Kicking off coverage of the 2026 Tribeca Festival is the first of two groups selected by Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg. Here are my highlights of the seven shorts in “Whoopi’s Wonderful World of Animation”, as well as exclusive filmmaker statements for Animation Scoop. For info and tickets to all Tribeca events, visit TribecaFilm.com. (Shorts are listed here in the order presented on the Tribeca website.)

“ROAR” takes you on a memorable journey through the city of San Francisco with young Tora and her mom.

This statement is from the filmmaking team: “ROAR tells the deeply personal story of Tora, a non-verbal neurodivergent young girl who is uprooted from the familiar streets of Tokyo and thrust into the vibrant hills of San Francisco. For Tora, the world is a chaotic sensory landscape. Unable to find words for her joy or her grief, she navigates this transition through her headphones, finding her “voice” within the rhythm of a K-Pop-inspired anthem that mirrors her own feelings of being an outsider in a world that wasn’t built for her. ‘At its heart, ROAR is a love letter to the resilience of the neurodivergent spirit and to the city of San Francisco itself,’ says the Director Jesse Weglein and Producer Barbara Lowenstein. ‘We wanted to capture the city’s celebrated diversity through Tora’s unique eyes. From the quiet, traditional grace of Japantown to the welcoming neon-lit pride of the Castro, it is a diaspora story about a family learning that finding where you belong isn’t about fitting into a mold, but rather about finding the courage to let your true self be heard.’ The animation blends a high-detail 2D-3D-AI hybrid pipeline and art direction design to mirror Tora’s unique sensory processing with hypersaturated colors and hues. The centerpiece of the film, a K-Pop inspired original track, serves as Tora’s internal monologue, transforming her silence into a powerful, universal visual roar. Illuminai Studios is incredibly grateful to Whoopi Goldberg and everyone at Tribeca Festival for selecting ROAR amongst a starfilled sky of incredible films. This animation has been a labor of love for over a year and we hope audiences will feel inspired and emotionally resonate with Tora and her discovery that the most profound communication sometimes happens when no words are spoken at all.” — “ROAR” Team

“ChikaBOOM!” is an enthusiastic, positively-spirited short about the daughter of a magician who’s aspiring to pull-off a trick of her own, with some unexpected inspiration.

“Our team is deeply honored that ChikaBOOM! has been selected to premiere at the Tribeca Animated Short Film Competition curated by the incomparable Ms. Whoopi Goldberg. We wanted the film to be imbued with a sense of joy — an adventure about the pursuit of magic through the eyes of a child who may not fully understand it yet, but follows and loves it instinctively nonetheless. I hope audiences reconnect with that sense of wonder and leave the film looking for a little more magic in their own lives. – c. Craig Patterson, Director

What happens when a young woman is aggressively bothered by the noises of her neighbors? “Dear Upstairs Neighbors” presents the visual interpretations of these sounds in vibrant ways.

“It is a profound honor to have “Dear Upstairs Neighbors” selected for its World Premiere at the Tribeca Festival!  The story comes from my personal experience of living in an apartment building during the pandemic, where everyone was stuck at home and I would start hearing all kinds of crazy sounds coming from my neighbors. I decided to express some of my complicated emotions in a healthy way, through a short film. I also wanted to explore artistic expression for visual storytelling. I grew up going to many art galleries and museums, and I’ve always been inspired by the variety of styles and the feelings they would evoke. I wanted to see if we could combine contemporary fine art with animation, and express my character’s emotions through the visual style. With the help of our crew, we were able to make that vision come true. I hope this film resonates with people who have shared experiences.” — Director Connie He

“Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe!” centers on a group of kids in the clouds, including a boy named Yios. Themes of friendship and family shine through.

“Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe! is a tale of a child struggling with their differences, their “too much-ness”. About searching for their place in the world that seems to have no space for them. And first and foremost, about finding their way – not by magically becoming different, not by eliminating the problem, but by learning to understand themselves and their own needs. Perhaps the nostalgic aspect of the main character, a personification of a past self, led me to connect this tale with old myths. And so a mythical world was born, inhabited by strange children. At its core, the film is an invitation to open up a conversation about belonging and self-acceptance with audiences of all ages, and it means so much to us to see it resonate not only in Europe, but now also across the Atlantic at Tribeca. Being selected for Whoopi’s Wonderful World of Animation is an extraordinary honor for us. It is the first time a Czech and Slovak film has been included in this selection, which makes the moment even more meaningful.” — Director Andrea Szelesova

A ladybug is taught by a spider how to fly in sweet and lively “Grounded”.

“We’re incredibly honoured to have Grounded screen at Tribeca Festival this year! Grounded explores anxiety and the quiet power of emotional support, all through the lens of a nervous ladybug and a supportive spider. The film reinforces that sometimes meaningful things take time and it’s perfectly okay to progress at your own pace. Having Grounded screen at Tribeca Festival feels like our film is reflecting real life, where our own stress and anxiety is being replaced with the joy and excitement of showcasing our New Zealand made film on the world stage. We are very thankful to Whoopi Goldberg and the Tribeca team for supporting our little ladybug film.” – Director Chris Callus and Producer Adam Reynolds

In the fun “Leg Day”, a penguin uses snowballs as weights in an exercise regimen.
“We are at a loss for words after being selected for Tribeca 2026, especially knowing that the film was personally selected by Whoopi Goldberg. Leg Day is our very first film, and receiving the approval of such a prestigious festival on our first attempt means more than words can express. 

In many ways, Leg Day was born out of limitations. As our first attempt at telling stories through moving images, we decided to start small and avoid being overly ambitious. So we challenged ourselves: one character, one location, one action… With these very strict limitations, could we tell a creative story that would resonate with a broader audience — and perhaps even emotionally move them? We came up with around ten ideas within those constraints, and from them we chose Leg Day to bring to life. Even though it is a simple story, it touches on themes that feel meaningful and true to modern life, such as the intense pursuit of physical enhancement and vanity driven by social media — but with a twist. I believe the selection to Tribecahighlights the power of storytelling, even under strict limitations. We hope you all enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed creating it. And never skip leg day!” — Director Joao Lauro Fonte

And compelling “WHALE 52 — Suite For Man, Boy, And Whale”, animated by the iconic Bill Plympton, is about an 80-year-old man who mentors a young boy. They discover so much about each other through many methods of communication.

“At the heart of WHALE 52 – SUITE FOR MAN, BOY, AND WHALE is the basic need to communicate and connect with others. Our legendary animator, Bill Plympton, connects with audiences through his drawings. Screenwriter Edward Jordon connects via his words and story. Composers Scott Li and Qiujiang Levi Lu communicate through music, aligning every note with the work of Editor Owen Andrejco. My role, as director of ‘Whale 52…,’ was to unite – and guide – all these unique, passionate voices. We’re extremely grateful to Tribeca and Whoopi Goldberg for the opportunity to share our collaborative work. Hopefully our 11-minute film – starring Bruce Vilanch – will resonate and remain with your audiences far longer than 11-minutes because they’ll recognize a bit of ‘WHALE 52…’ in themselves and all of us.” – Director Daniel Neiden