LOOPA International Animation Festival
01 Jun 2026
Call for entries
31 Jul 2026
Final deadline
1
mth
14 Oct 2026
Notification date
13 Oct 2026
17 Oct 2026
Festival start: 13 October 2026 Festival end: 17 October 2026
The Loopa International Animation Festival is an annual event that brings together animators, filmmakers, professional studios, and animation enthusiasts from around the world. Its aim is to establish itself as a leading event in the field of animation, promoting art, education, and international collaboration. The festival fosters academic and project-based exchanges, encouraging the sharing of knowledge and experiences in audiovisual media. It also provides opportunities to connect with the animation production sector in Colombia.
This fourth edition of the Animated Short Film Competition is one of the festival's flagship events, featuring national and international guests who share their expertise through activities such as master classes, workshops, forums, an animation market, and a competitive showcase. So, don't miss out!
Awards and Recognition
• Certification: All works accepted into the Official Selection will receive a diploma certifying their inclusion in the festival exhibition.
• Nominations: An "Honorable Mention" will be awarded to the best works in each technical category.
• Winners: An external jury composed of three professionals with extensive national and international experience will select the Overall Winner for each major category (Academic, Artistic, and Professional).
The LOOPA International Animation Festival, organized by the Visual Design Department of the University of Caldas, invites students, professors, researchers, artists, independent filmmakers, and animation professionals to submit their work to the Competitive Showcase of its fourth edition.
We are looking for short films, cinematics, experimental pieces, or commercial works that demonstrate technical rigor, narrative originality, and the expressive power of animated language from academic, artistic, or industrial perspectives.
2. Strict Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
In order to guarantee fair competition, transparency in the creative processes, and respect for traditional and digital workflows, the LOOPA Festival establishes the following regulations for this edition:
• Exclusive AI Animation Category: The festival will have a unique and specific section for works that integrate Generative Artificial Intelligence tools into their production chain.
• General Prohibition: Works submitted in the Academic, Artistic/Experimental, and Professional categories of this call for entries may NOT contain, at any stage (pre-production, production, or post-production), the use of generative AI tools.
• Disqualification: Any work submitted in the traditional categories where the undeclared use of AI is detected or verified will be automatically disqualified by the curatorial committee.
No Fee
Submissions deadline
31 Jul 26
If you feel your animation doesn't fit into any of the above categories, you can submit it here. The curatorial committee and judges will evaluate it and classify it in the appropriate category based on their technical criteria.
No Fee
Submissions deadline
31 Jul 26
If your animation in the final product includes AI animation, this is the modality where you can submit your project.
Note: Works containing AI processes are not accepted. If this is the case with your work, there is the AI Animation category where you can submit it.
No Fee
Submissions deadline
31 Jul 26
Aimed at animation products that meet industry standards, whether commercial, institutional, or independent, produced by professional studios or production companies.
• Length: Open.
• Formats: Narrative, Documentary, and Advertising.
Note: Works containing AI processes are not accepted. If this is the case with your work, there is the AI Animation category where you can submit it.
No Fee
Submissions deadline
31 Jul 26
Aimed at animated products that result from artistic exploration, auteur-driven styles, or independent formal experimentation.
• Minimum duration: 15 seconds.
• Modalities:
• Stop-Motion (Clay motion, Pixilation, Go-Motion, Cut Out).
• Experimental Animation (Sand, Pinscreen, Glass/Celluloid Painting, Motion Capture, Mixed Media).
• Computer Animation (2D Digital, 3D, and Rotoscoping).
• Motion Graphics & Kinetic Typography
• Traditional (Paper Animation, Flipbook, Mechanical Animation/Zeotrope).
Note: Works containing AI processes are not accepted. If this is the case with your work, there is the AI Animation category where you can submit it.
No Fee
Submissions deadline
31 Jul 26
Intended for animation exercises resulting from research processes, formative creation, or projects developed in the classroom.
• Minimum duration: 30 seconds.
• Modalities:
• Stop-Motion (Clay motion, Pixilation, Go-Motion, Cut Out).
• Experimental Animation (Sand, Pinscreen, Glass/Celluloid Painting, Motion Capture, Mixed Media).
• Computer Animation (2D Digital, 3D, and Rotoscoping).
• Motion Graphics & Kinetic Typography
• Traditional (Paper Animation, Flipbook, Mechanical Animation/Zeotrope).
Note: Works containing AI processes are not accepted. If this is the case with your work, there is the AI Animation category where you can submit it.
