Sea Slug Animation Festival

Your Pacific Northwest hub for independent animation!

Sea Slug Animation Festival is a film festival in Seattle celebrating the ingenuity, creativity, and weirdness of independent animation.

Sea Slug showcases all animation forms and mediums, with a special emphasis on film. Sea Slug strives to empower animators and animation fans local to British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon to form personal and professional connections around animation, and to take pride in the talent right here in this neck of the woods.

Sea Slug is having its first outing as a "larval edition" mini festival on March 8th at Seattle's SIFF Cinema Uptown!

Audience Award for Best Short

Jury Award for Best Short

Jury Award for Best of the Pacific Northwest Short

Jury Award for Best Student Film

ELIGIBILITY REGULATIONS

Accepted Films:
The 2025 festival is accepting submissions for animated short films only: narrative, documentary, experimental, or student films or music videos that are 40 minutes or less in length. All entries must be fully animated or strongly feature animation as its medium. Only original artwork will be considered; AI-generated films will not be eligible. The 2025 festival is are not accepting submissions for primarily live-action films or mid-length or feature-length films (over 40 minutes).

Completion/Premiere Date:
Films must have been completed on or after January 1, 2023.

Language:
Films not in English must be submitted with the original language soundtrack and English subtitles. All accepted films must also provide an English closed caption file.

Prior Screenings:
We will consider films that have been screened in-person or online as part of other festivals worldwide. Films with previous commercial, theatrical, video on demand, or television play may be considered for the 2025 festival. Special preference will be given to films made by filmmakers residing in British Columbia, Washington, or Oregon.

SUBMISSION REGULATIONS

Final Deadline:
Entries must be submitted by the final deadline of December 14, 2024.

Format:
Entries must be submitted via password protected link (i.e. Vimeo). Passwords should be active for the duration of the submission process. Accepted films will be exhibited at the SIFF Cinema Uptown in Seattle, WA.

Notification:
Films selected for screening will be notified on or around January 13, 2025.

Overall Rating

Quality

Value

Communication

Hospitality

Networking

Neely Goniodsky

The festival was a fantastic gathering of Seattle’s and the PNW’s animation community, bringing together filmmakers and viewers in a vibrant, inclusive, and supportive space. It was a much-needed event for the area—cozy, wonderfully organized, and an absolute blast!

March 2025

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Steven Vander Meer

I was not there in person but the vibe I got via communications was outstanding. A lot of personal attention was given and they were open to suggestions. I also appreciated the types of animation they selected, which was not your typical Saturday morning fare. I will definitely try to attend in the future when possible.

March 2025

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Jamie Griffiths

I was unable to attend the festival in person, but based on communication and the photos I saw of the festival this seems like a really lovely new festival that I hope continues for a long time! They treat their filmmakers really well and are very communicative and accommodating! I especially enjoy their inclusion of an artist alley and really wish I could have been there.

March 2025

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Ruth Hayes

Lovely small festival with enthusiastic audiences even during midday screenings. Great location near food and other amenities.

March 2025

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Sea Slug Animation Festival