Aug 6, 2021

Application for Entry: Application to the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival

The call for submissions to the Japan Media Arts Festival is open. The government-backed event will return for its 25th edition next March.

The festival hands out awards across four sections: animation, art, entertainment, and manga. The animation section is open to features, tv and streaming productions, and shorts. Note: in the past, animated works have won prizes in the entertainment section (which is also open to video games).

Various prizes are handed out in each section, including a grand prize of one million yen (USD$9,110). Award-winning works are then exhibited at events around Japan and abroad.

The deadline for submissions is September 3. Entry is free, and works must have been completed or released between September 5, 2020 and September 3, 2021. The winners will be announced in March 2022.

Last year's edition saw 3,693 entries from 103 countries and regions. The animation grand prize went to Science Saru's series Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!, with the Kyoto Animation feature Violet Evergarden: the Movie and European co-production Marona's Fantastic Tale among the other winners. In the entertainment section, the Oscar-qualified feature On-Gaku: Our Sound (image at top) took the grand prize.

Shorts that have won prizes in recent years include Boris Labbé's La Chute, Daria Kashcheeva's Daughter, and Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter's Negative Space.