Prime the Animation! New Talent International Festival

Prime the Animation! New Talent International Festival

Also known as: PTA!, Festival Internacional de Nuevos Talentos del Cine de Animación
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Prime the Animation! is an animation festival for students and first-time directors, organised by the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and coordinated by its research group Animación UPV. It began in 2013 as a non-competitive showcase of student short films linked to World Animation Day and became a competitive festival in 2017. The short film competition is open to student films and debut shorts made outside education, from any country, created with frame-by-frame animation; works made with artificial intelligence are not accepted. Alongside the competition screenings, the programme includes a pitch session for animation projects, portfolio reviews, professional talks and feature screenings. The festival is part of FAN, the Festival Animation Network.

The 14th edition, under the motto “Libertad” (Freedom), runs from 24 to 31 October 2026 in Valencia, at the UPV Faculty of Fine Arts, the Filmoteca Valenciana and partner venues, with a family screening at the Filmoteca on 1 November 2026.

Country

Spain

Focus

Animation

Categories

Animation, Short, Student

Awards and prizes

Short film competition (2026 edition): - Best International Short Film: trophy and 1,300 EUR (Fundación Cañada Blanch) - Best Spanish Short Film: trophy - Miquel Guillem Award for Best Experimental Animation: trophy and a Dragonframe software licence - Audience Award: trophy - Best Animated Short Film Poster The jury may also give special mentions, which receive a diploma. Project pitch: Best Pitch award, a diploma and an accreditation for MIFA (Annecy), subject to confirmation by the partner organisation.

Festival rules

Competition for animated short films from any country (2026 edition). Categories: - Student animated short films: students over 18 or educational centres, for films made within degree, master's, vocational training or specialised school programmes. An official certificate from the school is required. - Debut films (Óperas Primas): directors presenting their first animated short made professionally, outside education. Each film may be entered in one category only. Films must be completed after 1 January 2025 and be no longer than 12 minutes including credits. Any theme and any frame-by-frame technique (2D, 3D, stop motion, mixed media) is accepted; at least 85% of the footage must be animation. Films and posters made with artificial intelligence are not accepted. Dialogue in a language other than Spanish must have Spanish subtitles, or a translated text must be provided. Screening copy: 1080p (1920x1080), 24/25 fps, H.264 or ProRes 422 HQ; DCP is not accepted. Entrants may also submit the film's poster (JPG, up to 8 MB) for the Best Poster award. Submissions go through FilmFreeway. Selected films are announced on the festival website in October; the presence of directors is not required. Animation projects (pitch): projects from Spain by recent graduates and junior professionals, presented in Spanish; any technique and format (short, feature, series), at any stage of production; up to three projects per participant.

Contacts

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