AIWFF Film Competition 2025 is now open for entries!
Regulations
Section
- Animation (any animation technique)
- Documentary
- Fiction
Eligibility
Films submitted to the Competition must meet all of the following conditions. All themes are welcome, regardless of age, experience, or professional background
- Films directed by women.
- Original films running 30 minutes or less, including end credits.
- Films completed after on or after January 1, 2024.
- Films must not be commercially released in theaters, on TV, on video streaming platforms or through any other distribution channels in Japan on or before September 15, 2025.
- Films must not be publicly released on video-sharing platforms such as YouTube or on social networking services (SNS) in Japan on or before September 15, 2025.
Selections and Announcement
Pre-selection:
Films will be selected by mutual consent in our preliminary review board.
First-stage selection:
After the screening of all the nominated films during AIWFF 2025, ‘Grand Prize’ will be selected by AIWFF committee, also ‘Audience Award’ will be given to a film earned the highest points from audience voting.
Final-stage selection:
After the screening of all nominated films during AIWFF 2023, ‘Grand Prize’ will be selected by AIWFF committee, also ‘Audience Award’ will be given to a film earned the highest points from audience voting.
Announcement:
Winners will be revealed on the festival website and commended during the festival.
Awards
Grand Prize for one film in each section with cash prize of JPY 200,000
Audience Award for one film in each section with cash prize of JPY 30,000
Submission
Please complete the required fields in the on-line Entry Form provided below on this Page and submit the Form by the deadline. For the submission, please provide the URL of a private online screener in the form.
- Entries will not be considered if the link is broken or requires additional steps to view, such as downloading and site registration.
- The online screener must be available for viewing until the end of June 2025. If nominated, it must remain available on or before September 15, 2025.
Deadline for receipt
Entry Forms and films must reach the Festival Office by the following date:
Friday, April 18, 2025, 17:00 Japan Time (JST)
- Entries will not be considered if the link is broken or requires additional steps to view, such as downloading and site registration.
- The online screener must be available for viewing until the end of June 2025. If nominated, it must remain available on or before September 15, 2025.
Entry Requirements
- No entry fee.
- If your film is nominated, you will be required to submit a downloadable file (MP4 or MOV) for screening. The resolution must be 1920 x 1080 pixels or lower.
- Include a list of awards received at any other film festivals etc. in the online Entry Form, if any.
- If your film is not in Japanese or English, subtitles in one of these languages must be provided.
- For the nominated films in languages other than Japanese, applicants will be required to submit a text script with time codes in both the original language and English for the creation of Japanese subtitles. Please note that a copy of each film will be made to create the screening materials with embedded Japanese subtitles.
- Applicants are responsible for all necessary copyright clearances for their films. AIWFF is not responsible for any claims regarding copyright infringement from other parties.
- AIWFF may rescind the nomination and request a refund of the prize money, in cases where the applicant has made a false statement regarding any of the matters mentioned in the entry form.
- AIWFF may screen each nominated film up to two times during the festival.
- AIWFF may use stills and excerpts from the nominated films for promotion on the AIWFF official website, leaflet, guidebook and other media including SNS, newspapers, magazines and TV.
- The nominated films for the AIWFF competition may not be withdrawn from the festival.
- The nominated films may provide the screening for free in response to a request from other film festivals in partnership with AIWFF.
[Handling of Personal Information]
The applicants’ personal information shall be used only for the purpose of running this AIWFF competition and shall not be used for other activities without the applicants’ consent. However, AIWFF may announce the director’s name, age, occupation/school, and the city/town/village of residence in relation to the nominated films.
