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Hungarian Edition
The acclaimed American animator will discuss his path from independent shorts to Hollywood productions at a free Budapest masterclass on August 14.
The Association of Hungarian Animation Artists (AA1) is bringing award-winning American animation director and producer Sean Buckelew, creator of Common Side Effects and Scavengers Reign, to Budapest this August.
Buckelew will hold an English-language masterclass at the French Institute in Budapest on Friday, August 14, from 5 p.m. The event is free, although advance registration is required because attendance is limited to 200 people.
From independent films to Hollywood animation
Drawing on his own career, Buckelew will offer an inside look at the animation industry, tracing his journey from independently made films such as Another, Strangers, Lovestreams and Drone to major television productions including Scavengers Reign and Common Side Effects, which is available in Hungary on HBO.
He will discuss how he founded an independent studio with friends, the challenge of balancing creative freedom with professional expectations, and the ways he has worked to preserve his artistic integrity inside the Hollywood system.
Through short films, television series and feature-length productions, the audience will hear behind-the-scenes stories and learn how animated projects develop from their earliest ideas through production.
Animation publication Cartoon Brew has described Buckelew’s films as visually restrained and grounded in seemingly familiar worlds that gradually take unexpected turns. His dry, dark humor often explores the strangeness of human relationships and the unsettling ways technology mediates our connection to the world.
An award-winning career in animation
Buckelew earned an MFA in Experimental Animation from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) after completing his undergraduate studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2021, he founded the independent Los Angeles animation studio Green Street Pictures.
His short films have screened at leading festivals including Slamdance, the Ottawa International Animation Festival, Palm Springs International ShortFest and Animafest Zagreb. As a freelancer, he has worked on features including He Named Me Malala, We Are Your Friends and The Biggest Little Farm, as well as commercial projects for Adult Swim and MTV. He is also a programmer for California’s annual GLAS Animation Festival.
The conversation following the presentation will be moderated by award-winning Hungarian animation director Réka Bucsi, known for Symphony no. 42, LOVE and Solar Walk. Audience members will also have an opportunity to ask questions.
Event details
- Date and time: Friday, August 14, 2026, from 5 p.m.
- Venue: French Institute, Budapest
- Language: English, without interpretation
- Admission: Free; capacity is limited to 200
- Registration: Advance registration is required
- Facebook event: View the event page
AA1 is an independent professional organization and creative educational workshop representing the Hungarian animation community. Its mission is to strengthen the visibility of Hungarian animation at home and internationally while building an open, collaborative and mutually supportive professional community.
The program is supported by Hungary’s National Cultural Fund.
