2st Aichi-Nagoya International Animation Film Festival
-Feature Film Competition Category-
Submission Guidelines
1. Competition Overview
1-1. Organizer and ManagementThis festival will be organized by the Aichi -Nagoya International Film Festival Executive Committee and managed by its secretariat.
1-2.
Festival Period
November 13, 2026 (Fri) – November 18, 2026 (Wed)
1.3 Submission Period May 13, 2026 (Tue), 18:00 (JST) – August 17, 2026 (Mon), 23:59 (JST)
2.Submission Requirements
(1)Must be an animation with a length of 40 minutes or more, including end credits.Any method of production is acceptable.
(2)Must have been completed during or after January 2025.
(3)All entries must have English subtitles at the time of submission. For films inJapanese, please submit the English-subtitled version after receiving notificationthat your film will be screened.
(4)The director, producer, and applicant must have the rights to screen the film andguarantee that no legal issues shall arise for its screening at the festival.
(5)The applicant must have secured all rights related to music, characters, andcopyrighted visuals used in the film. The festival is not liable for any legal disputesarising from rights issues.
Depending on circumstances, online screenings may be conducted.
Films that cannot be streamed online may still be submitted and will not be disadvantaged in the selection process. Online availability will be confirmed after the selection.
3.Entry Fee
Free of charge.
4.Submission Procedure
4-1. Online Submission
(1)Please make your submission through the official entry form on the festivalwebsite or via FilmFreeway after you have filled in all of the fields with informationsuch as film and director details.
(2)Upload the director’s portrait photo (H 800mm × W 600mm) and three stillimages from the film (H 720mm × W 1280mm). These will be used for officialpromotion on the festival website, flyers, pamphlets, and social media as well asother external media.
The secretariat may crop the images for use.
(3)Prepare the film in a format that can be streamed via the internet.
4-2. Subtitles and Translation
(1) The selection will be conducted based on English subtitles. Japanese and English audio track films may be submitted without English subtitles.
(2) The film festival will prepare Japanese subtitles only for the selected films. Non-Japanese language films must be provided with the following necessary for creating Japanese subtitles:
● Video material specified in section 6.4 “Screening Materials”
● A time-coded English dialogue list
All rights of the subtitles created by the festival and used during the festival
shall belong to the festival. If desired for reuse, contact the secretariat.
(3) For DCP submissions, the applicant will be responsible for adding the subtitles. The festival will not reimburse any part of the related costs.
5. Selection of Entries
(1) The selection committee will choose the films to be screened in the competition category.
(2) Results will be directly notified to applicants via email by the end of October 2026 and subsequently announced on the official website.
(3) Information about the selection committee will be disclosed on the official website after the festival has concluded.
6. Selected Films for Screening
6-1. Theatrical Screening
(1) Selected films will be screened publicly with an admission fee.
(2) Screening schedules and the program will be determined by the festival secretariat.
6-2. Online Streaming
In cases where on-site screening is not possible, the film may be streamed online. This will be confirmed after the selection process. Declining online streaming will not affect the selection.
6-3. Screening Fees
No screening fees will be paid.
6-4. Screening Materials
(1) Once notified for selection, submit screening materials within 2 weeks of notification.
The applicant will be responsible for all shipping costs should they decide to send them by physical mail.
(2) Acceptable file formats:
● Extension: MOV (recommended), MP4
● Frame rate: 24 fps or 30 fps
60 fps not accepted (29.97 fps may cause AV synchronization issues)
● Codec: ProRes 422 HQ, ProRes 422, H.264
● Bitrate: 25 Mbps or below
● Resolution: 1920 pixels or higher
● Aspect Ratio: Vista, Cinemascope
Recommended: 1.77:1 (16:9);
Also accepted: 1.33:1 (4:3), 1.66:1, 1.85:1, 2.35:1
4K not accepted
If unspecified, films will be screened in the American vista format (1.85:1).
● Audio: 5.1 ch, stereo
● Audio Format: AAC, WAV
Consult the secretariat for formats not listed.
For DCP submissions, the applicant must include the below:
● English-language films must include Japanese subtitles
● Japanese-language films must include English subtitles
● Other languages must include both English and Japanese subtitles and submitted with an unlocked (keyless) DCP
For encrypted DCPs, be sure to issue the KDM one week prior to the festival. The applicant is responsible for any related costs.
7. Final Selection by the Jury
Selected films will undergo final evaluation by the jurors.
(1) A panel of international jurors will be selected to determine the winners of the following awards during the festival:
● Kinshachi Award (Grand Prize): 1,000,000 JPY + Trophy
● Ginshachi Award (Silver Prize): 500,000 JPY + Trophy
● Akashachi Award (Bronze Prize): 200,000 JPY + Trophy
Other special awards may also be added later.
(2) Prizes are subject to withholding tax. For award winners who are non-residents of Japan, the tax treaty between Japan and their country of residency will apply.
8. Invitation
Should the following conditions be met, the festival will cover the invitational costs. Details will be provided upon selection.
Eligibility
One director or producer per film nominated in the competition category.
Conditions:
1. For one person per film able to attend the screenings, Q&A sessions, or press
events, the festival will provide the round-trip travel fee (up to the maximum
amount specified by the secretariat’s regulations) and accommodation
at a designated hotel during the festival period.
2. If the total number of attending directors/producers is two or more,
only the accommodation fee will be covered for the second person (their
travel expenses will not be covered).
Notes:
● Invited guests must participate in press conferences, guest talks, masterclasses, award ceremonies, and other official events upon request.
● Meals and other personal expenses are not covered.
● In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the invitation may be canceled.
9. Miscellaneous
9-1. Use for Promotional Purposes
The festival may use part of the submitted film (up to 10%) or still images for promotional purposes.
9-2. Number of Screenings
Selected competition category films will be screened up to two times, and the Grand Prize winning films will be screened one additional time. Additional screenings for press or buyers may also occur in the screening rooms or online.
9-3. Acknowledgements
● The festival will not accept inquiries or objections regarding the selection
process.
● Films selected for screening cannot be withdrawn or canceled for any reason.
● Submission implies full understanding and acceptance of these guidelines.
● The festival is not responsible for any lost or damaged materials.
● Submitted films will be archived after the festival.
10. Contact
Aichi-Nagoya International Film Festival Secretariat
Address: Genco Inc., 4F, 6-7-10 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Japan
Tel: +81-3-5416-9944
Email: office@aniaff.com
URL: https://aniaff.com
Should you experience any issues with the online submission form, please email the address above.
