Entry Deadline Mon. June 4th, 2012

Read more details about submitting in the Submit page.

Getting Ready for the 2012 Festival

Details about submitting for the 2012 festival will be coming soon and will be much the same as 2011. Check the Submit page.

The Event

The Student Animation Festival originated in 2007 as a live showcase of high-school student animation with awards given to the top entries in a number of categories.  Now in its 5th year in 2011, the festival has changed its name to the Toronto International Student Animation Festival after seeing a boom in international and post-secondary entries. The 2011 festival will now have a Post-secondary showcase as well as the High School event.

Main Goal

The main goal of this festival is to give students a live event where their work can be showcased and help them to pursue their interest in animation past high-school, post-secondary school and into the animation industry.  For educators we provide a forum for promoting animation in the school system.

Open to Students Worldwide

The festival is open to all students worldwide in 2011, after having received our first international entries in 2010 from the U.S.A in the High-school Division, Portugal in the Elementary Division and Mumbai,  India for the introductory showcase of Post-secondary work.

Up to now, the festival has been primarily a high-school showcase lasting two and a half hours.  This includes screening of about 60 entries from many categories, an intermission,  a short Elementary Division,  the awards ceremony and a guest speaker from the animation industry. Recent shows have been addressed by guest speakers Stephen Barnes who worked as an animator at Pixar in films such as Toy Story 2, A Bug’s Life and Monsters Inc. and Jake Fullerton of Starz Animation in Toronto who shared their experiences and insights into the animation industry.

The Post-secondary event will follow a similar format.

High School Event

In the High-school Division there are 11 categories to submit work in and are listed below. They cover a wide range of animation techniques and genres. In 2010 over 100 entries from 26 schools were received.  Judging is conducted by post-secondary instructors and professors of animation. For more details go to the Submit page to see descriptions of the categories, criteria and samples of past entries.

2D, 3D, Classical, Claymation, Stop Motion, Music Videos,
PSA/Instructional (Public Service Announcements), Animation Exercises,
Mixed Media/Experimental, Interactive Games

Post-secondary Event

In the Post-secondary Division there are 6 categories to submit work in and are listed below. They cover a wide range of animation techniques and genres. Judging is conducted by animation company professionals. For more details go to the Submit page to see descriptions of the categories, criteria and samples of past entries.

2D, 3D, Stop Motion, Mixed Media/Experimental, Interactive (Games)

Judging and Awards

All entries will be pre-screened by the festival committee and then the shorter list is judged by industry professionals.

The top 2 entries in each High School category will be announced at the festival and receive the Festival Trophy.
Each student submitting an entry into the High School event will also receive the festival Certificate of Achievement.

The Best Animation in each Post-secondary category will be announced at the event and receive the Festival Trophy.

Awards will be mailed if recipient is not present to accept.