Open World Animation Festival

12/10/2025

Now that the dust has settled and all of our final decisions have been made, here are the winning films of Open World Animation Fest 2025!!!

BEST STUDENT FILM - Apocalypse YASSS: Two Girls, One Rapture
Directed by Amy Hewett -
United States

MUSIC VIDEO - My Algorithm
Directed by Benjamin Efrati & Balazs Turai -
France & Hungary

IMMERSIVE AWARD - Noises
Directed by Diana David .xicolami
Portugal

BEST SCREENPLAY - PINA
Directed by Jeremy Depuydt & Giuseppe Accardo
Belgium

BEST COMEDY SHORT - BurgerWorld
Directed by Maddie Brewer @ astudiodigital
United States

BEST ANIMATED SHORT - HIDARI
Directed by Masashi Kawamura
Japan

VOYAGER AWARD (BEST IN SHOW) - Return to Hairy Hill
Directed by Daniel Gies
Canada

Congratulations to all of our winners from around the World! We can't wait to see what you create next!

For those who missed Open World Animation Fest 2025, stay tuned for future screening dates featuring these films and more!

#2025 #2026

08/09/2025

Some cool animation news from Nintendo!

Nintendo has announced a new stop-motion Mario show that's set to premiere on YouTube. The series, which will feature kid-friendly animated episodes just one-minute in length, will launch alongside a range of new toys, picture books, and more released under a new "My Mario" banner. Link in the comments for more.

08/07/2025

FILM SPOTLIGHT: KILLA MAID! (2025)
Country: United States

Killa Maid! is a Japanese-style commercial for a murder scene clean-up service with a magical twist.

Director: Chonnajun Waitayawinyoo


Chonnajun "Bambam" Waitayawinyoo is a filmmaker, 3D animator, and CG generalist from Bangkok, Thailand. She recently graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design with a major in Computer Animation and a minor in Film Studies. Her thesis film, KILLA MAID!, is a 3D animated short that reflects her passion for both Western animation and Japanese anime, and marks her directorial debut.

See this film and SO MUCH MORE at Open World Animation Fest 2025 November 6-9th at the Roxy Theatre. ✌️

08/06/2025

FILM SPOTLIGHT: The Tornado Outside (2023)
Country: United Kingdom

Anna lives in a perfect house, but living on the edge of a tornado can be difficult. When she ventures outside, she is forced to face the chaos that she usually hides away from.

Director: Maria Tomazou


Maria is an animation director born in Cyprus. With a background in illustration and animation she now graduated from The National Film and Television School studying an MA on Directing Animation. Maria is specialising in stop-motion animation and is interested in capturing characters' emotional journeys. She is interested in visual storytelling with limited dialogue. She tackles themes of home, perfectionism, perspective and questions about life and existence!

See this film and SO MUCH MORE at Open World Animation Fest 2025 November 6-9th at the Roxy Theatre. ✌️

05/10/2025

📺 You can't have Saturday Morning Cartoons without some cereal! 🥣

There have been tons of cool Movie, TV show, & cartoon cereal tie-ins over the years. Here are a few!

Every year Open World Animation Festival hosts a block of Saturday Morning Cartoons featuring retro commercials and other fun surprises! This year will be no different! 🚀

Lift those spoons and celebrate the tradition that is Saturday Morning Cartoons! 🎉🥳

05/08/2025

FILM SPOTLIGHT: Little Miss Fate (2020)
Country: Switzerland

Little Miss Fate lives in a world driven by fate. When the opportunity arises, she slips into the role of the world leader. Unintentionally she creates a monster, which greedily wants to suck up all the love of the world. Overwhelmed by the rapid development, she loses control.

Director: Joder von Rotz

https://yk-animation.ch

Joder von Rotz was born 1987 in Kerns, Switzerland. Apprenticeship as structural draftsman. 2012 Bachelor of Arts in Animation at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

2013 cofounder of YK Animation Studio GmbH in Berne. Since then works as manager, producer and director.

See this film and SO MUCH MORE at Open World Animation Fest 2025 November 6-9th at the Roxy Theatre. ✌️

05/06/2025

FILM SPOTLIGHT: Open World Animation Festival 2025

Kapitan (2024)
Country: Spain

A captain wanders the sea in search of the place of his dreams, a beautiful orange lighthouse. One day the light of the lighthouse bursts into the gloom of his cabin. The sailor will have to decide whether to move on or remain anchored to the life he has always lived.

Director: Andrei Simkinsims_
https://distributionwithglasses.com/kapitan/

Andrei Simkin (Moscow, Russia, 04/22/1999) moved to Spain in 2012. He studied Film at ESCAC University, specializing in Animation. Andrei focuses his last years of study and work on design and stop-motion animation and he created “Kapitan”, his first short film as a director, produced in collaboration with ESCAC Films. He currently lives in Portland (Oregon), where he works as a stop-motion animator at the prestigious Laika Studio, while continuing to develop his authorial projects focusing his universe on the fantastic and using the story as a tool for self-knowledge in the everyday life of his characters.

See this film and SO MUCH MORE at Open World Animation Fest 2025 November 6-9th at the Roxy Theatre. ✌️

05/01/2025

FILM SPOTLIGHT: Open World Animation Festival 2025

Detlev (2024)
Country: Germany

A constantly freezing man in his forties drives to a lonely petrol station every evening and orders a microwaved Toast Hawaii. Detlev indulges in this in a bizarre ritual, because it's the only thing that warms him in his daily life. But when he is observed by a stranger one night, his world begins to crumble into shameful pieces.

Director: Ferdinand Ehrhardtmov

See this film and SO MUCH MORE at Open World Animation Fest 2025 November 6-9th at the Roxy Theatre. ✌️

04/26/2025

Announcing our FIRST film playing in competition at Open World Animation Fest 2025!

Sphere Supreme (2024)
Country: Belgium

Follow Arama, guided by a mystical pomegranate tree, meeting a mysterious man. Along the way, Arama faces parts of himself, slowly putting together the puzzle of his identity. But before he is able to put everything together, will he manage to keep himself in one piece?

Director: Hasan Pastaci
https://www.hasanpastaci.com/spheresupreme

Hasan Pastaci is a Turkish animation film director who recently got his master's degree from the School of Arts in Ghent, Belgium. Specializing in traditional hand-drawn animation, Hasan creates films that delve into themes of spirituality, consciousness, sexuality, immigration and the human psyche through a Jungian lens. His work is rich with symbolism and often carries profound political messages, reflecting his deep engagement with both personal and societal issues. While doing so, he thinks that in a world where everything is becoming extremely fast and digital, it is a delight to work analogue style and enjoy the process of making.

See this film and SO MUCH MORE at Open World Animation Fest 2025 November 6-9th at the Roxy Theatre. ✌️

04/25/2025

Let the trip begin! 🚀🪐👽

The official poster of Open World Animation Fest 2025 by artist Roberlan Paresqui aka This is Blasé Studio, based in Brazil! 🇧🇷 The psychedelic work of This is Blasé Studio perfectly captures the surreal and mind-bending spirit of the festival, which features cutting edge animated works from across the planet.

Open World Animation Fest 2025 takes places Nov. 6-9 at the Roxy Theatre! Tickets on sale this Summer!