^{Credit: Not Just a Goof (Scenic CNEK, Disney+)}

If you ask a millennial which movie best encapsulates 1995, you might be surprised how many will say A Goofy Movie. Despite not receiving much fanfare from critics, audiences, or even Disney upon release, the film became a perennial favorite on home media. Among the generation who grew up with A Goofy Movie were Chris Ninness and Eric Kimelton. The latter is the nephew of Kevin Lima, the director of Tarzan, Enchanted, and, of course, A Goofy Movie. Even if it weren’t for that relation, Kimelton still would’ve felt a connection to A Goofy Movie, just as a legion of other ‘90s kids did, as well as new fans who are discovering it to this day.  

Ninness and Kimelton explore the film’s production and lasting impact in their documentary Not Just a Goof, which made its Disney+ debut on April 7, 2025, three decades after A Goofy Movie hit theaters. Not Just a Goof has since been nominated at the Annie Awards for Best Animated Special Production. Cartoon Contender spoke with Ninness and Kimelton, as well as producer Scott Seibold, about scoring the Annie nomination, how this documentary was independently made, and why A Goofy Movie is now considered a certified classic.

^{Not Just a Goof Crew at Roy E. Disney Animation Building}

Q: Congratulations on the Annie nomination. Fittingly, A Goofy Movie was nominated for five Annies, one of the only award groups that recognized it at the time. It lost four awards to Pocahontas and one to Gargoyles. If Not Just a Goof wins, though, things may come full circle! How did you react to the nomination?

Chris Ninness: Thank you! Honestly, we were genuinely a little bit surprised. We’re incredibly proud of the animation and the team behind it, and we knew we were up against some very strong work from across the industry. To have the film recognized like this is deeply gratifying and a real credit to everyone who contributed.

Eric Kimelton: I think we’re still reacting. It is so cool to be nominated for our film, which celebrates a film that inspired us to become filmmakers. Every artist that worked on A Goofy Movie deserves the nomination, as our film’s nomination wouldn’t be possible without them. The team that did the animation for our film, did do a pretty amazing job though ;-)

Q: Obviously, Disney had some involvement in the documentary, but to what degree? Were they immediately onboard or did it take some convincing to get their blessing?

Chris Ninness: Actually, less than you might expect. The documentary was developed entirely independently of Disney. Early on, we did discuss the possibility of reaching out to them, both to seek their support and to explore potential funding, but ultimately felt that it might compromise our ability to tell the story ourselves. If the idea resonated with them, it would be understandable for them to want to pursue it internally with collaborators they already knew. For us, it felt important to retain ownership of the story and see it through independently.

Eric Kimelton: Only to add to Chris - we are thankful that Disney saw what we saw and recognized the importance and place of A Goofy Movie. 

^{Kevin Lima, Not Just a Goof}

Q: It also probably helped that Eric is the nephew of Kevin Lima, who directed A Goofy Movie. What was Lima’s reaction when he was first approached about this documentary?

Eric Kimelton: It definitely doesn’t hurt to have an Uncle Kevin. Kevin’s reaction was, “Are you sure you want to do this?” I don't think he could believe someone would want to. He was very humble by it, but he couldn’t have been more supportive. He helped get us in contact with everyone involved with the film.

Q: Scott mentioned that a few production stories didn’t make the final cut. What are some standouts?

Chris Ninness: We did have some stories that didn’t make the final cut, for a variety of reasons. Sometimes a story is remembered differently by different people, and other times it simply doesn’t fit into the narrative we’re trying to tell.

Scott Seibold: We touch briefly in the documentary on some of the early song demos. That was originally a much longer section. Hearing the rough versions was fascinating because you could hear the filmmakers searching for the emotional tone of the movie. Almost in real time. We ultimately agreed the demos were cut for a reason, so we condensed that section for pacing. But it’s a reminder of how exploratory and uncertain the creative process can be. 

Q: You conducted interviews for the film in addition to using archived recordings. Was there anyone you reached out to about interviewing for the film that you couldn’t get? I know how hard Jeffrey Katzenberg is to track down.

Chris Ninness: We gave considerable thought to whether to reach out to Jeffrey Katzenberg for an interview, and ultimately decided not to. From a creative standpoint, we felt it was important to keep the focus on the ragtag team who were truly in the trenches, doing the day-to-day work of bringing the film to life. 

Scott Seibold: Thankfully, everyone we reached out to was genuinely eager to talk about the film. The reach and impact of A Goofy Movie is very personal to people. These weren’t routine interviews. They were reflections. People wanted to share not just how the movie was made, but what it ended up meaning in their lives and careers. We felt incredibly grateful for that openness, and each time we would get something new, it reinforced the depth of the story. It still matters to a lot of people. 

^{Dog-Verse Katzenberg, Not Just a Goof}

 Q: The film is very nuanced in its portrayal of Katzenberg, highlighting his questionable moments (suggesting Steve Martin voice Goofy) while also noting that he was the godfather who ensured the film got made. Did making this documentary leave you seeing Katzenberg in a different light?

