Festival · Conference

Celebrating Inspiration & Innovation in the World of Animation

From 28 October to 7 November 2021, Spark CG will host its 13th annual SPARK ANIMATION Festival. A multi-stream event, SPARK ANIMATION thrives on bringing together industry experts with new talent.

Over the years, SPARK ANIMATION has attracted top animation talent from around the world, and many of the projects recognized at the festival have gone on to win numerous awards — including Oscars. Notable titles include “The Dam Keeper” (Academy Award nominee), “We Can’t Live Without Cosmos” (Academy Award nominee), “Bear Story,” (Academy Award winner in 2015), “Dear Basketball” (Academy Award winner in 2018), “Weekends” (Academy Award nominee), "Bao" (Academy Award winner in 2019), “Late Afternoon” (Academy Award nominee), “Sister” (Academy Award nominee), “If Anything Happens I Love You” (Academy Award nominee), “Wolfwalkers” (Academy Award nominee) among many others.

In addition to our inclusive mix of styles, languages, and a world-class jury, 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.

The 2021 edition of the festival will be a hybrid event with both in-person and online events. The festival will feature a series of regional, national and international short and feature films programmed over a variety of programs. Filmmakers and producers of festival-selected projects will receive complimentary passes with full access to the conference, festival, as well as access to special events.

We are looking for animated projects from all over the world including:
• Animated Feature Films
• Animated Short Films
• Animated Student Films
• Commercials (incl. PSA's & 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

We are committed to the health and safety of everyone involved with SPARK ANIMATION, and while we are currently planning for some in-person events, our team is also developing contingency plans should we have to limit or cancel the physical components.

About Spark Computer Graphics Society:
The inaugural SPARK ANIMATION Conference and Festival took place in 2008. Since its inception, the Society has been working 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.

Awards & Prizes

• Best In Show
• Best Animated Short Film
• Best Animated Student Film
• Best Animated Music Video
• Best Animated Commercial
• Best Game Animation (real-time or pre-rendered)
• Best VFX Narrative Short Film
• Diversity Award
• Other prizes to be determined at 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.
• Selected films will be required to submit a high-resolution file of the project.
• Additionally, to be considered for competition, projects must:
• Be theatrical premieres in British Columbia, Canada (local graduation screenings excluded). Projects already available online or on streaming platforms still qualify.
• Be 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.
• Projects must have been completed after January 1, 2020.

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

All festival-selected projects may be shown as part of a curated “Best of Spark” program. Filmmakers will be contacted in advance of any such program being finalized.

By submitting, 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 Canadian and international locations), and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.