AEAF Awards
Judging Criteria
Entries are judged on technical skill and artistry in visual effects and animation, and their contribution to storytelling.Visual effects, animation, or both, should form a significant component within the projects submitted.Emphasis is on the practice and effectiveness of visual effects and animation, irrespective of tools, size of team and budget.
GENERAL RULES
Entries must have been completed between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2025. We do accept pre-releases.
1. Entries in Animation/VFX categories must use a substantial amount of visual effects and or animation in their post production.
2. Entries in all categories must have been made using digital media technology, ie image acquisition by video or digital camera, editing on NLE, and additional effects, compositing, animation, titles using computer hardware and software.
3.The panel of judges will choose finalists on artistic as well as craft merit. The winner in each category will be determined by the highest score, aggregated from the scores of all judges. The Festival Director will have the deciding vote in the case of a tie.
4. We confirm that you have granted The Australian Effects & Animation Festival the right to publicly exhibit your film and that The Australian Effects & Animation Festivawill take all care but no responsibility for your film while in the possession of the Festival. We also confirm that if accepted into the festival, you grantThe Australian Effects & Animation Festiva the right to publicly promote your film in all festival promotional materials, as appropriate.
5. Please ensure that you have completed and submitted the entry form and uploaded a video file and at least one still image of the work.
Please supply your entry using the link below as a 16:9 H.264 or QuickTime file. You can upload files up to 2GB with your images and publicity material. If you HAVE MULTIPLE ENTRIES TO UPLOAD you can put them in one zip file. If you prefer you can send us a link by your favorite FILE TRANSFER SERVICE dropbox, wetransfer, digital pigeon etc.
If you need more space for additional credits, specs, etc - please email these items separately to
6. The Entrant warrants to The Australian Effects & Animation Festival that the film does not infringe on any rights, including copyright and third party, and that the Entrant has obtained all necessary releases and permissions to enter the film.
7. There is an administration entry fee for each entry. Please see the entry form for the latest details.
Entries can only be entered in one year. Multiple categories are allowed.
Category Rules
Animation is a project where the creators have chosen a look clearly distinct from photorealism for the benefit of the storytelling, in which movement and characters’ performances are created using a frame-by-frame technique. The Awards consider animation to be a genre that is independent of the process by which it is created. Some of the techniques of animating films include but are not limited to hand-drawn animation, computer animation, stop-motion, clay animation, pixilation, cutout animation, pinscreen, camera multiple pass imagery, kaleidoscopic effects created frame-by-frame, and drawing on the film frame itself. Motion capture and real-time puppetry are not by themselves animation techniques.
Commercial is defined as a motion imaging work, intended for theatrical, broadcast or streaming, that has been paid for by an identified sponsor, has been screened on one or more broadcastmedia, and is directed to a market segment with the explicit purpose of supporting the promotion or sale of a product, brand or service.
TV Series can be submitted as a single epidode or VFX/Animatin segments included in the episode, mlutiple episodes up to the entire series. Only the VFX/Animatin work will ce considered for judging. A TV Series is a scripted program, intended for broadcast or streaming, with a theme and distinct storyline. Mini-series with less more than three episodes are eligible to enter.
Feature Film is a scripted, stand alone moving picture, with a beginning, middle and end,and duration of at least 45 minutes.
Game Cinematics is a s non-interactive sequences inserted into the action of a video game, or the pre-rendered sequences used as a game promotio
Student is a project created by a student of students of an accredited school or university. The entry can be by one student or multiple students. The involvement of trachers and mentors is allowed if in a teachiing role and they are credited.