Aug 2, 2018

Independent filmmakers can now submit to the Annie Awards for free

ASIFA-Hollywood has opened the submission process for its 46th annual Annie Awards.

The biggest change this year is that it's easier for independent shorts to participate in the short film award category. That's because the Annies will allow any ASIFA-Hollywood member the ability to submit one short subject without charge (a savings of $125).

Additionally, for the first time, the Annies will provide free submissions to the grand prize recipients from the following animation festivals: Annecy, Zagreb, Hiroshima, and Ottawa. It's unclear what effect, if any, this will have on the short category. This year's Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject was presented to Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant's Dear Basketball.

The organization is also adding two new categories to the awards: Best Virtual Reality Production and Best Animated Effects in a Television/Broadcast Production.

In total, the organization will present 37 awards at its next edition: 10 for production categories, 22 for individual achievement, and five honorary awards for lifetime accomplishment, philanthropy, technical advances, and meritorious service.

Rules and submission forms can be found at submissions.annieawards.org. The deadline to submit is Thursday, November 1, at 5pm PST.

The Annie Awards will take place on February 2nd, 2019, at UCLA's Royce Hall, in Los Angeles, California.