Parallax is an international animation festival produced by students and faculty of the Animation and Digital Effects program (LAED) at Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM), Mexico.

The festival celebrates the craft of animation in all its forms, from hand-drawn and frame-by-frame 2D techniques to fully rendered 3D productions. Each edition brings together emerging animators, industry guests, and the public for two days of screenings, exhibitions, and recognition.

This Edition:

DAY 1 — Parallax Fest (May 15)
An open-air showcase at ESTOA at UDEM Campus featuring digital art exhibitions, student-developed video games, an Artist Alley with independent creators, and interactive activations. Free admission.

DAY 2 — Gala Night at Teatro UDEM (May 22)
A full evening at the 406-seat Teatro UDEM featuring two competitive short film blocks — 2D Animation (5:30–7:00 PM)
— 3D Animation (8:00–9:00 PM)
Separated by a red carpet intermission. The night closes with an awards ceremony and a reception open to all attendees.

Selected filmmakers receive:
— Official selection laurel for use in promotional materials
— Public screening before a live audience of up to 406
— Recognition at the awards ceremony
— Coverage through the festival's social media channels and YouTube stream

Parallax is free to enter and free to attend. We are committed to showcasing the next generation of animation talent from Mexico and Latin America.

Awards & Prizes

Animation

Best 2D Animation
Recognises outstanding achievement in two-dimensional animation, including frame-by-frame, cutout, digital 2D, and mixed traditional techniques. Evaluated on fluidity, visual storytelling, and mastery of the 2D medium.

Best 3D Animation
Recognises outstanding achievement in three-dimensional computer-generated animation. Evaluated on character performance, rendering quality, scene composition, and overall production value.

Best Narrative
Awarded to the animated short film, 2D or 3D, that best demonstrates cohesive storytelling, emotional impact, and effective use of animation as a narrative medium. Open to all films in the Official Selection.

Best Art Direction
Recognises exceptional visual design, colour palette, world-building, and aesthetic consistency across a short film. Applies to both 2D and 3D works. Evaluated on the coherence and intentionality of the visual language.

Best International Project
Awarded to an outstanding international animated project that demonstrates excellence in storytelling, artistic vision, technical execution, and creative identity. This recognition celebrates works that reflect the diversity, talent, and innovation of emerging creators from around the world.

Videogames

Best Student Video Game
Awarded to the student-developed video game that best demonstrates overall design quality, playability, and creative vision. Evaluated on gameplay mechanics, narrative coherence (where applicable), and execution as a complete interactive experience.

Interactive Innovation
Recognises a student game project that introduces a novel mechanic, interaction model, or design concept. The award values inventiveness over technical polish, projects that reimagine how players engage with interactive media.

Visual Design in Video Games
Awarded to the student game with the most distinctive and intentional visual identity, including character design, UI/UX aesthetics, environment art, and overall art direction within the interactive medium.

Digital art

Outstanding Concept Art / Illustration
Recognises exceptional work in concept art and digital illustration, including character sheets, environment concepts, storyboards, and narrative illustration. Evaluated on visual impact, technical skill, and the effectiveness of the work in communicating an idea or world.

Outstanding 3D Modeling
Awarded to a student's work that demonstrates mastery in three-dimensional modelling, including characters, props, environments, or sculptures. Evaluated on topology quality, surface detail, lighting, and overall craft of the digital model.

Outstanding Experimental Art
Recognises digital artworks that challenge conventional formats or aesthetics, through generative art, mixed media, AI-assisted creation, motion graphics, or other non-traditional digital approaches. Conceptual depth and creative risk are the primary criteria.

Special Awards

Audience Award
Voted by the live audience present at Teatro UDEM on the night of May 22, 2026. Open to all films in both the 2D and 3D Animation blocks. The winning film is the one that most resonated with the public, as voted during the intermission. Results announced at the awards ceremony.

Parallax Recognition Award
A festival distinction awarded at the discretion of the Parallax organising committee to a student, team, or project that demonstrates exceptional commitment, creative leadership, or meaningful contribution to the festival's community and spirit. Not limited to a specific discipline or category.

UDEM Institutional Recognition Award
Presented by Universidad de Monterrey to a student project that best embodies UDEM's values of innovation, human development, and academic excellence. Awarded by the university's academic representatives at the closing ceremony.

Rules & Terms

All submitted projects go through a curation process evaluated on technical quality, narrative originality, art direction, and creative vision. Selected authors will be notified during the second week of May.

RIGHTS & AUTHORIZATION

By submitting a film to Parallax 2026, the applicant confirms and agrees to the following:

1. Rights ownership
The submitter declares that they hold all necessary rights to submit and publicly screen the film, including but not limited to: screenplay, direction, performance, music, sound design, and any third-party visual elements incorporated into the work. In case of dispute with third parties regarding rights, the submitter assumes full legal responsibility and agrees to hold the festival, UDEM, and LAED harmless.

2. Music rights
All music included in the film must be either original compositions, licensed works, or music cleared for public screening. The festival reserves the right to request proof of music clearance from selected filmmakers before the screening date.

3. Festival use
By being selected for the Official Selection, filmmakers grant Parallax the non-exclusive right to:
— Screen the film at Teatro UDEM on May 22, 2026
— Stream the screening live on the festival's YouTube channel
— Use excerpts of up to 60 seconds and still frames for promotional purposes on social media, press materials, and the festival website
— Include the film title and director's name in the official festival catalogue

4. No withdrawal
Once a film has been confirmed as part of the Official Selection, it may not be withdrawn from the program.

5. Acceptance of terms
Submission to Parallax 2026 constitutes full acceptance of these terms and all festival regulations. The selection committee's decisions are final and non-appealable.

AI & TECHNOLOGY POLICY

Parallax celebrates animation as a creative discipline rooted in human authorship, artistic vision, and craft. Our policy on AI-generated content reflects this commitment.

ACCEPTED — AI as a tool:
The use of AI-assisted software for colour correction, compositing, cleanup, texture generation, or workflow enhancement is permitted, provided the animation itself — the creative and artistic direction — is the original work of the submitting students.

NOT ACCEPTED — AI as primary author:
Films in which the animation, character design, storyboarding, or narrative were generated primarily by AI systems (e.g., text-to-video, generative AI animation tools as the main creative engine) are not eligible for the Parallax Official Selection.

When in doubt:
If your project uses AI tools in a significant way, please describe their use in the "Director's Note" field of your submission. The selection committee will evaluate each case individually.

This policy applies to both the 2D and 3D Animation categories.