STATUTES & RULES
Festival Statutes
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ANIMATED FILMS ANIFILM, 6–11 MAY 2025, LIBEREC, CZECH REPUBLIC
The aim of the International Festival of Animated Films Anifilm is to present the best creations in the field of animation from around the world. The festival also aims to preserve and help develop the cultural heritage of Czech animation, contribute to the creation of new Czech films and provide groundwork for potential international co-productions. The festival’s accompanying programme supports education in the field of animation. With its wide and varied programme, Anifilm is changing the stereotypical perception of animation as a mere entertainment for children. Last but not least, Anifilm also devotes itself thoroughly to the art of computer games, which it understands as a part of animation.
Anifilm is organised and promoted by OSPAF (Občanské sdružení pro podporu animovaného filmu, z.s.), company address: Hradešínská 6, 101 00 Praha 10, Czech Republic; e-mail: program@anifilm.cz,website: www.anifilm.cz.
Anifilm 2025 will take place in Liberec from 6 to 11May 2025.
The competition programme consists of the following categories:
International Competition of Feature Films for adults
For films longer than 60 minutes.International Competition of Feature Films for children & young audience
For films longer than 60 minutes.
International Competition of Short Films
This competition section presents several blocks of animated short films made by professionals (out of school). A short film must be 59 minutes or less.
International Competition of Student Films
These films can be submitted by schools or by the students themselves.
International Competition of Music Videos
International Competition of Abstract and Non-Narrative Animation
Audio-visual works using the principles of animation in the widest possible sense.
International Competition of VR Films
Films designed for virtual reality – animated 360° videos.
International Competition of Computer Games
The jury gives awards for best game for children and for best visual art.
Competition of Student Computer Games
The jury gives awards for best student game.The national competition is called Czech Horizon and it is divided into five categories:
Short and Feature Films
Student Films
Series
Music Videos
Commissioned WorksAnifilm has been approved as an Academy qualifying festival for the Short Film Awards. The winner of the Short Film category is Oscar® eligible.
The winners of the Czech Horizon Competition can be nominatedfor the European Animation Awards. By submitting works to the Czech Horizon competition, the submitter gives the Council of Animated Film (Rada animovaného filmu – RAF) their approval of the nomination.
Works selected for the Czech Horizon competition (except music videos, TV and commissioned works) are provided to the Czech National Film Archive (Národní filmový archiv) for archiving.Only works completed after 1 January 2024 or not premiered before this date can be entered in the competition. Works selected for the competition will be assessed by the festival selection committee, which is made up of representatives of the festival and invited experts.
Submitters of works are then informed of the result.
Authors of selected works will receive an official invitation including the information about accommodation provided by the festival. They are welcome to attend the Closing Ceremony, where the International Competition results will be announced.All films in the competition are screened in their original language and must be provided with English subtitles by the party submitting the film with the exception of English-spoken works and music videos.
The costs of the transportation of the film prints from the country of origin to the festival and the costs of travel insurance are covered by the submitter, if not arranged otherwise. The costs of insurance against loss and partial damage or complete destruction of the screening copy are covered by the festival, for the period starting on the day when the festival receives the copy and ending on the day when the festival hands the copy over to the carrier. In case of loss or destruction of the copy during the festival, the festival is responsible only for the cost of the data media. All complaints concerning the technical condition of the returned screening copy must be registered with the festival within one month after receiving the copy.
Games in competition will be available to the jury and the accredited audience to play.
Works in competition cannot be withdrawn from the festival once theirscreening has been officially confirmed.
The international jury consists of distinguished representatives of culture, film production and theory; and of film reviewers, filmmakers, game industry professionals and producers. A special international jury will be assembled for each of the competition sections. A person who has taken part in the production of any of the films in the given competition cannot become a member of the jury. All the members of the jury are bound by secrecy. The Festival Director and the Programme Director or their deputies may attend the jury sessions, but do not take part in the voting.
The jury gives out the following awards:
a) Award for Best Feature Film for Adults, which comes with a financial prize of 1,000 EURb) Award for Best Feature Film for children & young audience, , which comes with a financial prize of 1,000 EUR
c) Award for Best Short Film, which comes with a financial prize of 1,000 EUR
d) Award for Best Student Film, which comes with a financial prize of 1,000 EUR
e) Award for Best Abstract and Non-Narrative Animation, which comes with a financial prize of 1,000 EUR
f) Award for Best Music Video, which comes with a financial prize of 500 EUR
g) Award for Best VR Film, which comes with a financial prize of 500 EUR
h) Award for Best Visual Art in Game
i) Award for Best Game for Children
j) Award for Best Student Game
The jury can also award one Special Mention in the following categories: Feature film, Short Film, Student Film, Abstract and Non-Narrative Animation, Music Video.
The financial prize will be transferred to the account provided by the holder of the rights to the work. It is expected that the recipient of the reward will be the author of the work (based on an agreement with the rights holder).
The winners of the Czech Horizon categories are decided by the Council of Animated Film (RAF), whose creation was initiated by Anifilm in 2017 with the support of the Association of Czech Animation Film (ASAF) and the European Animation Awards Association (EEA). The RAF consists of Czech authors, directors, producers, animators, dramaturges, animation theorists, historians, critics, film pedagoguesand representatives of showcases and festivals. The RAF selects the winners in an online vote before the festival.
