Open Source Days 2025

Open Source Days 2025

August 10 | Vancouver, British Columbia
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Note: The schedule is subject to change.

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9:00am PDT

Registration + Badge Pick-up

Sunday August 10, 2025 9:00am - 5:50pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom Foyer

Sunday August 10, 2025 9:00am - 5:50pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom Foyer

Registration / Breaks / Special Events

10:00am PDT

Keynote: State of the Foundation - David Morin, Executive Director, Academy Software Foundation

Sunday August 10, 2025 10:00am - 10:20am PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Speakers

David Morin

Executive Director, Academy Software Foundation

Sunday August 10, 2025 10:00am - 10:20am PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Keynote Sessions

10:25am PDT

Keynote Session To Be Announced

Sunday August 10, 2025 10:25am - 10:55am PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Sunday August 10, 2025 10:25am - 10:55am PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Keynote Sessions

11:00am PDT

Blender: Innovation in Open Source - Francesco Siddi, Blender

Sunday August 10, 2025 11:00am - 11:20am PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

After providing a brief update on the latest Blender development, and an exciting follow-up on the "industry adoption" presentation from the previous year, the presentation focuses on the topic of innovation. How does a public, community-centric, open source project maintain a healthy balance of maintenance, research and development and fun? Let's find out.

Speakers

Francesco Siddi

General Manager, Blender

With a background in industrial design, Francesco joined Blender in 2012 as a 3D artist and has been contributing to the project ever since in various roles, organizing events, designing and developing software and producing open movie projects. He is currently General Manager at... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 11:00am - 11:20am PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

11:25am PDT

Adopting OpenRV at Netflix Animation Studios - Mark Reid & Manuel Macha, Netflix Animation Studios

Sunday August 10, 2025 11:25am - 11:45am PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

This presentation proposal showcases how Netflix Animation Studios have enhanced their review workflows by leveraging open-source software. We detail our transition from Autodesk’s RV to it’s open-source counterpart OpenRV. How OpenRV allowed us to rapidly address bugs and add features, all of which we in the process of contributing back to the project. We will discuss challenges in deploying OpenRV in our pipeline and will present two new areas of improvement: a Timeline Editor as well as new Streaming capabilities. The Timeline Editor, a custom multitrack view in OpenRV, addresses our team's requests for enhanced editing and retiming capabilities. It operates independently of in-house libraries, with an open-source release planned for Open Source Days 2025. Additionally, we've added streaming capabilities into OpenRV using the OpenRV OutputPlugin API and open-source libraries like FFmpeg and SRT. This enables seamless streaming to various online services, simplifying review setups.

Speakers

Manuel Macha

Supervising Technical Director - Imaging, Netflix Animation Studios

Manuel Macha, with over 20 years experience in the Animation and VFX industry, began in artistic roles like animation and lighting before transitioning to the technical side, specializing in tools and pipeline development. At Netflix Animation Studios, he leads the Imaging team, responsible... Read More →

Mark Reid

Technical Director, Netflix Animation Studios

Mark Reid is a Technical Director based in Sydney, with over 20 years in the industry. He has extensive experience developing VFX and animation pipelines for both series and films. Starting as a Compositor, he advanced to VFX Supervisor, managing a department known for making talking... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 11:25am - 11:45am PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

11:50am PDT

SYCL: A Write Once, Deploy Many, Solution for Cross-Vendor GPGPU Software - Sebastian Herholz, Intel Corporation & Stefan Werner, Intel

Sunday August 10, 2025 11:50am - 12:10pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

In recent years, more and more workloads in the VFX industry started utilizing both CPUs and GPUs or moved entirely to the GPU. Porting CPU code to run efficiently on GPUs of different vendors usually requires writing and supporting multiple backends, where each one is written using vendor-specific and proprietary languages, like CUDA, HIP, or Metal.
SYCL is an open standard initiated by the Khronos group that Intel uses to write cross-vendor GPU code that can run on Intel and on Nvidia or AMD GPUs.
In this talk, we will briefly overview SYCL, its current state, and how it is used to write efficient single-code base and cross-vendor GPU solutions. To demonstrate the usefulness of SYCL in the VFX environment, we present the results of a case study based on Blender’s Cycles renderer and its integrated oneAPI SYCL backend. Our benchmarks show that using the oneAPI SYCL backend on Nvidia or AMD GPUs reaches 96% of the performance of the native CUDA and 84% of the native HIP backend.

