Kenna Harris

Kenna Harris
Born
McKenna Jean Harris

(1994-07-14) July 14, 1994 (age 32)
Valencia, California, U.S.
EducationCalArts
Occupations
  • Filmmaker
  • Storyboard artist
Years active2015−present
Employers

Kenna Harris (born July 14, 1994) is an American filmmaker and storyboard artist. They are best known for their work at Pixar, including directing the short film Ciao Alberto (2021) and the feature film Toy Story 5 (2026).

Early life

Harris was born in Valencia, California. By 2014, they graduated from CalArts.

Career

In 2015, they began their career as a character designer on the Cartoon Network series We Bare Bears (2015–16). In 2016, they joined Walt Disney Animation Studios as a storyboard artist where they worked on Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), Frozen 2 (2019), and Raya and the Last Dragon (2021). In 2021, they transitioned to Pixar Animation Studios where they served as a storyboard artist on Luca (2021), directed and wrote the short film Ciao Alberto (2021), and associate executive produced Elemental (2023). In August 2024, they were announced to be making their feature directorial debut as co-director of Toy Story 5 (2026).

Personal life

They are non-binary.

Filmography

Feature films

Year Title Director Writer Story Artist Other Notes/Ref(s)
2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet No No Yes No
2019 Frozen 2 No No Story Apprentice No
2021 Raya and the Last Dragon No No Yes No
Luca No No Story Lead No
2023 Elemental No No No Yes Associate Executive Producer
2024 Inside Out 2 No No Story Supervisor No
2025 Elio No No No Yes Pixar Senior Creative Team
2026 Hoppers No No No Yes
Toy Story 5 Co-Director Yes No Yes

Short films

Year Title Director Writer Other Notes/Ref(s)
2021 Twenty Something No No Yes Story Trust Member
Nona No No Yes Special Thanks
Ciao Alberto Yes Yes No

Television

Year Title Notes/Ref(s)
2015–16 We Bare Bears Character Designer; 41 episodes
2024 Dream Productions Pixar Senior Creative Team

Accolades

Accolades received by McKenna Harris
Award Date Category Nominated work Result Ref(s)
Astra Midseason Movie Awards June 30, 2026 Best Screenplay Toy Story 5 Nominated
Children's and Family Emmy Awards December 10, 2022 Outstanding Short Form Program Ciao Alberto Nominated
Outstanding Directing for an Animated Program Nominated

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 McDonnell, Chris (August 25, 2015). "Artist of the Day: McKenna Harris". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  2. ↑ Hipes, Patrick; Gomez, Dessi (February 19, 2026). "'Toy Story 5' Trailer Teases Toys Vs. Tech Storyline With Greta Lee Voicing Lilypad". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "McKenna Harris". Mubi. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 writeforanimation (March 5, 2024). "McKenna Harris (@kennnajean) is a story artist who has lent her talents to films such as "Raya and the Last Dragon"🐲 "Ralph Breaks the Internet"🌐 and Pixar's "Luca"🐟 She recently wrote and directed the Pixar short film "Ciao Alberto"🌊. We are excited to see what she creates next! #McKennaHarris #CiaoAlberto #WriteForAnimation". Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  5. 1 2 Fuster, Jeremy (August 9, 2024). "'Toy Story 5': Andrew Stanton to Write, Direct Pixar Sequel". TheWrap. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  6. 1 2 Garfinkle, Maddie; Pomarico, Nicole (April 19, 2025). "Toy Story 5: All About the Upcoming Film (and the Unexpected Character It Will Focus On!)". People. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  7. ↑ Wilding, Josh (August 10, 2024). "Disney And Pixar Share First Look At Toy Story 5, Incredibles 3, Inside Out Spin-Off, Frozen 3 And More At D23". Comic Book Movie. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  8. ↑ kennnajean (August 10, 2024). "YEEE-HAW! i'm co-directing toy story 5, and we've been having the best time with the best team ever! 🤠⭐️ so happy to be working with Andrew Stanton and my girl @jesschoismyth on this sweet, sweet movie". Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Post". bsky.app. November 17, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Hollywood Creative Alliance Announces the 2026 Astra Midseason Movie Awards Nominees" (Press release). The Astras. June 26, 2026. Archived from the original on June 27, 2026. Retrieved July 27, 2026.
  11. ↑ "2022 CAFE Nominees (ALL) - The Emmys". Emmy Awards. November 1, 2022. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2025.