Advance registration is required. The expo is supported by a grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust and Multnomah County Cultural Coalition.
Doug Jones, whose credits include Pan’s Labyrinth, The Shape of Water and Hellboy, will attend Opening Night for the Oregon premiere of Pretty Boys, screening in the 6 p.m. shorts block “Fathers Across Space and Time.” Jones and writer Matt Edwards will speak beforehand at 5:30 p.m.
Matthew Inman, creator of “The Oatmeal,” will give a keynote presentation followed by the Pacific Northwest festival premiere of My Dog: The Paradox, an animated short based on his viral webcomic and produced with Portland studio Imaginary Planet. Inman will sign posters afterward.
11-time Emmy-winning producer Brian A. Miller, whose credits include Samurai Jack, Adventure Time and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, will join a fireside conversation on his career and the evolving animation industry. Miller served in executive leadership roles at Cartoon Network Studios, including Senior Vice President and General Manager.
Authors and filmmakers Abigail Hing Wen, creator of the “Loveboat Taipei” franchise, and Debra Williams, creator of “Church Hat,” will present “From Short Story to Screen,” a panel and book signing on adapting children’s literature for film. Both authors have animated films screening at this year’s festival. Wen’s short film The Vale was co-directed by John Aoshima, whose credits include Hello Kitty and Ultraman Rising.
The Crown with a Shadow and the Search for Self is a 3D animated presentation and Oregon premiere marking Paul Reubens’ final on-screen performance, alongside Geri Halliwell and Amanda Lepore. Director J.B. Singh Ghuman will discuss the film’s exploration of identity following the screening.
Memory Hotel, directed by Heinrich Sabl, will screen as a U.S. premiere. The stop-motion feature was more than 25 years in the making and has screened at Annecy and Sitges.
Big City Pizza will screen as an Oregon premiere and Midnight Movie selection. The animated comedic feature draws on surreal storytelling traditions and has screened at the Chattanooga Film Festival and Ravenheart International Film Festival. Director Dusty Saunders will be in attendance.
Lure of the Ponies, a stop-motion feature, is a cozy-mystery homage that premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival and showcases handcrafted animation. Director Rebecca Underwood will be in attendance.
BurnerSphere will screen as an Oregon premiere. The immersive VR feature explores Burning Man culture through an interactive multiplayer platform. Director Doug Jacobson will be in attendance.
PFCAT partners and sponsors include OMSI, Portland Events and Film Office, Prosper Portland, Bot Joy, Hopscotch, Oregon Film Office, Worlds Beyond VR, OXEN and Jupiter Hotel.
The festival will take place at OMSI, located at 1945 SE Water Ave. in Portland, Oregon. PFCAT is a six-day celebration of independent film and animation featuring exclusive screenings, filmmaker Q&As, an interactive expo and visionary experiences that explore the future of storytelling through immersive VR, dome screenings and emerging technologies.
PFCAT provides a platform for audiences to discover independent films and animation that are rarely available in traditional theaters while connecting directly with filmmakers, artists and creators. Advance ticket purchases are encouraged.
Founded in 1944, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is one of the nation’s leading science museums and an educational resource for communities throughout Oregon and the region. Through museum exhibitions, public programs, outdoor programs, traveling exhibitions, digital learning, and learning research and design, OMSI works to nourish a lifelong love of science, curiosity and learning among its audiences.
Source: PFCAT 2026
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
