ABOUT
Launched in 2018, the Tampa Animation Festival brought together some of the most astounding animations from around the world. Our 2026 festival, November 5–8 at the University of Tampa, spotlights diverse animated shorts, features, and cutting-edge techniques. Join us for screenings, panels, and industry networking as we bring the festival back to its vibrant, creative roots—where storytellers and fans unite to celebrate the art of animation.
All showings are free of charge and open to everyone.
The festival is generously supported by Film Tampa Bay, the UT College of Arts and Letters, and UT’s Department of Film, Animation, and New Media.
For more information, contact Gregg Perkins at hello@tampaanimationfestival.com.
Our Team
Gregg Perkins
Director
Gregg Perkins was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and currently lives in Tampa, Florida. He received a BA in philosophy and an MFA in painting from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Utilizing film, video, photography, digital media and historical research, his work questions how the fictional can alter the construction of cultural and social narratives. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, recently appearing at Bleu Acier Gallery, Tampa, FL, the North Carolina Museum of Art, and the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, FL. His films have screened at the Dallas, Sarasota, SoundUnseen and Wisconsin Film Festivals. He is currently a Professor and Chair of the Film, Animation and New Media Department at The University of Tampa.
Derek Horne
Programmer
Derek Horne has been working in programming for 20 years, including film festivals coast to coast from Newport (R.I.) to Newport Beach (Calif). Currently, Derek is the Director of Programming for the Annapolis Film Festival in the Spring and the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival in the Fall. Derek worked in the Filmmaker Services Department at the Sundance Film Festival for six years and he was the Film Coordinator at Chapman University’s film school for over ten years handling the distribution of thousands of student films and promoting the careers of many talented emerging artists. Derek was the founding editor of Kodak’s student filmmaking magazine and has written articles for their “In Production, On Campus” newsmagazine and for IndieWire.
Dana Corrigan
Assistant Director
Dana Corrigan has an MFA in Animation from Savannah College of Art and Design and had her BA from the University of Tampa in Electronic Media Art and Technology. She has been teaching at the college level since 2011, and classes she teaches include 2D Animation I and II, 3D Animation, Digital Art, and Digital Drawing. Additionally, she has taught at the University of South Florida, Elite Animation Academy and ITU including courses in Visual Storytelling, 2D Animation Production, Character Concept Design and Motion Graphics, and was a consultant for the Neuro-shifts animation team for content aimed for neuro-divergent adults and their families. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Film Animation and New Media Department at The University of Tampa.
Abby Byrne
Associate Director
Abby Byrne is a producer based in Tampa, Florida. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, she earned a BFA in Film and Media Arts, with a minor in Business Administration, from the University of Tampa. Over 7+ years in the production industry, Abby has worn many hats, leading crews from fewer than 10 people to more than 70. Her work spans from animation project management, off-grid productions, to celebrity talent, for clients from Fortune 500 companies to local brands. Known for her work ethic, her commitment to storytelling, and her clear communication, Abby is passionate about empowering filmmakers and is thrilled to collaborate with such a talented team at the Tampa Animation Festival.
Gina Bernardini
Creative Associate
Gina Bernardini is a stop motion animator and muralist based in Chicago, IL. She is a graduate from the University of Tampa, where she earned a BFA in Animation and a BS in Mathematical Programming. Currently working as a freelance artist, she collaborates with clients to form their visual language through animation, design, or public art, from concepts through to final product execution. Gina's films have been screened at Gasparilla International Film Festival, SIGGRAPH, and Tampa Animation Festival. She is currently attending Aardman Academy online to further her strengths in animation, and is very hopeful to someday work on a stop motion feature film crew.
Santiago Echeverry
Website and Digital Media
Santiago Echeverry is a Colombian-American New Media Artist and Educator, with a background in Video Art, Performance Art, Interactive Media, and Artivism. Participating since 1989 in some of the most important film and media festivals in the world, Echeverry is considered a pioneer in Net Art and LGBTQ+ Filmmaking in Latin America. In 1992, he graduated top of the inaugural class of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia’s Film and Television School. In 1995, he was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Grant to earn his Master’s degree in Interactive Telecommunications at NYU. He started teaching at the University of Tampa in 2005, got tenured in 2009, and promoted to full Professor in 2022 as a founding member of the Film, Animation and New Media Department. His research is focused on front-end development, UI/UX, generative AI, and creative coding.
FESTIVAL HISTORY
The Tampa Animation Festival was founded in 2018 by Gregg Perkins, Warren Cockerham, and Santiago Echeverry. Cockerham served as the festival's founding Technical Director, helping establish the technical foundation for its first editions.
For its inaugural edition in 2018, the festival welcomed University of Tampa animation alumnus Brad Schiff of LAIKA Studios back to his alma mater to present the film Coraline.
Originally planned to run every two years, the festival's next edition was derailed in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tampa Animation Festival re-emerged in 2025 and will run annually going forward.
The University of Tampa is a private, residential university located on 110 acres on the riverfront in downtown Tampa. Known for academic excellence, personal attention and real-world experience in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the University serves approximately 9,300 students from 50 states and 132 countries. Approximately 60 percent of full-time students live on campus, and more than half of UT students are from Florida.