www.OpenWorldAnimation.com
www.TheAlternativeGallery.com

Open World Animation Festival encourages creators to explore the frontiers of animation through both traditional & emerging mediums. Its mission is to help general audiences understand the artistry in animation and its diversity of subject matter. It aims to showcase many voices, styles, & perspectives. Anyone is welcome to take part!

For the 2026 Festival we are partnering with the Roxy Theatre as our official screening location! This 450-seat venue is one of only 600 surviving independent theaters in the Nation. The Roxy Theatre is equipped with DLP Cinema for a state of the art cinematic experience!

http://www.roxytheaternorthampton.com

Open World also features animation retrospectives, Virtual Reality set-ups, GIF displays, a cereal bar & more!

The festival began in 2016 as a series of independent animation screenings from around the world, curated in a 4-day celebration of the medium. Open World is organized by the Alternative Gallery, a non-profit community art space, and is run 100% by volunteers.

The Alternative Gallery is located in Allentown, PA within the Cigar Factory Artist studios, featuring; exhibit & performance spaces, over 40 artist studios, a printshop, wood shop, darkroom, film archive, makerspace, classrooms & more. The organization & festival are both run 100% through the efforts of dedicated volunteers.

Awards & Prizes

- The Voyager Award (Best In Show)

- Best Animated Short

- The Immersive Award (VR)

- Best Music Video

- Best Student Film

Rules & Terms

SUBMISSION CRITERIA

Submissions Open December 8

Early Submissions Open: December 8
Early Submissions Close: February 28

Regular Submissions Open: March 1
Regular Submissions Close: May 31

Extended Submissions Open: June 1
Extended Submissions Close: August 31

Notification Date: October 3

COST

Early Submissions
$10
$8 - Gold
$5 - Students

Regular Submissions
$15
$12 - Gold
$10 - Students

Late Submissions
$20
$15 - Gold
$12 - Students

**ANY SUBMISSION THAT USES GENERATIVE AI WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED**

FILM LENGTH: 10 SECONDS - 120 MINUTES

GIFS: Please send to - Contact@OpenWorldAnimation.com

ELIGIBILITY: Only films made after December 31, 2024 are eligible to compete for awards.

LANGUAGE: ANY (Please include English subtitles if not in English.)

STYLE: Any style that is considered animation, including but not limited to: Stop Motion, Digital & Computer, Film Cel, 3D, Claymation, Rotoscope, Mixed Live Action/Animation, Music Videos, Video Game Cutscenes, Virtual Reality & GIF.

ASPECT RATIO: ANY. We are open to unique framing methods. Please note if there are any special instructions for screening your film.

You may ONLY submit work which you own or have licensing for.

Films MUST be viewable in their entirety to be eligible.

If accepted, you will be contacted with additional information. Please note that due to high number of submissions & requests, we may not be able to respond to every inquiry.

19 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Melle Windig

    Thank you so much for screening Cell Buddies at your festival! We are honored to be part of your program. It’s been an incredible year for this student film, traveling to over 40 countries . We’ve seen that audiences worldwide really connect with the story, and we hope your visitors enjoyed the screening as much as we enjoyed being part of your event. Thanks for supporting independent stop motion animation!

    April 2026
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  • Fun Zhou

    It is my honor that you selected my work. I wish your festival continued success!

    December 2025
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  • Carlos Gaxiola

    Thank you for giving Carbono a home at your festival. We deeply appreciate the space you create for artistic voices and the warm response from your audience. It has been an unforgettable experience for our team.

    November 2025
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  • David Graham

    Although I couldn’t attend the event in person, the communication with Brandon was very warm and welcoming, and the theatre venue looked lovely. There was also great promotion through Instagram. I feel very proud to have had my animation accepted.

    November 2025
    Helpful
  • Zahra Shafiei dehaghani

    واقعن از فرصتی که برای دیده شدن انیمیشن کوتاه (در اسارت یک انگشت )به من دادید ، متشکرم، دلم می خواد از این فرصت استفاده کنم و از استاد محمدعلی طاهری تشکر و قدردانی کنم مردی که برای نجات بشر و برقراری صلح، در برابر ظلم ظالمین ایستاد

    November 2025
    Helpful