Frequently Asked Questions

OIAF will be held Sept 25 – 29, 2024.

OIAF is held in-person in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city.

You can submit films via our Entries page

Submissions open March 1st, 2024 and close at 11:59 PM EDT on May 31st, 2024.

Yes, if you don’t already have an Eventival account, you’ll need to create one in order to access the entry form.

If you have an existing Google account, you can use that to log in and link your Eventival account to it by clicking the red “G” button when Eventival prompts you to log in.

To create an account, go to the OIAF Visitor Page, and click the “Login” button at the top. Once the Login page has loaded, click the button at the bottom that says “Create a new account”. Then fill in the info it requests and click “Create Account”.

Eventival will then send you a verification email. Once you’ve received it, click the “Verify email” button, which will take you back to Eventival.

You’ll have to read and agree to the Privacy Policy, and agree to grant Eventival access to your information. Once that’s done, fill in your Personal Profile and Contact information (the mandatory fields will be marked with an *), and click save. Now you should be able to see the Visitor Page home screen, where you can access the submissions portal.

If you have any trouble creating your Eventival account, please reach out to the Eventival help team.

If the film is selected, the filmmaker is responsible for providing an HD digital screening copy of the film and all costs related to getting the file to the festival, if any. The Festival will not cover customs fees. We will cover the cost of getting any drives or USB devices back to the filmmaker after the festival. However, due to costs the package will be sent back via regular post.

Unfortunately, we do not provide feedback. But since we do not charge an entry fee, there’s no harm in simply submitting your film.

While films with very little animated content will probably not be accepted, the presence of live action certainly does not disqualify your film. Your submission should use enough animation to clearly define your work; however, with no entry fee, there is no harm in trying.

Submitted works must be original, and have some level of (non-algorythmic) human involvement in their creation. While we are not opposed to AI-assisted works, submissions should at least show some sign of the artists’ hand.

The work you submit must be original. Repackaging other peoples films as your own is grounds for immediate disqualification. That being said, we do welcome films that contain collage or found footage. In these cases, remember that all the elements of your film should be licensed (including music!). 

Films submitted for OIAF 2024 must be produced AFTER May 31, 2023. Films submitted to previous editions of the OIAF would not fulfill this requirement, and so would be ineligible.

There is no minimum duration limit, however for the short film categories, it is highly unlikely we will accept any films over 30 minutes. We strongly recommend keeping your films under this length. The minimum duration for films in the Feature Competition is 45 minutes, and while we don’t have a set maximum limit, we’re probably not going to accept anything that’s unreasonably long.

Absolutely! We accept and encourage films from all over the world at our festival. Keep in mind that the Festival cannot cover customs fees for screening copies. Filmmakers whose works are selected and plan on attending the OIAF will receive an invitation letter to aid in organizing the appropriate travel documents.

Yes, however please notify us if the film is selected at another festival, and please update us on its premiere status; whether it will be a World, North American, Canadian, Ontario, or Ottawa premiere. A film’s premiere status (or lack thereof) does not affect whether or not the Selections committee chooses a film for Competition or Panorama.

No, it’s fine.

While we won’t automatically reject incomplete works, films will be judged “as is”, alongside hundreds of other works that have been finished. As well, we do not accept any entries that arrive after the deadline.

It is strongly recommended that you don’t rush your art; wait until your film is complete and submit it next year. Films will still be eligible for the 2025 Festival if they’re produced/completed after May 31, 2024.

Absolutely. You will only need to supply an HD file if your film is selected. If you are notified that you have been selected, arrangements for sending us an HD Quicktime file can be made at that time. The festival will not accept any physical/analog formats as screening copies.

If your film is selected and you do not have a high-quality video file, please inform us immediately so that we have time to arrange a digital copy of your screening format.

Yes. We accept films in any language, however your online screener must have English subtitles if your film is not in English.

Non-English films that are selected will also need their final screening files to have English subtitles.

Information about the categories for this year’s OIAF can be found below under ‘Competitions’.

No. Films can only be entered into ONE category each. This also means that we will not accept the same film twice.

Note: the OIAF Selection team reserves the right to move an entry to a more appropriate category.

Unfortunately, due to a variety of factors, it is no longer possible for us to continue with the Virtual Reality Competition. While we still plan to include VR works as part of our special programming in the future, it will no longer be a category in the Official Competition.

If the show is made for kids and teens, you would submit to either the Young Audiences or Teen Audiences Competition, depending on whether it’s intended for ages 7-12 or ages 13-18.

If the show is not intended for children, then it belongs in the Animated Series Competition. Do NOT submit your episode to more than one category. Duplicate entries will be disqualified.

No. We ask that you please submit only one episode that is representative of your series as a whole.

Any type of short animation that was funded and produced for specific commercial or promotional purposes should be submitted to the Commissioned Animation category. That includes (but is not limited to) music videos, trailers, signal films, commercials, title or credit sequences, TV spots, etc.

Having all the varied types of commissioned animation in a single category helps ensure we have a strong competition every year.

As long as your film was completed after May 31, 2023 and you were enrolled in the program at the time that it was finished, your film is still eligible for that category.

Animated Feature: An animated film over 45 minutes in length.

Short-format, non-commissioned animated films or videos. Suggested maximum length of 30 minutes. We define “narrative” as a short structured with some sort of narrative or story (i.e. “something happens”).

Short-format, non-commissioned animated films or videos. Suggested maximum length of 30 minutes. We define “Non-Narrative” as a short structured without a clear narrative or cause-effect plotline.

Note: ‘Non-narrative’ does not mean ‘dialogue-free’. Dialogue, i.e. narration, is fine.

Films made by students who are either currently enrolled in a high school, post-secondary or graduate diploma or degree or were so enrolled during the films’ production.

Works that are funded and produced for specific commercial or promotional purposes.

Including but not limited to commercials, title sequences, station/program identification spots, music videos, and trailers.

Independent or commissioned films that are produced and distributed specifically for audiences aged 7-12. Please note only one episode per series is eligible and is limited to 22 minutes and under.

Independent or commissioned films that are produced and distributed specifically for audiences aged 13-18. Please note only one episode per series is eligible and is limited to 22 minutes and under

Works that are created as part of an animated series for television, streaming, or the web and are not intended for children. Please note only one episode per series is eligible and is limited to 22 minutes or less.

Yes.