The Wingfeather Saga is moving fast. The hit fantasy series just became the No. 1-rated series on Angel in 2025. Now, its production company is heading to France. Nashville-based Shining Isle Productions is bringing its innovative pipeline to the Annecy International Animation Film Market (MIFA).
The studio is redefining what independent television animation can do.
The Unreal Pipeline Takes the Stage
On Wednesday, June 24, at 1:30 PM, the studio takes the global stage at Annecy. Keith Lango, Vice President of Production, will join Epic Games for a special presentation: “Painted Worlds: 5 Years of TV Animation in Unreal.”
Shining Isle doesn’t make animation the old way. They use Unreal Engine. They built a proprietary character animation pipeline. It blends real-time production tech with hand-painted CG visuals. It is setting a new benchmark for the industry.
Want to see it live? Lango and President Brock Starnes will demonstrate the workflow at the Epic Games booth during the market.
Seven Seasons. Global Reach.
The show is based on the bestselling fantasy novels by Andrew Peterson. The plan is for a complete seven-season story arc.
- Global Rollout: Season 3 (The Ice Prairies) just debuted on Canal+ this past May.
- What’s Next: Season 4 premieres this fall (Fall 2026).
- Future Secured: Season 5 is officially greenlit by Angel and Shining Isle, scheduled for Fall 2027.
The series is produced by Shining Isle. Angel handles distribution, with Lion Forge Entertainment managing additional international distribution.
“Reaching the top-rated series position on Angel is a testament to the incredible work of our artists, storytellers, and production team, as well as the passionate fans who have championed the series from the beginning,” said Showrunner and Executive Producer J. Chris Wall.
The Team
Independent financing does not mean amateur execution. The Shining Isle team brings heavy experience to the table. Their creators have decades of history at powerhouse studios:
- Pixar
- DreamWorks Animation
- Valve
- Blue Sky Studios
- VeggieTales
They brought that expertise to Wingfeather. The result is cinematic storytelling, cutting-edge real-time tech, and a faithful book adaptation. It proved that creator-driven, independently financed animation is highly viable.
Keep your eyes on Annecy this week. Independent animation is flexing its muscles.
Do you watch The Wingfeather Saga?
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