Imaginaria Animation Festival 2027: Free Global Call Opens December 1, Includes Music Videos
About the opportunity and eligibility
The 25th Imaginaria International Festival of Auteur Animation, organised by Atalante ETS, will take place in Conversano, Apulia, Italy, August 22–29, 2027. Its new rules introduce four competition sections: international animated shorts, graduation films from art and film schools, animation for children, and animated music videos. The festival welcomes traditional animation, hand-drawn 2D digital works, stop-motion, 3D, mixed media and experimental approaches. It is a potentially useful showcase for independent digital artists and audiovisual creators, but this is an announcement of a future intake, not an already open entry form.
How to apply and work requirements
Eligible shorts must generally be completed after January 1, 2026 and be twenty minutes or shorter including credits. Films in languages other than Italian or English need separate English or Italian .srt subtitle files. The Main Competition additionally requires an Italian premiere: the film cannot have been shown publicly in Italy before this festival. Previously submitted Imaginaria entries are not eligible, and each film can enter only one competitive category. Successful entrants must provide DCP and 1080p H.264 screening files, stills, a short director biography and an English synopsis within ten days of selection notification.
Deadline, costs, benefits and rights
On October 29, 2026 the call is not yet open. FilmFreeway submissions start December 1, 2026, close May 15, 2027, and results are expected by July 15. Submission is free. The announced awards are artworks by an Apulian artist rather than a guaranteed cash prize. The Main Competition winner may qualify for the Academy Awards animated-short category, conditional on the Academy's rules, not an automatic nomination. Selected films give permission for festival screenings, promotional excerpts of up to thirty seconds and certain later noncommercial showcases. The rules do not explicitly settle generative-AI eligibility; creators using it should ask before applying.
Independent editorial summary and translation of an external call. Check the organiser's latest official requirements, deadline, fees, copyright, screenings and participation conditions before applying or paying. Official rules prevail.
Official source / 公式募集情報: https://imaginaria.eu/en/call-for-entries-2027/
More detailed official rules / 募集詳細: https://imaginaria.eu/en/call-for-entries-2027/