STATUTES & RULES

Festival Statutes

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ANIMATED FILMS ANIFILM, 5–11 MAY 2026, LIBEREC, CZECH REPUBLIC

  1. 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 or games and provide groundwork for potential international co-productions. The festival’s accompanying programme supports education in the field of animation. The programme highlights the wide range of expressions of animation as a distinctive artistic discipline. Last but not least, Anifilm also devotes itself thoroughly to the art of computer games, which the festival understands as a part of animation.

  2. 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.

  3. Anifilm 2025 will take place in Liberec from 5 to 10 May 2026.

  4. The competition programme consists of the following categories:

    Feature Film for adults
    For films longer than 60 minutes.

    Feature Film for children & young audience
    For films longer than 60 minutes.
    Short Film
    For films of 59 minutes or less made by professionals (out of school).
    Student Film
    For films of 59 minutes or less made by students.
    Abstract and Non-Narrative Animation
    For audio-visual works using the principles of animation in the widest possible sense.
    Music Video
    VR Film
    For films designed for virtual reality – animated 360° videos.
    Videogame
    The jury gives awards for the best game for children and for the best visual art.
    Student Videogame
    The jury gives awards for best student game. For European videogames only.

  5. The national competition is called Czech Horizon and it is divided into five categories:
    Short and Feature Film
    Student Film
    Series
    Music Video
    Commissioned Work

  6. Student work must be created by a team where a majority of its members are students and it must come from an educational institution. It must be part of a subject/course or an educational programme at a secondary school, a university, a vocational secondary school or a similar school. It can be submitted by the student or the school.

  7. Anifilm has been approved as an Academy qualifying festival for the Short Film Awards. The winner of the international competition in the Short Film category is Oscar® eligible.
    The winners of the Czech Horizon Competition can be nominated for 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.

  8. Only works completed after 1 January 2025 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 screening of their work and the Closing Ceremony, where the International Competition results will be announced.

  9. 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.

  10. The costs of the transportation of the screening copy 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.

  11. Videogames in competition will be available to the jury and the accredited audience to play. The creator pledges to participate at the Anifilm Game Zone and gives their consent to presenting their work there.

  12. The winning student videogame will be chosen by a jury of the International Competition of Videogames. The award announcement will take place at a ceremony together with the results of the Game Pitch Arena.

  13. The international jury consists of distinguished representatives of culture, film production and theory; and of film reviewers, filmmakers, game industry professionals and producers. 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.

  14. The jury gives out the following awards:
    a) Award for Best Feature Film for Adults, which comes with a financial prize of 1,000 EUR
    b) 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 a Videogame
    i) Award for Best Videogame for Children
    j) Award for Best Student Videogame

    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).

  15. The winners of the Czech Horizon categories are decided by the Council of Animated Film (RAF). The RAF consists of Czech authors, directors, producers, animators, dramaturges, animation theorists, historians, critics, film pedagogues and representatives of showcases and festivals. The RAF selects the winners in an online vote before the festival. 

  16. 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 Work

  17. The festival visitors decide on the Audience Award – the Liberec Region Award. In online voting they can select a work across all categories for this award.

  18. In ambiguous or unclear situations and cases unforeseen by the Statutes, the Festival Director or the Programme Director will decide. The organiser reserves the right to change these Statutes in exceptionally serious cases.

  19. 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.

  20. By submitting their work, the submitter grants consent to one screening within the Echoes of Anifilm, which takes place during 2 weeks after the festival in a cinema in Prague.

  21. Participation of a work in the festival competition implies agreement with these Statutes.

Competition Rules

The competition is announced on 1 September 2025, the application submission deadline is set at 31 December 2025 and is governed by the Festival Statutes and the Competition Rules.

The submitted work is accepted into the competition on condition that
- It has been completed after 1 January 2025 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
- It did not take part in the Anifilm festival competition in any of the preceding years. 

  1. One work can compete in one international competition category only.

  2. 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 festival understands works with a Czech production majority.

  3. Each work has to be submitted via the submission form at https://vp.eventival.com/anifilm/2026

    Exceptions (multiple submissions) can be discussed at vojtech.spevak@anifilm.cz

  4. Works for the competition are selected by a selection committee, see Statute (7).

  5. a) For film submission the screener for the selection committee is delivered by providing a download link. To enable the process of the selection please make sure your screener is downloadable. Please note that if any complications occur in the selection process, screeners provided on streaming links (without the possibility of download) may be rejected.
    Screener format specification:
    Full HD video file (or similar resolution) with a maximum data stream of 6000 kB/s


    b) For a videogame submission, please fill-in promo codes or download links in the submission form.

  6. The submitter of the selected work will be informed about the selection during February 2026 and requested to confirm participation, provide a complete set of materials and information and send a screening copy / promo code.


    Submitter of selected work is obliged to inform the rights holders about the selection of the work. If the work cannot participate in the competition, the festival must be informed within one week of receiving the notification of selection. If no objection is received within this period, the festival will consider the film's participation in the competition as confirmed.


    The list of selected works will be announced by the end of February 2026 and published on the festival website www.anifilm.cz.

  7. The screening copy of the selected film


    Ways to deliver:

    a) Send a link to download the file to vojtech.spevak@anifilm.cz
    b) Send it by post on a data medium (USB, hard drive, 35 mm print) – for the address, please email at: vojtech.spevak@anifilm.cz.


    Accepted screening copy formats:
    a) DCP (preferred format), minimum data stream of 6000 kB/s, stereo sound or 5.1 (other formats will be converted)
    b) 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)
    c) 35 mm film print


    The submitter is also requested to provide a back-up FULL HD video file, minimum data stream of 6000 kB/s, STEREO SOUND.

  8. The screening copies of the selected films must be delivered to the festival by 31 March 2026 at the latest. This deadline must be respected without fail. The participant is bound to comply with the screening copy transportation instructions.