Animation as an art form, communications tool, and popular media phenomenon is in great demand throughout the world. In 2025, KPop Demon Hunters became the most-watched original title in Netflix history, with 325 million views. Recently, the animated Disney film Zootopia 2 became the ninth highest grossing film of all time.
Why do we love animation so much? Experts have long recognized that the abstraction of reality inherent in art and animation allows us to more easily project ourselves into the characters in a story. Additionally, the exaggeration that animators typically employ in their characters enables them to communicate emotion at a level that actors in live-action productions might struggle to achieve. Animator Glen Keane said, “Animation is not so much about moving stuff as it is about moving the audience.” Personally, I have been moved to tears by many a Pixar production (yes, that montage in Up gets me every time).
So, it’s no surprise that animation is a powerful tool for communicating the most important message of all time. 2025 saw the release of not one, but two professional animated feature films on the life of Christ: King of Kings and Light of the World. The Jesus Film Project plans to release their animated feature film, Jesus, most likely in December 2026. They are following the same script as the original 1979 Jesus Film, which ensures that the film can then be released in over 2,000 languages.
At Create AniMissions, we produce animated short films that communicate the gospel story to people groups using their own language, culture, and worldview, specifically honoring their art and music. We find that this practice breaks down barriers that the audience may have and portrays the good news in a way that makes them more likely to accept and embrace it.
We also have a passion for training others to make animated short films to support their gospel-sowing ministries and scripture-engagement projects. At the upcoming EMDC in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we will be providing a four-day training track in the Pre-EMDC Session using the free Blender software program to produce 2D animated short films. If your ministry could benefit from gaining an understand of how to create 2D animation on a budget, this is a great training opportunity, and I would encourage you to register today!
We also offer the online AniMissions Seminar, an eight-week training program on the Campfire Creatives platform. Students not only learn about cross-cultural media strategy and story development, but also all the technical aspects of computer graphics and animation. The cost of the seminar is reasonable, and all the software used is available online for free, including our main 3D animation program, Blender. The next AniMissions Seminar begins on August 10, 2026.
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