SHINING ISLE PRODUCTIONS TO SHOWCASE PIPELINE OF “THE WINGFEATHER SAGA”
AT ANNECY MIFA
NEWS SOURCE: Biscuit Media
Nashville-based Animation Studio Continues to Advance its Character Animation Pipeline Using Unreal Engine that Establishes a New Benchmark for Hand-painted CG Production.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. 22 June, 2026 — As The Wingfeather Saga prepares for its highly anticipated fourth season this fall, Shining Isle Productions is bringing the hit animated series to the Annecy International Animation Film Market (MIFA), celebrating a year of major milestones that includes becoming Angel’s top-rated series and securing a Season 5 greenlight. On 24 June at Annecy, the studio will spotlight the real-time production techniques and Unreal Engine pipeline helping redefine what’s possible for independent television animation.
Based on the bestselling fantasy novels by Andrew Peterson, The Wingfeather Saga has become one of the most successful independent animated series in recent years. Following the release of Season 3 in the U.S., the series became the No. 1 rated series on Angel in 2025.
Continuing its international roll out, Season 3: The Ice Prairies debuted in May on Canal+.
“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,” says Showrunner and Executive Producer J. Chris Wall.
Season 4 is scheduled to premiere this fall, and Season 5 has recently been greenlit for production by Angel and Shining Isle.
With a planned seven-season story arc, The Wingfeather Saga continues to expand its audience while demonstrating the viability of creator-driven, independently financed animation. As part of Annecy’s programming, on Wednesday, 24 June at 13:30pm, Shining Isle Productions Vice President of Production Keith Lango will join Epic Games to present: “Painted Worlds: 5 Years of TV Animation in Unreal.”
The presentation will explore the production pipeline and creative innovations that have enabled The Wingfeather Saga to leverage Unreal Engine across multiple seasons of television animation. In addition, Lango and President Brock Starnes will be demonstrating the series’ Unreal Engine workflow intermittently at the Epic Games booth.
Produced by Shining Isle Productions, The Wingfeather Saga is distributed by Angel with additional international distribution by Lion Forge Entertainment. The series has garnered a passionate global fanbase through its unique combination of cinematic storytelling, cutting-edge real-time production technology, and faithful adaptation of Peterson’s beloved books.
About Shining Isle: Nashville-based Shining Isle Productions brings together world-class animation talent, IP franchise expertise, and a love of whimsical and meaningful stories. The studio has developed a proprietary character animation pipeline using Unreal Engine that establishes a new benchmark hand-painted CG production. The team brings decades of experience from Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, Valve, Blue Sky Studios, and VeggieTales. Their first project, The Wingfeather Saga animated series, is scheduled to release Season Four in Fall 2026 and Season Five in Fall 2027.
Wingfeather Saga at MIFA: 5 Years of TV Animation in Unreal Engine