During the Opening Ceremony, awards in the Czech Horizon categories are announced. In accordance with the RAF’s decision, Anifilm gives out the following awards:
a) Award for Best Czech Creation – the Czech Television Award
b) Award for Best Czech Short and Feature Film – the PPF Foundation Award
c) Award for Best Czech Student Film
d) Award for Best Czech Series
e) Award for Best Czech Music Video
f) Award for Best Czech Commissioned WorkThe festival visitors decide on the Audience Award – the Liberec Region Award. They can select a work across all categories for this award.
In ambiguous or unclear situations and cases unforeseen by the Statutes, the executive or programme director of the International Festival of Animated Films Anifilm will decide. The organiser reserves the right to change these Statutes in exceptionally serious cases.
By submitting their work, the submitter grants consent to one screening in the ‘Awarded Films’ programme of the given year’s Anifilm edition, which takes place within 3 weeks after the festival has ended in a cinema in Prague.
By submitting their work, the submitter declares that they are authorised to screen the work at the festival and that all rights including rights to music used in the work have been cleared.
By participating in the festival the participant declares that they accept and agree to these Statutes.
Competition Rules
The competition is announced on 1 September 2024, the application submission deadline is set at 31 December 2024 and is governed by the Festival Statutes and the Competition Rules. The work is accepted into the competition on condition that
- It has been completed after 1 January 2024 or did not premiere before this date;
- More than 50% of the work is an animation; the animation technology used in the film is not restricted;
- The submitted work did not take part in the Anifilm festival competition in any of the preceding years.
One work can compete in one international competition category only.
The Czech Horizon competition is intended exclusively for Czech works. Czech works can compete simultaneously in the Czech Horizon competition and in the International Competition. By Czech work we understand works with a Czech production majority.
Works for the competition are selected by a selection committee, see Statute (7).
The screener for the selection committee is delivered by providing a download link via the submission form athttps://vp.eventival.com/anifilm/2025
To enable the work of the selection committee please make sure your video is downloadable. Please note that if any complications occur in the selection process, films provided on streaming links (without the possibility of download) may be rejected.
For a computer game submission, please deliver promo codes or download links via the submission form at https://vp.eventival.com/anifilm/2025.
Screeners for the selection committee – format specifications:
HD video file (or similar resolution) with a maximum data stream of 6000 kB/sThe submitters of the works selected for the festival will be informed about the selection in February 2025 and requested to confirm their participation, provide a complete set of materials and information and send a screening copy. The list of selected works will be announced by the end of February 2025 and published on the festival website www.anifilm.cz.
The screening copy of the selected film must be delivered in one of the following formats:
DCP (preferred format), minimum data stream of 6000 kB/s, stereo sound or 5.1 (other formats will be converted)
FULL HD video file (or similar resolution) / minimum data stream of 6000 kB/s, stereo sound or 5.1 (or image and sound as separated files)
35 mm copy
The submitter is also requested to provide a back-up FULL HD video file, minimum data stream of 6000 kB/s, STEREO SOUND.
How to deliver a screening copy to the festival (options)
a) By sending a link for downloading the file to vojtech.spevak@anifilm.cz
b) By sending it by post on a data medium (USB, hard drive, 35 mm print) – for the address, please email us at: vojtech.spevak@anifilm.cz.The screening copies of the selected films must be delivered to the festival by 31 March 2025 at the latest. This deadline must be respected without fail. The participant is bound to comply with the screening copy transportation instructions.
Rules of the Competition of Student Computer Games
The Competition is announced on 1 December 2024, the deadline for submission is 31 January 2025 and it is governed by the Festival Statutes and these Rules. A work can be accepted into the Competition provided it meets the following requirements:
- it has been completed after 1 January 2024
- it has not competed in previous editions of Anifilm
- the work must be created by a team where a majority of its members are students and it must come from an educational institution in one of the following countries – the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Germany
- the work must be created by students as part of a subject/course or an educational programme at a secondary school, a university, a vocational secondary school or a similar school
Each work may compete in only one category of the international competition. The creator can submit only 1 project to the competition. However, the creator can be a member of a team that has created another work submitted to the competition. A game can be submitted by the creator or the school (the so-called contact person). The decision of the selection committee on works selected for competition will be communicated to the applicants during February 2025, when they will be asked to confirm that they will participate in the competition, complete the documents and information and send a screening copy. The list of selected works will be published on the festival website at www.anifilm.cz by the end of February 2025. The works are selected by a selection committee, see point 7 of the Statutes.
The computer game is delivered to the selection committee through the application form and by providing a promo code or a link for download. A maximum of 12 projects will be selected. Anifilm reserves the right to not fulfil this capacity. The winning game will be chosen by a jury of the International Competition of Computer Games and the award will be presented to the winner at a special ceremony together with the announcement of the results of the Game Pitch Arena. The creator pledges to participate in the Anifilm Game Zone on 9–11 May 2025 and gives their consent to presenting their work on the Anifilm Game Zone premises. The programme may include participation in panel discussions, presentation of the creator’s work etc. The selected creator will receive a festival pass for the whole duration of the festival and accommodation for two nights from Anifilm, with the possibility to stay longer at their own cost.
If you have any questions, email us on gamezone@anifilm.cz.