There are categories of Independent Film, Commissioned Work, Student Film, Experimental Film and Music Videos, with First through Third prizes.* There are Craft awards for Writing, Animation, Education, Soundtrack, and Design (with one prize in each). Our “Best in Show” (highest rated) winner receives the coveted Peggy Award statuette (Student Films not eligible).

*The final decision for all awards will be made by the Festival Committee, based on the results of judging by the membership of ASIFA-East. In some circumstances, including overall quantity and/or quality of submissions, awards may tie, and/or greater or fewer prizes may be issued.)

ELIGIBILITY:

• Film must have been produced after July 1, 2023, and must be received no later than Feb. 14th, 2025, accompanied by a completed entry form and all entry fees.
• Film must not have been entered in previous ASIFA-East festivals. Films must be received by the deadline to be considered.
• At this time, we are only accepting entries from the United States of America, as our festival focuses on the Northeast of our country.
• Films longer than 22 minutes will be asked to provide an excerpt of 5-10 minutes.
• Student Films
  • In order to highlight local talent, we are only accepting student films from the Northeast region of the USA, specifically the following states:
    • New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, and Pennsylvania.
  • Student Films longer than 7 minutes will be asked to provide an excerpt of 5 minutes.

FILE FORMAT:

• Please provide a link to the downloadable video. Videos must use the H.264 codec and follow the compression guidelines at Vimeo Help.
• We have a 1GB file size cap per entry [file size can exceed limit if film is over 10 minutes, on a case by case basis].   

Entries that do not follow these guidelines will be disqualified. Please email us at asifaeastfestival@gmail.com if you need advice.

• Work(s) submitted to, and selected for, the ASIFA-East Animation Festival is/are intended for public exhibition by ASIFA at the ASIFA-East Animation Festival, including its juried screenings and awards ceremony, and/or partner ASIFA National Groups strictly in the context of not-for-profit, ASIFA-curated events intended primarily for active ASIFA members and at which no admission shall be charged, income realized, consideration provided, or attribution provided beyond that which appears in the Work(s). Screening lists may be published. ASIFA-East warrants that it shall not otherwise exhibit, sell, or distribute any submitted Work(s) without express written agreement with the rights-holder. By submitting Work(s) to the ASIFA-East Animation festival you permit and warrant that you are fully authorized to permit such exhibition of the Work(s) as provided above. ASIFA-East will not be responsible for infringements of rights of entries accepted for screening by the jury.

• Categories may be merged.
  • If category turnout is too low for a complete program, submissions may be asked to re-classify as another category for competition.
• Some educational institutions offer to reimburse their student’s festival fees. 
  • Students, please contact your teachers for more information on receiving an exclusive student film festival fee waiver code. 
  • Educators, please email asifaeastfestival@gmail.com to learn how to engage in this program!
  • Due to the high volume of student films, we are limiting school discount codes to 15 films per department.  This will allow for collegiate diversity in the Student Film category. 
• The Student Film category may be capped out at a maximum program screening duration.
  • Student Film submissions will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis (if this happens, rules and members will be updated).
  • Students should consider if their film can compete in other categories, such as Music Video, to improve competition.  Team projects could compete on the Independent level.
• Women In Animation may present a special award for your consideration.