The View Conference in Turin, Italy, stands out as a unique experience for speakers and attendees alike. Most, if not all, stay for the duration of the weeklong event, which features keynotes, panels, master classes, workshops and more against the majestic backdrop of the Alps in the northwestern Italian city.
“I’m proud to say that View Conference 2025 is one of our biggest ever events,” conference director Maria Elena Gutierrez says. “This year’s program includes over 135 speakers from around the world, including 14 Academy Award winners and nominees. We have more than 20 in-depth workshops, countless panels and presentations, and two special screenings of blockbuster movies introduced by the filmmakers themselves. The list goes on.”
The conference runs from Oct. 12-17. Speakers include the co-directors of Netflix’s popular “KPop Demon Hunters,” Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans; writer and director of the upcoming Warner Bros. Animation film “Cat in the Hat,” Alessandro Carloni; DreamWorks’ live-action “How to Train Your Dragon” writer-director Dean DeBlois, VFX supervisor and creative director Christian Manz and overall animation supervisor Glen McIntosh; directors of Pixar’s “Elio” Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian; and Netflix’s upcoming “In Your Dreams” directors Alex Woo and Nicky Lavender as well as head of character animation Sacha Kapijimpanga, among many others.
Both “KPop Demon Hunters” and “How to Train Your Dragon” will screen at the conference, each introduced by their creatives. Also, this year’s event will honor Doug Chiang, senior vice president and executive design director of Lucasfilm, with the View Visionary Award for his contributions to the industry.
“One of the biggest thrills of View Conference 2025 will be planning your week,” Gutierrez notes. “Spend a morning in the company of an Oscar-winning filmmaker then, after eating your lunch surrounded by like-minded professionals and enthusiasts, dive deep into your favorite creative discipline with one of our in-depth workshops. You might think the following day is rinse and repeat, but no. Why not enjoy a panel of experts discussing the future of storytelling, or get your portfolio reviewed by a world-class professional artist, or go behind the scenes on one of this year’s blockbuster movies? The next day will be different again. The possibilities are endless.”
Also featured at the conference will be Universal’s upcoming “Wicked: For Good.” VFX supervisor Pablo Helman and animation supervisor Dale Newton will discuss their work on both “Wicked” films and answer audience questions. Other big films represented at the conference are Disney’s “Tron: Ares” and live-action “Lilo & Stitch,” Apple’s “F1,” Warner Bros.’ “Superman,” and Marvel’s “Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
A number of high-profile TV projects are also sending speakers to the View Conference, including Netflix’s “Wednesday” and “The Sandman,” as well as HBO’s “The Penguin.” In addition, the program includes discussions about cutting edge technologies and AI.
“But this is about more than just the numbers,” Gutierrez says. “What people remember about View Conference is our warm, vibrant atmosphere, where attendees get to learn from the best of the best, meet their heroes, and come away feeling truly inspired. It’s what I call the View Conference buzz.”
For Gutierrez and many attendees, the View Conference is mostly about community. Each year, Gutierrez works to bring together like-minded individuals to share ideas and experiences in a relaxed and welcoming setting.
“People come once, and then they stay. They are hooked,” she says. “And whenever they have a new project to present, they want to bring it here and show it off at the View Conference. They make it a priority.” She points out that in most cases, it’s difficult to get 15 minutes with people of the caliber that attend the conference. “So, if you have them around for an entire week, I mean, how special is that?”
