AM Summit 2025 Day 2 blends anime mastery with production grit and visionary panels

The second day of India’s premier animation celebration, the Animation and More (AM) Summit and Ann Awards, organised by AnimationXpress, soared to new creative heights. Building on the momentum of Day 1, the summit transformed into a full-day spectacle of imagination, innovation, and global storytelling excellence. 

The second day brought together a stellar lineup of animation legends, anime visionaries, studio heads, and creative pioneers whose work continues to shape the future of content across borders. With immersive showcases, thought-provoking panels, and cross-cultural exchanges, Day 2 epitomised the summit’s theme, leaving attendees energised, enlightened, and ready to reimagine the possibilities of animation and anime in a rapidly evolving digital world.

The day opened with a special address titled The Future in Motion: New-Gen Animation from India by Assemblage Entertainment CEO Arjun Madhavan, who highlighted how local studios are shaping original IP for global markets. Continuing this momentum, Assemblage Entertainment CG co-head Vidit Kundra and animation director Chetan Tahashildar presented Crafting Characters, Creating Stories: The Making of Wolf King & Sneaks, offering an inside look at the creative process that shaped the animated films. From breathing life into soulful, talking sneakers to constructing a feral fantasy kingdom, the session spotlighted the intricate art of character development and immersive world-building that drives compelling storytelling.

Meanwhile, behind closed doors, selected industry experts gathered for the Animation Roundtable, an exclusive, invite-only session to discuss pressing opportunities and challenges shaping the animation business.

The session ahead, The Creative Spark Meets the Code: AI in Art, Animation & Storytelling featured Autodesk India & SAARC senior solutions engineer M&E Samit Shetty, who delved into how AI is reshaping art, animation, and storytelling, showcasing innovative tools and techniques that empower creators to push creative boundaries.

In a thought-provoking session, 88 Pictures founder and studio head Siddhie Mhambre, Zebu Animation Studios founder & creative director Veerendra Patil and art director & co-founder Venkataramanan K in conversation with AnimationXpress founder, chairman and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, spoke on Collaboration in the Times of Competition, highlighting the importance of alliances in a competitive landscape.

This was followed by another thought-provoking chat with Paperboat Design Studios co- founder and chief creative director Soumitra Ranade and Plexus Motion director and co-founder Yashoda Parthasarthy in the chat Exploring Adult Animation. The speakers explored how animation serves as a powerful tool for conveying emotional depth and complexity, especially in stories aimed at mature audiences.

Post lunch was the biggest highlight of the day with the presence of director Tetsurō Araki. A chat with him was moderated by 88 Pictures founder and CEO Milind D. Shinde. His appearance marked a historic moment for the summit, giving fans and professionals rare access to the creative mind behind Attack on Titan and Death Note.

The summit was then advanced by Maxon training manager Jonas Pilz who delivered a presentation on Advanced VFX Workflows Made Easy, showcasing streamlined workflows using ZBrush, Cinema 4D, Redshift, and Red Giant. This session offered emerging animators a valuable opportunity to gain firsthand insights into industry tools from an experienced professional.

The day continued with Charuvi Design Labs founder and director Charuvi Agrawal at the session Exploring Usage of CGI and Animation Beyond Films and Shows, where she shed light on how CGI and animation are expanding into new artistic and commercial avenues, offering the audience valuable insights into the evolving role of CGI in today’s industry.

The stage then came alive with the Official Transmedia Launch of Captain Raaj, presented by Carmond Infinity founder Ananthakrishnan T U, creative director Visakh PK and sales & operation head Devi Priyadarsini. Weekend Blockbusters producer and founder Sophia Paul, who could not make it to the event due to a last minute emergency, shared her video message of the collaboration with Carmond on Captain Raaj. Following the success of Minnal Murali on Netflix and Detective Ujjwalan, Captain Raaj marked the debut of a new original superhero in the Weekend Cinematic Universe. 

In the Ink and Imagination showcase, RRD visualiser Sai Keerthi Akaash, Entangled Studio CEO & director Shubhranshu Singh, and Studiokapi0369 director Ananth Maruthi Perla presented their distinctive artwork and styles, while sharing insights into their creative inspirations and unique work formats.

Expanding on international collaborations, Jetro (Japan External Trade Organization) India chief director general Takashi Suzuki spoke on India-Japan partnerships in animation and media.

Adding a dash of production reality, Ghost Note Media co-founders and creative directors Nandini Godara and Shikha Sharma led the session Deadlines, Budgets, Chaos, Animation: Making-of ‘Bhool Chuk Maaf’ Title Sequence. They shared how tight timelines, budget constraints, and creative chaos shape the final output, offering a candid look into the behind-the-scenes hustle of animation production.

Bringing a fresh perspective to close the summit, writer and film critic Hassan Muthalib joined Vaanarsena Studios senapati Vivek Ram for the final session of Day 2, Animating Asean’s Soul. The chat celebrated regional storytelling traditions and cultural authenticity, highlighting how deeply rooted narratives from Southeast Asia continue to inspire and enrich the global animation landscape. It was a fitting finale to a summit that championed creativity beyond borders.

The day then culminated in the much-awaited moment, the prestigious Ann Awards 2025, honouring the best in animation across categories and celebrating excellence on a national and global scale.

Day 2 of the AM Summit 2025 delivered a vibrant mix of creative showcases, global collaborations, and visionary insights. As the final day of India’s premier animation celebration came to a close, the summit left behind a powerful legacy of imagination, innovation, and cultural exchange. It was a fitting finale to a transformative event that reaffirmed animation’s role as a driving force in shaping stories, industries, and global creative dialogue.

The event was presented by Anime Times and Toyota, co-powered by Yotta. The gold partners were 88 Pictures, ARK, Maxon, Epic Games, and Unreal Engine, while silver partners included Redington, Autodesk, and Zebu Animation Studios. Datsi was the talent development partner and the associate partners were Fuji Film and Sony YAY!. PlayStation was the official gaming partner, with Powerkids Entertainment as the lanyards and badges partner.

Further enriching the summit, Shinchan: Spicy Kasukabe Dancers in India was on board as the delegate bag partner, Bright Outdoor Media as outdoor partner, and Jetro and MDEC as country partners. Industry partners included Captain Raaj, Huion, IICT, Toonz Media Group, Toonsutra and XP Pen. The festival partner is DigiCon6 Asia and the education partners are Atlas (ISDI), Arena FC College, Cosmos Creative Academy, Dr DY Patil School of Design, Frameboxx 2.0, ITM Skills University, Incube 8, KES College, MAAC, RJ College, Prime Focus Academy, Thakur College, MIT Art Design & Technology University, Mithibai College, Tron Education, Srajan College of Design, Veda Institute, Whistling Woods International and Zica.

Also read: From industry shakeups to indie brilliance, AM Summit Day 1 sparks dialogue and celebrates pioneers

Also read: Anime India 2025: Country’s first giant anime event gathers 29,000 attendees in Mumbai

Also read: Ann Awards 2025 celebrates outstanding talent: Here’s the complete list of winners