Speakers

Sebastian Herholz

Ray Tracing Engineer, Intel Corporation

Sebastian Herholz is a ray tracing engineer and light transport researcher at Intel. His main research work focuses on advanced importance sampling techniques such as path guiding. In 2020, joined Intel to work on making state-of-the-art rendering algorithms ready for daily use... Read More →

Stefan Werner

Ray Tracing Software Engineer, Intel

Stefan Werner is a Ray Tracing Software Engineer at Intel with over 20 years of expertise in computer graphics development. He is a contributor to Cycles and Blender, and previously worked as a software engineer at Tangent Animation and Smith Micro.

Sunday August 10, 2025 11:50am - 12:10pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

12:10pm PDT

Lunch

Sunday August 10, 2025 12:10pm - 1:10pm PDT

Sunday August 10, 2025 12:10pm - 1:10pm PDT

Registration / Breaks / Special Events

1:10pm PDT

My Boss Needs To Know: Open Source Is the Future (Help Me Prove It!) - Arnaud Grosjean, Moment Factory

Sunday August 10, 2025 1:10pm - 1:30pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Ever felt like you had the perfect arguments for adopting Open Source, but weren't sure if they'd land with management? Your host too!
Arnaud Grosjean is on a mission to convince his boss, and all he needs is your help. In this interactive session, he will briefly present the case he is building. You, the audience, will be the judges!
Use live polling and help him refine the ultimate pitch. Let's collaboratively build a boss-proof case for Open Source! You'll leave not only having helped Arnaud but with battle-tested arguments for your own advocacy efforts.
Warning: This talk is highly likely to spark passionate debates that may continue well beyond the session room... possibly adjourning to the nearest bar!

Speakers

Arnaud Grosjean

Engineer & Creative Technologist, Moment Factory

Arnaud is an engineer and creative technologist specializing in multimedia and interactive design. He brings a holistic vision, blending IT, network, AV, and software expertise to ensure long-term operational efficiency. At Moment Factory, he leads a multidisciplinary group within... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 1:10pm - 1:30pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

1:35pm PDT

Flowpipe - VFX Production Proofen Flow-based Programming - Jonas Sorgenfrei, RISE FX

Sunday August 10, 2025 1:35pm - 1:45pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

This session explores how the open source Python framework Flowpipe is used to build flexible, flow-based automation pipelines in VFX production. Flowpipe enables leightweight node-based, data-driven workflow definitions that improve maintainability and clarity across tools and processes.

Using real-world examples from the RISE FX pipeline, the presentation covers Flowpipe’s architecture, its integration with various applications, and how it streamlines tasks like shot and asset processing, validation, and publishing. The session highlights the benefits of adopting flowpipe in production environments, including scaliblity, modularity, and ease of collaboration.

The session will give a practical understanding of how Flowpipe supports scalable, automated workflows in modern VFX pipelines.

Speakers

Jonas Sorgenfrei

Senior FX/Pipeline TD, RISE FX

Jonas Sorgenfrei has been a Senior FX/Pipeline TD at RISE FX in Berlin since 2020. With a strong passion for computer graphics and visual storytelling, his recent credits include The Last Voyage of the Demeter, The Matrix Resurrections, and Hawkeye. In addition to his role as Head... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 1:35pm - 1:45pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Lightning Talk

1:50pm PDT

Advances in Order Independent Transparency for Real-Time and Virtual Production Workflows - Preetish Kakkar, Adobe

Sunday August 10, 2025 1:50pm - 2:10pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Order Independent Transparency remains one of the most technically persistent and visually critical challenges in real-time rendering pipelines, especially in game engines and digital content creation. Traditional alpha blending techniques require precise sorting of geometry by depth, which breaks down in dynamic scenes with intersecting geometry, high object counts, or layered effects. This talk will unpack why OIT is a practical necessity for accurate visual storytelling in VFX and animation pipelines.

The session will

Start with the history of the problem and its impact on current real-time production environments.

Discuss advanced OIT techniques, including Stochastic Transparency, Moment-Based OIT, and Deep Learning-Assisted OIT, with insights into performance, visual fidelity, and integration considerations.

Highlight open-source implementations and potential solutions that are easy to integrate in existing engines or extend OIT in open production pipelines.

