Call for submissions: Opens on

17 March 2025

What is WUAA

World University Animation Awards (WUAA) (世界大學動畫獎)

WUAA is a continuation and celebration of HKMU's creative arts education, and extends its beliefs and ideas to other universities around the world. The awards focus on outstanding works in Animation art, including 3D animation with imaginary story-telling or documentaries, and forms of art x technologies composing future animation arts. WUAA invites animation submissions from University students that cross formal and conceptual boundaries.

Competition

World University Animation Awards (WUAA) calls for short animated films with high potential and strong messages from all over the world. The call for submissions opens on March 17, 2025.

Submission platform: FilmFreeway

Event Period: 16-17 Sep 2025

Venue: Hong Kong Metropolitan University

Awards

Grand Prize – Cash (USD 10, 000) and Trophy
Best Artistic Award – Cash (USD 10, 000) and Trophy
Best Narrative Award – Cash (USD 10, 000) and Trophy
Jury’s Award – Cash (USD 5, 000) and Trophy
Next Generation Award – Cash (USD 5, 000) and Trophy

Grand Prize

This is the top prize for the best overall animated short film in the competition. The winning work will be exceptional in areas like storytelling, artistic merit, technical skills, and overall creativity.

Best Artistic Award

This award is for the animated short film with the highest artistic excellence and innovation in its visual design, colors, cinematography, and overall aesthetic.

Best Narrative Award

This award celebrates the animated short film with the most compelling, original, and well-crafted story. The winning work will have great storytelling techniques, strong character development, and a thought-provoking or emotional script.

Jury Award

These awards recognize animated shorts that may not have won the top prizes but are still considered outstanding in certain ways. They could be innovative, experimental, socially relevant, or very popular with the audience.

Next Generation Award

This special award is just for Hong Kong-based student animators to encourage and recognize the next generation of local animation talent.

Requirement

Eligibility: Open to college/university current students and graduates from the 2024-25 academic year; graduates from the 2023-2024 academic year.
Production Date: The work must have been produced on or after September 1, 2023.
Verification: A Student Card or Student Verification will be required.
Submission Format: The award accepts only online digital submissions.
Entry Limit: Each director is allowed to submit one entry.
Duration: Work must not exceed 15 minutes in length.
Language Requirements: All submitted animations must include embedded subtitles in English.
Animation Technique: Only animated short films will be accepted (the films must have been made using animation, regardless of the technique).
Resolution/Dimensions: Submissions must be in 1080p, 2K, or 4K resolution.
Codec: Acceptable codecs include H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, or ProRes 422 HQ.
Frame Rate: The frame rate must be set at either 24 or 25 frames per second.