ASIFAC Animation Festival and Conference (Asifa South) 2026

Event Description:
What started out as a showcase, the ASIFA-South Festival & Conference has become a two-day bi-annual competitive event open to students, independent animators, and professionals. We celebrate the magic of animation and its power to bring forth humor, imagination and unique art forms. Selected entries offer diverse animation perspectives in the form of 2-D, Stop Motion, 3-D and hybrid-mixes to deliver inspiring and thought-provoking films.

Call for Entries 2026

• Shorts must be 15 minutes or less.
• Features must be between 15 – 30 minutes.
• Entries produced from the end of December 2024 and thereafter.
• Films for the Southern Spotlight category must be made in the South or by filmmakers who are residents or locals from the Southeastern Ties region (including Maryland).
• Films made internationally will not be considered for the "Best of the South" award.
• Stop Motion and Puppet films are considered if 80% or more of the content is animated.
• ASIFA-South will pay a small Screening Fee to selected filmmakers. The filmmaker can request that the Screening Fee be paid to a chosen charity on your behalf by ASIFA-South.
• Selected filmmakers will receive two complimentary tickets to ASIFAC.

Categories

• Southern Spotlight
• All Ages
• International Animation
• Animated Features
• All Animated Shorts

Important

• Regulations and submissions via FilmFreeway
• Early Deadline 31 May 2025 Regular Deadline 31 August 2025 Late Deadline 30 September 2025

2024 Festival Coverage (Archive)

Event Highlights

• Screenings: In addition to our three signature animated shorts blocks, Saturday Morning Cartoon, Southern Spotlight (made in the South), and International Selections, there's a special feature selection, "The Concierge" by director Yoshimi Itazu powered by Crunchyroll.
• Panels and Roundtable Discussions: Designed to maximize engagement and foster community involvement. Roundtables allow attendees to get more personal with our experts, providing a platform for voices from across the industry to be heard in a conversational format. Veteran sound designers and editors have worked in the sound departments of Pixar, Blue-Eyed Samurai, and VO artists "Sounds that make Animation." Discuss the hot topic of "Ethics of AI and Changing the Landscape of Animation" to make a difference with your voice and a discussion with Asante Bradford (Georgia Department of Economic Development Industry Manager), Chris LeDoux (Crafty Apes), and more.
• Behind-the-Scenes Panel: A breakdown of this year's ASIFAC 2024 animated promo. Committee/head of production, Min Kyung Cho explains, alongside with Animator Wasan Hayajneh and Compositor Neko Pilarcik-Tellez.
• Professional Development Session: 1-on-1 Session for attendees to receive professional advice, ask questions, have a friendly chit chat or get a portfolio review from our industry professionals including expert animators, illustrators, riggers, VFX artists, and more.
• Cutting Edge Demo Panel: Explore the latest advancements in animation technology focused on complementary animation tools and usage such as suitless motion capture platform Wonder Dynamic, real-time animation tools and more with a demo by VFX artist Palm Piraban (Barbie, Mean Girls), Zane Everett (Unity Education Ambassador), and Joel Mack (Actor Capture).
• Booths and Exhibits: Meet local organizations and studios such as Moonshine Studio, MomoCon, and test out the latest XP-Pen products at our demo station. Also, special for this year is the pop up ASIFA-South museum with relic displays of historical archivals.
• VIP Ceremony Award: The festival culminates on Sunday the 30th with an invite-only awards ceremony, mixer, and games for ASIFA-South members and special guests, to celebrate the best in animation talent and innovation.