Creative meet-up of the year Rendr festival announced its return to Belfast in 2026 with a blockbuster line-up of creative powerhouses from the worlds of film/TV, gaming, animation, and immersive, including visionaries behind global hits KPop Demon Hunters, In Your Dreams and more.
Promising two nights of genre-busting technology and creative inspiration takes place from 12 to 13 February at Portview Trade Centre in East Belfast. Rendr is supported by Northern Ireland Screen, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Belfast City Council and Visit Belfast.
“We’re really proud to be at the heart of our growing creative sector to help incubate new ideas. Rendr is for the artist, the developer, the student, and the industry veteran. It’s a space where creativity and technology collide in spectacular fashion to connect the island with the global creative community and inspire, maybe even challenge- the next generation to push at the boundaries of possibility,” said Rendr director Michael Weir.
Headlining the 2026 programme are visionary filmmaker Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe and Alien: Romulus director), acclaimed director of photography Caleb Heymann (Stranger Things) and powerhouse studios including Sony Pictures Imageworks, represented by Belfast-born CG supervisor James Carson, (KPop Demon Hunters), alongside CG supervisor Katherine Jones (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse). More announced names include Kilter Films’ Emmy-winning VFX supervisor Jay Worth (Fallout, Westworld); Wētā FX’s compositing supervisor Tobias Wiesner (The Last of Us); and Giovanna Ferrari (Éiru, My Father’s Dragon) from Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon.
Other unmissable sessions include Disney Pixar’s Dylan Sisson (Toy Story, The Incredibles, Up), who has contributed significantly to the evolution and promotion of RenderMan, the studio’s proprietary 3D rendering software, and stills photographer Helen Sloan, whose recent credits include How to Train Your Dragon and Wednesday. Rendr also welcomes Echolab’s Gavin Little and Moment Factory’s Simon Léveillé, representing studios at the forefront of audio design and immersive environments, alongside Sacha Milroy and Kath Duggan from Punchdrunk, the pioneers of immersive theatre.
Rendr’s focus on immersive is further amplified by Camille Balsamo-Gillis (The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Alien: Romulus), co-founder practical VFX company Pro-Machina; Mark Maher (The Hobbit trilogy) from Limerick’s Studio Odyssey, one of Europe’s largest model-making studios; Annie-nominated animator Nic Cabana, co-founder Claynosaurz; and Playhuman founder Matthew Scott, whose work pushes the boundaries of interactive media.
A panel discussion on opportunities for AI in the creative industries will feature Bafta-winning writer, director and producer Ed Tracy (Fonejacker).