Speakers

Preetish Kakkar

Senior Computer Graphics Engineer, Adobe

With over 15 years of experience as a Senior Computer Graphics Engineer, working with industry leaders like Adobe and Microsoft, I bring a wealth of practical knowledge and insights from the cutting edge of technology development. As the author of "The Modern Vulkan Cookbook," I have... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 1:50pm - 2:10pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

2:15pm PDT

Security Audits Are Not Scary - Applying a Novel Approach To an Industry Best Practice for 2 ASWF Pr - Amir Montazery, Open Source Technology Improvement Fund, Inc

Sunday August 10, 2025 2:15pm - 2:35pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

This talk will go over the security audit engagements of OpenEXR and MaterialX. Commissioned and funded by ASWF and executed in early 2025, these engagements took a novel approach of applying security audit principles in a more focused, light-touch review of each respective project. Each engagement was about 40 person-hours and applied traditional best practices of expert third-party review; with a focus on improving the security posture of the project, and identifying high risk operations and code blocks based on the potential attack scenarios identified.

Speakers

Amir Montazery

Managing Director, Open Source Technology Improvement Fund, Inc

Amir Montazery is the Managing Director and Cofounder of Open Source Technology Improvement Fund, Inc (OSTIF). OSTIF is a Chicago-based organization focused on directly helping open-source software projects improve their security posture. Amir comes from a background in Finance, IT... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 2:15pm - 2:35pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

2:40pm PDT

Balancing Stability and Innovation: Hybrid Runtime Environments - Federico Naum, Netflix Animation Studios

Sunday August 10, 2025 2:40pm - 3:00pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

We present a hybrid approach to managing software runtime environments at Netflix Animation Studios (NAS), designed to address the common VFX and Animation industry challenge of balancing stability with the rapid adoption of innovative technologies. We combine an open source containerization technology, Apptainer, with a open source dynamic software environment management, Rez, to effectively run multiple distinct VFX Reference Platform software stacks concurrently on a single host. This approach significantly streamlines the transition between Linux distributions and accelerates the adoption of new software, allowing studios to efficiently manage diverse production needs without compromising stability or performance.

Speakers

Federico Naum

Engineering Manager, Netflix Animation Studios

Engineering Manager at Netflix Animation Studios, with over 16 years of expertise in developing innovative solutions for the VFX industry. Extensive experience in leading software projects, excelling in integrating cutting-edge technologies. Drawing from a background at a mature software... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 2:40pm - 3:00pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

3:00pm PDT

Break

Sunday August 10, 2025 3:00pm - 3:20pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom Foyer

Sunday August 10, 2025 3:00pm - 3:20pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom Foyer

Registration / Breaks / Special Events

3:20pm PDT

Session To Be Announced

Sunday August 10, 2025 3:20pm - 3:40pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Sunday August 10, 2025 3:20pm - 3:40pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

3:45pm PDT

Display Transformers : The Development of ACES 2.0 and It's Implementation on Transformers One - Alex Fry, Industrial Light & Magic

Sunday August 10, 2025 3:45pm - 4:05pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Explore the cross company open source development effort behind the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES) 2.0 Display Transform, and its innovative application in the animated feature Transformers One. This presentation will take you through the journey of ACES 2.0's evolution, from its conceptual foundations, to the practical challenges overcome during its implementation. We’ll highlight how these advancements have significantly improved upon ACES 1.0, particularly in reducing visual artifacts and ensuring consistency across SDR and HDR displays. Through the lens of Transformers One, we'll see how ACES 2.0's enhancements have pushed the boundaries of cinematic colour management and animation.

Speakers

Alex Fry

Senior Color & imaging Engineer, Industrial Light & Magic

Alex Fry is a Senior Colour & Imaging Engineer and Compositing Supervisor with 25 years of experience in visual effects. As a Compositing Supervisor, Fry has worked on films such as The Lego Batman Movie, Captain Marvel and the Peter Rabbit movies. He most recently on Josh Cooley’s... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 3:45pm - 4:05pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

4:10pm PDT

AI as a Public Interest: Toward a Resilient and Open AI Ecosystem - Emily Witko, Hugging Face

Sunday August 10, 2025 4:10pm - 4:30pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

As AI systems become foundational to society, we face a critical juncture: will AI be concentrated in the hands of a few, or will it serve the public good? This talk explores how open-source ecosystems, and Hugging Face’s approach, can ensure AI remains democratic, transparent, and beneficial. Drawing from recent breakthroughs like DeepSeek-R1 and the collaborative training of state-of-the-art (SoTA) open LLMs, I’ll share how openness drives innovation, accountability, and resilience in a rapidly evolving field.

We’ll look at how open model weights, reproducible science, opt-out infrastructure, and community governance aren’t just technical features, they’re ethical commitments. I’ll also unpack the spectrum of openness (from closed APIs to full-stack transparency) and share lessons from Hugging Face’s public interest work, including efforts on responsible dataset documentation, energy impact labeling, and multilingual fairness benchmarking.

