Entries to the Competitions

8.31(Mon)

Start Submissions

11.20(Fri)

Duedate

3.19(Fri)
-24(Wed)

Film Festival

How to Submit the Film

Submission Period

August 31, 2026 (Mon) 00:00 – November 20, 2026 (Fri) 24:00

Eligibility Requirements

Before submitting your film, please carefully review and agree to all information on FilmFreeway, including the Rules & Terms.

  1. (A)Feature Film：This competition is open to animated works of 40 minutes or longer, including end credits.

    (B)Indie Box：This competition is open to narrative animated works of 15 minutes or longer and under 40 minutes, including end credits. Series episodes are also eligible.

  2. The film must have been completed on or after January 1, 2025.
  3. For films in languages other than Japanese or English, English subtitles must be provided at the time of entry. For films in Japanese, English subtitles must be provided if the film passes the preliminary selection.
  4. The director, producer, or entrant must hold the necessary rights to screen the film and ensure that there are no restrictions on its screening at the Festival.
  5. Copyright in the submitted work remains with the entrant. The entrant must either hold the necessary rights or have obtained the necessary permissions from the rights holders for all music, visual materials, source material, characters, and any other copyrighted works or rights used in the film. The entrant shall be responsible for any rights infringement or other disputes relating to the submitted work, and the Festival assumes no liability whatsoever.
2026-09-11 00:47:30

How to apply

The applicant must complete all fields in the FilmFreeway online application form, including information about the film and the director, before submitting.

Submit on FilmFreeway

If you have any questions regarding your application, please contact us at the email address below.
Niigata International Animation Film Festival Secretariat

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Is a premiere screening in Japan mandatory for submitted works?
A: No, it is not mandatory. You are welcome to submit films that have been screened at other film festivals or events in Japan. Furthermore, any work completed on or after January 1, 2025, including those that have had a theatrical release in Japan, is eligible to be submitted.
Q: Is it possible to submit works created using generative AI ?
A:
Yes, it is possible. However, the work must not infringe upon the copyrights of any existing third-party works, as stipulated in the Rules & Terms on FilmFreeway. Please ensure that your work does not contain any elements that violate third-party rights, such as the unauthorized use of existing characters.