Big Cartoon Festival

Festival Description: The Big Cartoon Festival is the largest annual animation festival in Russia. Since 2007, it has been introducing Russian audience to the best examples of Russian and foreign animation. The Festival program includes screenings of full-length films, thematic programs of short animation for adults and children, meetings with leading artists and directors, and master classes on various animation techniques. During recent years, the Festival has been held in Moscow, Voronezh, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Khabarovsk, Norilsk, Togliatti and Lipetsk, and in 2020, it was held online for the first time. The program director of the festival is Dina Goder.

2025 Call for Entries (Archive)

The 19th Big Cartoon Festival (BCF) will take place in Moscow (Russia) between the dates of October 24 – November 5, 2025.

Eligibility criteria:

• The festival accepts films from 1 to 120 minutes.

• All films must not have participated in the previous editions of the Festival.

• All films must have been completed after January 1, 2024.
• Films are eligible for the Russian Competition if they are made in Russia or with a substantial contribution of a Russian main crew member.

• Films are eligible for the Foreign Competition if submitted in English or with English subtitles.


Jury of the International Competition of Animated Short Films presents the following prizes:

- Grand Prix for Best Short Animated Film

- Award for Best Student Animated Film

- Two Special Jury Prizes

Jury of the Russian Competition presents the following prizes:

- Award for Best Russian Short Animated Film

- Award for Best Russian Student Animated Film

- Two Special Jury Prizes

Jury of the International Competition of Animated Feature Films presents the following prizes:

- Award for Best Animated Feature Film

- Special Jury Prize

Other Prizes

- Audience Choice Award

- Critics Choice Award

- Prize of the BCF Management

Categories: 

• Russian short animated film
• Foreing short animated film
• Feature animated film

The Festival can use a maximum 1-minute sequence from the selected films to promote the BCF 2025 in any media. During the Festival, teasers of selected films may be screened at Festival venues, in TV spots promoting the BCF, on the website of the Festival, and in multimedia presentations during the Festival.
The Festival reserves the right to use film stills in promotional materials (Festival catalogue, Festival journal, leaflets, posters, billboards, website, and multimedia presentations), and provide them to the media for the purpose of disseminating information about the BCF.

• Festival regulations and entry form via FilmFreeway
• Deadline: 30 June 2025 (no fee required)

ARCHIVE

2020 Festival Coverage

• Big Cartoon Festival Winners 2020