WILMORE, Ky (April 3) – Special guest Tony Bancroft, Director-Animator-Podcaster, will join Highbridge Film Festival for Engaging Culture Weekend events. Bancroft will speak in Asbury Chapel Friday, April 17, at 10 A.M. in Hughes Auditorium (chapel will also be live-streamed to watch live or on demand here). Later in the afternoon, Bancroft will host the screening of the animated feature, Light of the World at 4 P.M. in the Miller Center Gyerston Screening Room. This movie screening is open to all students, guests, and visitors.
Tony Bancroft is a versatile Director, Animator, and Podcaster with over 30 years of experience in the animation industry. He honed his craft at the prestigious California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) before embarking on a 12-year journey with Disney Studios.
During his tenure at Disney, Bancroft contributed to iconic characters such as Pumbaa from The Lion King, Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove, Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast, and Iago from Aladdin. His notable achievements include co-directing the original Mulan, for which he received the Annie Award for Director of the Year, and serving as animation supervisor for Stuart Little 2, earning recognition from the Visual Effects Society.
In recent years, Bancroft has been involved in various projects, including co-directing Animal Crackers for Netflix, contributing animation to Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns, Warner Bros.’ Space Jam: A New Legacy, and Loony Tunes: The Day the Earth Blew Up. Recently, he was the Head of Story and Animation Director on the independent animated feature, The Light of the World. He currently serves as the program director of a university animation program and authored the acclaimed book, Directing for Animation, published worldwide by Focal Press.
In addition to his professional endeavors, Bancroft, alongside his twin brother Tom, hosts the highly-rated Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast, recognized as the #1 podcast for animation on iTunes.
About Highbridge Film Festival
The Highbridge Film Festival began in 2004 as a vehicle for Asbury University’s School of Communication Arts to showcase student films and, in the process, encourage visual storytelling. Each year, the festival selects about a dozen student films and provides a venue for special presentations from Communication Arts and the panel of judges from the film and television industry. The film festival is entirely produced and promoted by the School of Communication Arts’ Special Events class and student volunteers. 2026 marks the 22nd edition of the festival, which has grown into a nationally recognized collegiate film festival, delighting audiences and attracting wide-ranging interest from the film industry. Get tickets to the April 18th Showcase and Awards, Linked Here.