Call to Action
Join us in celebrating the transformative power of animation as we connect talents from across the globe and empowers the next generation of creators to lead the industry forward. Together, we animate the world, one frame at a time.
Countries and Region
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Congo
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Guatemala
Hong Kong
Hungary
India
Iran
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Lebanon
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malaysia
Mexico
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Norway
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia
Singapore
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Vietnam
Eligibility
Open to college/university current students and graduates from the 2024-25 academic year; graduates from the 2023-2024 academic year.
Production Date
The work must have been produced on or after September 1, 2023.
Verification
A Student Card or Student Verification will be required.
Submission Format
The award accepts only online digital submissions.
Entry Limit
Each director is allowed to submit one entry.
Duration
Work must not exceed 15 minutes in length.
Language Requirements
All submitted animations must include embedded subtitles in English.
Animation Technique
Only animated short films will be accepted (the films must have been made using animation, regardless of the technique).
Resolution / Dimensions
Submissions must be in 1080p, 2K, or 4K resolution.
Codec
Acceptable codecs include H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, or ProRes 422 HQ.
Frame Rate
The frame rate must be set at either 24 or 25 frames per second.
Awards
Grand Prize
Cash (USD 10, 000) and Trophy
It is the top prize for the best overall animated short film in the competition. The winning work will be exceptional in areas like storytelling, artistic merit, technical skills, and overall creativity.
Best Artistic Award
Cash (USD 10, 000) and Trophy
It is for the animated short film with the highest artistic excellence and innovation in its visual design, colors, cinematography, and overall aesthetic.
Best Narrative Award
Cash (USD 10, 000) and Trophy
It is for the animated short film with the highest artistic excellence and innovation in its visual design, colors, cinematography, and overall aesthetic.
Jury’s Award
Cash (USD 5, 000) and Trophy
It recognizes animated shorts that may not have won the top prizes but are still considered outstanding in certain ways. They could be innovative, experimental, socially relevant, or very popular with the audience.
Hong Kong Next Generation Award in Animation
Cash (USD 5, 000) and Trophy
This special award is just for Hong Kong-based student animators to encourage and recognize the next generation of local animation talent.
Awards Presentation Ceremony
Two-days event will be organized, adjudicators and finalists will be invited to come to HKMU to have master classes, professional workshops and student-exchange sessions. Together with HKMU creative arts students, there will be pitching sessions with adjudicators and professionals in the industry of Animation during the gathering. An evening screening programme will feature the work of the finalists, and the Award ceremony will be on the evening of the second day.
Event Period: 15 – 16 Sep 2025
Ceremony Venue: The Box, Freespace, West Kowloon Cultural District
Submission Deadline
May 20, 2025
Event Launch
September 15-16, 2025
