Aug 6, 2021

Call for entries to the 25th Japan Media Arts Festival

The Japan Media Arts Festival has begun accepting entries. The Japan Media Arts Festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary next March.

The Japan Media Arts Festival awards prizes in four categories: Animation, Art, Entertainment, and Manga. The Animation Division is open to feature films, television, streaming works, and short films. Note: In the past, animation works have won awards in the Entertainment category (which also includes video games).

Various prizes will be awarded in each category, including the Grand Prize of 1 million yen (US$9,110). Winning works will be exhibited at events in Japan and abroad.

The deadline for submissions is September 3. Entries are free and must be completed or presented between September 5, 2020 and September 3, 2021. Winners will be announced in March 2022.

Last year, 3,693 entries were received from 103 countries and regions. The Grand Prize for Animation went to Science Sal's "Keep Your Hands Off" series, followed by Kyoto Animation's feature film "Violet Evergarden the Movie" and the European co-production "Maroona's Fantastic Tale". In the Entertainment category, the Academy Award-approved feature film "Ongaku: The Sound of Us" (top image), an Academy Award-approved feature film, also won the Grand Prix in the Entertainment category.

Recent award-winning short films include "La Chute" by Boris Labbé, "Daughter" by Daria Kashcheva, and "Negative Space" by Lou Kwahata and Max Porter.