Festival · Talks · Artist Alley
Innovation & Creativity Light Up the World of Animation

For 17 years SPARK ANIMATION has been the largest animation event in Western Canada, attracting top animation talent from around the world.

Many of the projects recognized at the festival in the past have gone on to win Oscars and other awards, including:
• Bear Story (Academy Award winner, 2015)
• Dear Basketball (Academy Award winner, 2018)
• Bao (Academy Award winner, 2019)
• Ice Merchants (Academy Award nominee, 2023)
• Letter to a Pig (Academy Award nominee, 2024)
• Ninety-Five Senses (Academy Award nominee, 2024)
• Our Uniform (Academy Award nominee, 2024)
• In the Shadow of the Cypress (Academy Award winner, 2025)

A series of regional, national, and international short and feature films will be programmed over a variety of events. Filmmakers and producers of festival-selected projects will receive complimentary access to in-person film screenings and talks.

We are looking for local, national, and international animated projects including:
• Animated Feature Films
• Animated Short Films
• Animated Student Films
• Commercials (including PSAs & Self-Promotion)
• Music Videos
• Game Cinematics, Teasers & Trailers (real-time or pre-rendered)
• VFX Narrative Short Films

Accepted Styles:
• Computer Animation (2D & 3D)
• Traditional Animation
• Stop-motion Animation

OSCAR®-ACCREDITATION

In addition to our world-class jury, and our inclusive mix of styles and languages, SPARK ANIMATION is Oscar®-accredited.

The winner of the “Best in Show” prize will be eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film category of the Academy Awards® without a standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

CANADIAN SCREEN ACADEMY

SPARK ANIMATION is proud to be a 2025 Canadian Screen Awards qualifying festival. For more information, visit academy.ca/awards

ABOUT SPARK COMPUTER GRAPHICS SOCIETY

The SPARK ANIMATION was launched in 2008. Since its inception, the Spark Computer Graphics Society has worked diligently to promote and foster the computer graphics community year-round by holding sold-out events, attracting internationally renowned speakers, and keeping abreast of how to best serve the dynamic community of animators.

Awards & Prizes

• Best in Show
• Best Student Film
• Best Canadian Film
• Best Music Video
• Best Commercial / PSA
• GameVerse Prize
• Best VFX Narrative Film
• Diversity Award
• Director's Prize
• Other prizes to be determined at the judges' discretion

Rules & Terms

• Films in foreign languages must have legible English subtitles.
• Selected films will be required to submit a fact sheet. A form will be provided along with the selection notification. Failure to submit the fact sheet may result in disqualification.
• Selected films will be required to submit a high-resolution file of the project.
• To be considered for competition, projects must have theatrical premieres in British Columbia, Canada (local graduation screenings or crew screenings excluded). Projects already available online or on streaming platforms ARE eligible for competition.
• Projects must have festival premieres in British Columbia, Canada. Projects already available online or on streaming platforms still qualify as long as the platform is not a British Columbia, Canada-based festival.
• To be considered for competition, projects must have been completed after 1 January 2024. Older projects may still be submitted for consideration in out-of-competition programming.

All festival award-winning projects will be screened theatrically. In the case the festival is presented solely online, filmmakers will be contacted in advance of the festival.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Works created with the assistance of Artificial intelligence (AI), in part or in full, are eligible for submission however, filmmakers/submitters must disclose the use of AI in the film's "Overview" and/or "Specifications," section specifying that AI was utilized in the creative process and the extent to which it was used. These projects will not be eligible for competition but may be considered for out-of-competition programming.

PROGRAMMING

Films selected to SPARK ANIMATION may be selected for presentation in-person, online, or both. Programming details will be confirmed with filmmakers before the festival.

By submitting a project, the individual or corporation submitting the project hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the project for screening (including but not limited to multiple screenings in multiple locations across British Columbia) and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.