Chris Ninness: Through the process, we came to appreciate that Jeffrey Katzenberg is a complex figure. While some of the more colorful stories are included in the film, we ultimately felt it was important to acknowledge the crucial role he played. A Goofy Movie simply wouldn’t exist without him, and he was a key champion in helping the film find its heart and emotional core.

Eric Kimelton: Jeffrey is one of the titans of the entertainment industry. He didn’t get there by not knowing what he was doing, or making everyone happy, which is really just a human thing, but on a grander scale. I have a slightly more intimate view of him. I was actually able to meet him in middle school on a trip to the newly formed DreamWorks. I have a picture with Jeffrey Katzenberg from that day sitting on the desk of my office. That and seeing the opening of A Goofy Movie are the two things that inspired me to be a part of filmmaking. 

Scott Seibold: Two things can be true at once. And I think it was essential we explore that a bit. He could be exacting, opinionated, and in some cases, like the Steve Martin example, misguided in specific suggestions, but he was also absolutely essential to the film’s existence. A Goofy Movie survived because there was someone at a very high level willing to take a risk, take responsibility for it, and ultimately protect it. That kind of advocacy matters, especially for a project coming from a younger, less-established team.

^{Credit: Not Just a Goof (Scenic CNEK, Disney+)}

Q: The animated segments of the film were supplied by Venturia Animation. What was that collaboration like?

Chris Ninness: They are among the most talented and creative people we’ve had the pleasure of working with. Juan [Urbina], the founder of Venturia Animation, was a tremendous collaborator on the film, and the animated sequences simply wouldn’t be what they are without him and his team of gifted artists.

From the very beginning, we knew we wanted to incorporate 2D animation. We were hearing so many wonderful stories that we knew we wouldn’t have traditional B-roll for, and animation felt like the most natural way to bring them to life. When we approached Venturia Animation and shared the project, Juan embraced it wholeheartedly from the start.

Eric Kimelton: For each sequence, we provided guidance around the intent, tone, and narrative needs, who might appear in each moment, and what the scene needed to communicate. The team would return with storyboards, which we reviewed together before moving forward. This back-and-forth continued as the sequences evolved, with each iteration building toward the final result. The process was deeply collaborative and ran remarkably smoothly throughout.

Juan also came up with the inspired idea to place all of the behind-the-scenes animated sequences within the “dog-verse” of A Goofy Movie itself, which gave the film a wonderfully playful and meta quality.

Q: I almost feel like Not Just a Goof is part of an unofficial trilogy with Waking Sleeping Beauty and Howard, two Disney documentaries directed by Don Hahn. Were those films at all an inspiration?

Chris Ninness: That’s really interesting to hear. Yes. Totally. We very much thought of the film as a kind of spiritual sequel to Waking Sleeping Beauty. We’re longtime admirers of Don Hahn’s work, so it never occurred to us that he might one day come on board as a producer on our film. We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity. Life has a remarkable way of unfolding.

Scott Seibold: Wow, that’s incredibly kind. What those films do so well is showcase how artists navigate ambition, insecurity, belief, corporate powers, and how something deeply personal can emerge from that tension. We felt we were telling a very similar story. People trying to make something incredibly honest inside a massive system, and the emotional risks that come with that. Seeing our film alongside and in conversation with those documentaries is incredibly meaningful. Someone pinch me.

Q: The documentary doesn’t really get into An Extremely Goofy Movie, which did actually win an Annie for Best Animated Home Entertainment Production. What are your thoughts on that sequel?

Chris Ninness: I’ve always loved the original Goofy Movie because, at its core, it feels like such a deeply human story. I really felt connected to this specific father and son story. While the characters are dogs, the emotions are very real and relatable, and the film is filled with that wonderful sense of ’90s nostalgia. As a longtime Michael Jackson fan, Powerline was especially iconic to me. I know many people have a strong affection for the sequel as well, and I genuinely appreciate how meaningful it is to them.

Eric Kimelton: A Goofy Movie was something that I related to because it involved the connection of a father and son. It also had a special meaning to me because the guy who made it was and is someone that I look to like a father. I haven’t seen the sequel as many times as I’ve seen the original, but that isn’t to devalue anything the sequel offered to so many folks. The beauty of anything artistic or creative, is that it holds meaning or value to every person differently.

Q: Is there another cult classic Disney movie you’d like to see explored in a feature-length documentary? 

Chris Ninness: I believe The Emperor’s New Groove deserves to have its full story shared. A documentary was made some years ago, but it was never released. I would love to see the story of Kingdom of the Sun and Roger Allers’ creative journey finally told. I don’t think that will be us, but I’d love to see it!

Eric Kimelton: Tarzan and Enchanted, but I’m admittedly biased ;-)

Scott Seibold: Haha - all of the above!

Not From Editor: The Kingdom of the Sun documentary that Ninness refers to is called The Sweatbox. While it hasn’t been released on home media or streaming platforms in an official capacity, it’s definitely worth Googling. As for Not Just a Goof, you can still stream it on Disney+.

The 53rd Annie Awards will take place on February 21, 2026.

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!