The International Animation Film Festival is now accepting film submissions of 40 minutes or longer for this year’s event; entries due by August 17; run November 13-18 in Nagoya Japan.
The Aichi Nagoya International Animation Film Festival has opened submissions for its 2026 Feature Film Competition, accepting animated works from around the world through August 17 at 11:59 p.m. Japan Time. The festival runs November 13-18 in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Eligible films may be any type of animation but must be 40 minutes or longer and completed during or after January 2025. All entries must have English subtitles at the time of submission, and permissions must be obtained for all rights, including music, characters, images and videos used in the film, so that the director, producer and applicant have no issues screening the film at ANIAFF.
Submissions may be completed through the application form on the ANIAFF official website or through FilmFreeway.
Films selected for screening at ANIAFF will be judged by the festival jury: the Grand Prix winner will receive 1,000,000 yen and a Gold Shachi trophy; the Director’s Award winner will receive 500,000 yen and a Silver Shachi trophy; and the Audience Award winner will receive 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.
ANIAFF, held in Nagoya, known as the manufacturing capital of Japan, supports the development and promotion of animation culture and industry through presentation of animated works to the international market under its Creators First concept.
The festival’s programming extends beyond screenings, with creators and producers from around the world gathering in Nagoya for networking through talks, conferences and workshops. ANIAFF also plans to host pitch meetings during the festival, similar to MIFA in Annecy, as it works to become a hub for animation industry veterans and emerging talent.
Source: ANIAFF 2026
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