Speakers

Emily Witko

Engagement Specialist, Hugging Face

Emily is a people-obsessed engagement specialist with master’s level DEIB training. In their current role at Hugging Face, they source, recruit, hire, develop, and retain top AI talent, with a dedicated focus on decentralized team happiness and growth. Emily thrives in people-centric... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 4:10pm - 4:30pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

4:35pm PDT

ShadingLanguageX - Jacob Thorn, VRBN Studios

Sunday August 10, 2025 4:35pm - 4:55pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

In this session Jacob will present ShadingLanguageX (SLX), an open source shading language that compiles into a MaterialX (.mtlx) file. The language and its compiler were built from the ground up and tailored to the MaterialX specification and its standard node library. Based on the C programming language like many other shading languages, SLX is familiar, with a few novel features such as if and switch expressions instead of statements that are better suited to the underlying MaterialX nodes. SLX supports surface and displacement shader outputs, function and variable declarations, for loops, scope management, arithmetic operators, a standard library of functions, an interactive compiler and more. The compiler takes in an SLX source file and outputs a .mtlx file to be used as you would any other .mtlx file. This allows developers to create more complex networks than is possible using node editors and allows clearer code and faster iterations than using the low-level C++ or python APIs.

Speakers

Jacob Thorn

Senior 3D Software Engineer, VRBN Studios

I am a senior 3D software engineer at vrbn studios where I develop algorithms, write code for processing geometry and shaders for both real-time and offline rendering applications. I am also the developer of the ShadingLanguageX open-source project. I have an MSc in Computer Games... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 4:35pm - 4:55pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

5:00pm PDT

Physical Lighting in OpenUSD - Anders Langlands, NVIDIA

Sunday August 10, 2025 5:00pm - 5:20pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

This session will give an overview of the updates to the UsdLux specification in OpenUSD 25.05, providing clear description of all quantities and behaviors, and what that means for render delegate implementers.

Anders will then show how UsdLux can further be extended with new schemata that allow specifying lighting in absolute, physical units together with measured camera response to generate reliable, physically accurate simulation of lighting and cameras.

Speakers

Anders Langlands

Product Manager, NVIDIA

Anders is a twenty-year visual effects veteran, where he served as an artist, developer and creative supervisor, garnering three Academy Award nominations. Today, as product manager for Rendering in NVIDIA Omniverse, he is focused on physically accurate simulation of all kinds of... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 5:00pm - 5:20pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

5:25pm PDT

Life of Color in Production - Shane Smith, DreamWorks Animation

Sunday August 10, 2025 5:25pm - 5:45pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

This talk discusses how color was represented and moved through the production of DreamWorks Animation’s The Wild Robot, utilizing P3 and ACEScg Wide Color Gamuts. The increased range of color beyond sRGB, allowed visual development artists to be truer to the richer saturated colors found in the natural environments and their created color palettes. It covers how Open Source projects were critical to achieving the creative vision including MoonRay, OpenColorIO, OpenEXR, OpenImageIO, and the Academy Color Encoding System. OIIO was used to embed ICC profiles in images and OCIO applied the ACES workflow. MoonRay produced Wide Color Gamut renders with OpenEXR facilitating the storing of that image data. Transitioning the color workflow of a large studio required close collaboration between production, hardware, and software departments. Some key areas that will be discussed are modifications to artist workflows, texture precision and reworking artists’ mental model of color.

Speakers

Shane Smith

Senior Color Engineer, DreamWorks Animation

Shane Smith is a Senior Color Engineer at DreamWorks Animation with 15 years of experience across visual effects and animation. Shane works on color related technologies including the studio ACES effort, OpenColorIO integration, display evaluations. Across production and post production... Read More →

Sunday August 10, 2025 5:25pm - 5:45pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Session Presentation

5:45pm PDT

Keynote: Closing Remarks - David Morin, Executive Director, Academy Software Foundation

Sunday August 10, 2025 5:45pm - 5:50pm PDT

Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Speakers

David Morin

Executive Director, Academy Software Foundation

Sunday August 10, 2025 5:45pm - 5:50pm PDT
Pinnacle Ballroom 1+2

Keynote Sessions

6:00pm PDT

Beers of a Feather

Sunday August 10, 2025 6:00pm - 8:30pm PDT

Tap & Barrel Convention Center - South Patio

Sunday August 10, 2025 6:00pm - 8:30pm PDT
Tap & Barrel Convention Center - South Patio

Registration / Breaks / Special Events

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