Aichi Nagoya International Animation Film Festival Started Accepting Entries for Competition

Tokyo, Japan, May 21, 2026 – Following a successful inaugural edition, the Aichi Nagoya International Animation Film Festival (ANIAFF) has announced that submissions for its Feature Film Competition opened on May 13 for animated works from around the world. The festival is slated for this November from the 13th to the 18th, and will be held in the city of Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Film Competition Submission Guidelines

Submission Period: May 13 (Wed.) 6:00 p.m. - August 17 (Mon.) 11:59 p.m. (Japan Time)

Requirements:

• Any type of animation films are accepted but the film must be of 40 minutes or more in length and completed during or after January 2025
• All entries must have English subtitles at the time of submission
• Permissions must be obtained for all rights – including music, characters and images/videos used in the film, so that the director, producer, and applicant have no issues screening the film at ANIAFF

How to submit: Fill out the application form on the ANIAFF official website (https://aniaff.com/en/) or submit through FilmFreeway (https://filmfreeway.com/)

Prizes: Films selected to be screened at ANIAFF will be judged by the jury to be awarded with the following prizes for the top winners. 

Grand Prix - 1,000,000 yen and a Gold Shachi* trophy
Director's Award - 500,000 yen and a Silver Shachi trophy
Audience Award - 200,000 yen and a Red Shachi trophy

* Shachi is a mythical carp with the head of a tiger and the body of a fish

About ANIAFF
Held in Aichi Prefecture's city of Nagoya, known as “the manufacturing capital of Japan,” ANIAFF aims to be the world's leading animation film festival that contributes to the development and promotion of the animation culture and industry by globally disseminating a great number of animated works to the international market with a fundamental concept of “Creators First”. The festival's functions are not just limited to introducing diverse films through screenings; creators and producers from across borders will gather in Nagoya for networking through various talks, conferences, and workshops. For the festival to become a hub for the animation industry veterans and up-and-coming talents alike, ANIAFF will provide a venue where pitch meetings can take place during the festival, something akin to MIFA in Annecy.