It seems that you cannot secure a job or grow your career in a job market hit by layoffs, exploitative or fake job listings, and companies replacing workers with generative AI. The landscape within the entertainment industry is unfortunately no exception. What’s worse, artists, screenwriters, and other storytellers are taking the hit, from recent graduates trying to land their first job to experienced talent being terminated from their roles. Several major film and animation studios are committing to mass layoffs, poor working conditions have led to ongoing strikes, and company executives are doubling down on their decisions to integrate AI into their process at the expense of human employees. As a result of these factors, many creatives have become disillusioned with the industry as a whole, and are pivoting into making projects independently. So, instead of focusing on the slop being churned out by out-of-touch film studios, why not try supporting smaller creators with big ideas?

 
The projects listed below (in no particular order) are human-made, ranging from emerging talent and budding studios, to seasoned veterans with industry experience who wish for more creative freedom, wanting to break away from the limitations of working for a larger company that may not fairly value or compensate their work. A quick disclaimer: this collection is specific to animated series and films made independently, meaning, they aren’t backed by major studios or conglomerates. Many independent projects deserve support outside of solely animated series/films, such as video games, comics, non-animated films/series, and other creative media which we would love to cover in future installments. The hyperlinks can take you to the creators’/projects’ Instagram profiles, funding announcements, or websites/streaming locations. Let’s begin!

— Knights of Guinevere (GLITCH Productions): Sci-fi psychological thriller series by co-creators Zach Marcus, John Bailey Owen, and Dana Terrace, best known for creating the Disney Channel fantasy television series The Owl House (2020-2023). The show follows disenfranchised Park Planet workers Andi and Frankie, who encounter and aim to repair a damaged android, park mascot Guinevere, unraveling harrowing secrets along the way. The pilot is available to watch on YouTube, and GLITCH has greenlit more episodes for the series following its positive reception.

— ASALi: Power of the Pollinators by Maya Penn, Uppendo Productions (out on YouTube): “Asali survived the collapse of her bee colony, thanks to her Queen Mother. Now in her adulthood, she must face the monstrous embodiment of deforestation haunting her family’s past in order to save their home, with the help of new pollinator friends, a mysterious scientist, and a magical guardian of legend.” While the linked short film works as a standalone, creator Maya Penn has expressed desires to transform this concept into an animated series!

— The Ebony Witch by @poppyhin (pilot on YouTube): A fantasy film project about a young witch named Ebony who aims to hone her powers to take down a wicked monarch. The film aims to be the first of a six-part series exploring this magical world.— Stuck in the Globosphere by Anya Butler (Kickstarter live): Two very different teenagers are transported into a seemingly idyllic world when they tumble into a snow globe at an old antique shop, but soon realize their presence will have massive consequences. 

— hey. by Al-Tariq Harris (Kickstarter live): A young mid-20s Black couple navigate life, love, and friendship through their interpersonal relationships. Harris describes the series as “created in loving response to every classic black sitcom that came before it, [with a mission] to create a black led sitcom that prioritizes love and optimism just as much as it prioritizes comedy and engaging character animation.”

— WHERE IS TRACY MADDISON by WISHBONE Animation (Kickstarter live): A horror-mystery animated series following the disappearance of the titular character. The case of the missing 19-year-old Tracy goes cold until two struggling film students revisit it and uncover a horrifying paranormal danger lurking in the quiet town. 

— The Three Tomes by Breana (Williams) Navickas (pilot episode out on YouTube, with the Kickstarter for the second episode coming June 2026): A queer YA coming-of-age romantasy set in the 2010s Midwest about a Black teen witch falling in love with vampires and trying to contain unleashed mystical spirits.

— MMANWU by @zomastudios (Kickstarter open to late donations): Ogechi, a Nigerian-American teen, visits Nigeria after the death of her grandfather, but is forced to confront her dual identity and aspects of Igbo culture that she does not understand. A short film project that combines magical realism with horror “to explore themes of grief, spirituality, and cross-cultural understanding.”

— FLY: A Magical Black Boy Series by Jason Raymond (Kickstarter nearly live): A Bildungsroman about Black kids who grow wings and “finally have power to fight back against systems designed against them,” with fundraising for a pilot animatic opening soon. The synopsis celebrates FLY as a story in which “[Black boys] can save the world and still be allowed to be kids.” Raymond is also the mind behind WAVES, an animated short film that released last month encouraging Black boys to take pride in their flow.

— STRIKE by Parotial Films (Kickstarter live): “In the age of early humanity, one girl’s defiance brings the truth to light, and must make the choice to share it, or stay in the dark.” A moving story that follows protagonist Kit as she faces this dilemma.

— The Lovers by Studio Heartbreak (out Summer 2026): I had previously mentioned this project here, and excitingly, it is expected to be released on YouTube this summer! A sapphic dark fantasy short film revolving around a seafood chef and a siren, set in the Philippines.

— Clara and the Below by Matt Braly (Kickstarter funded, in production): Creator and executive producer of the Disney Channel portal fantasy animated series Amphibia (2019-2022), Braly is now working on Clara and the Below, a gothic horror reimagining of The Nutcracker where Clara races against time to save her father from a mysterious ailment. The pilot episode’s anticipated release date is Christmas 2026.

— The Moon Odyssey by Dom and Kay Synclaire (Kickstarter live): An adventure miniseries about an estranged family of Black space pilots searching for their missing family member. About the creators: “Dom and Kay aim to highlight stories centered on Black and Brown women who are powerful, magical, whimsical, and everything in between. [The Moon Odyssey] is their first project of many to come.”

— Tales of Zale by Sif Savery (Kickstarter fully funded, open for late pledges): “Equipped with a wobbly compass and a positive attitude, a young fox named Zale ventures into the forbidden city ruins to find his long-lost mom. Little does he know that he’s about to uncover a tale that others would rather leave forgotten…”

— TABOO by KARABURAN Studio (Backerkit): A folk horror miniseries about a girl who returns to her grandmother’s secluded village to unwind, but is forced to spend a night alone near the burial of a forgotten ancestor to honor them. While the project did not reach its original Kickstarter goal, the team has since redirected and plans to relaunch their campaign on Backerkit in June 2026.

This list is not all-encompassing, but your next favorite animated show or film might be here, or these projects of today could become the inspirational catalysts for the creative minds who will bring the next best thing to life. When you highlight, fund, or share these projects, you  help creatives keep control of their work and bring new ideas to life—without having to rely on large corporations.