The 3rd Niigata International Animation Film Festival (NIAFF 2025)
Feature Film Competition
Terms and Conditions*All dates and times indicated here are in Japan Standard Time (JST).
1.

The festival
1.1. The 3rd Niigata International Animation Film Festival 2025 (NIAFF 2025,hereafter) is hosted by the Niigata International Animation Film Festival
Executive Committee (the Committee, hereafter) and operated by theNiigata International Film Festival Office (the Office, hereafter).
1.2. Schedule of NIAFF 2025
15th March 2025 to 20th March 2025 (JST)1.3. Submission Schedule
Starts accepting entries at 00:00 a.m. on 1st July 2024 and closes at
24:00 on 30th November 2024 (JST)2.

Eligibility
2.1. The festival accepts only feature animation films for 40 minutes orlonger, including end credit—no limit to the methods of animation.
2.2. The film has to be completed in or after the year 2023.
2.3. The film has to come with English subtitles unless the work is inJapanese at the time of the entry. For the Japanese-only video, English
subtitles will be required after shortlisting.
2.4. The director, producer, or entrant must be entitled and responsible for
distributing the film. There should be no issues with screening at NIAFF
2025.
2.5. All of the copyrights of music, characters, and other entities in the filmwith copyrights shall be approved by the copyright holder(s) before
submitting the film. The festival has no responsibility for legal matterswith the third party to the submitted work, including infringement ofrights and damages.
The submitted film might be distributed online in case of an epidemic or otherserious issues. However, the selection result will not be affected by whether or
not the work is available for online distribution. The film will not be distributed
online without permission.

3.

Entry Fee
There is no fee to submit and apply to the Competition.

4.

How to submit your film
4.1. Online Application

4.1.1.

Apply by submitting the entry form on the NIAFF official website
https://niigata-iaff.net/or Filmfreeway
https://filmfreeway.com/NiigataInternationalAnimationFestival
Please fill out with the information about the film and director.
4.1.2.
Upload the profile image of the director (800h x 600w pixels andthree still images of the film (720h x 1280w). These images maybe used on the NIAFF official website, flyers, pamphlets, or thirdparty media for promotional purposes. Please note that images
may be trimmed to fit the media.
4.1.3.
The film should be in a format that can be streamed and viewed
online.
4.2. Subtitles and translation
4.2.1.
The primary shortlisting will be conducted for the works withEnglish subtitles or in Japanese language.
4.2.2.
The shortlisted films will be subtitled in Japanese translation by
the Office only from English to Japanese. Please provide an
English dialogue list and materials specified in 6-4 in order toproduce Japanese subtitles.
4.2.3.
The dialogue list with time codes shall be uploaded to the server
to which the Office will give access.
5.

Shortlisting (Preliminary judgment)
5.1. The preliminary selection committee will select films to be screened
during the NIAFF 2025 among all the submitted films.
5.2. The Committee will email the results by 31st December 2024 andannounce them on the NIAFF 2025 official website.
5.3. The information about the selection committee judges will be posted on
the NIAFF official website after the closing of NIAFF 2025

6.

Screening of the Shortlisted Films
6.1. Live Screening
6.1.1.
The shortlisted films will be screened (for a fee payable by theaudience) as a competition program at NIAFF 2025
6.1.2.
The Office will decide the composition of the competition
program and screening schedule.
6.2. Online delivery
6.2.1.
The shortlisted films may be delivered online as paid content incase of an epidemic or other serious issues. We will not
distribute without the permission of the entrants. The refusal of
the online distribution does not bias the juries.
6.2.2.
The Sales from screening
6.3. No profit or sales by screening at NIAFF 2025 will be paid to theentrants.

6.4.

Required Materials for Screening
6.4.1.
The shortlisted entrants must send the video material within two
weeks of receiving the notification via an online storage service;* In the case of mailing, all expenses associated with the entry,
such as shipping fees, will be borne by the entrants.
6.4.2.
Please send the file in the following formats.
● MOV (recommended), MP4● Frame Rate 24fps (recommended) or 23.98fps● Codec ／ ProRes 422 HQ (recommended), ProRes 422 orH.246● Resolution ／ 1920pixel or more
● Aspect ratio／ 1:1.33(4:3)、1:1.66、1:1.77(16:9)、1:1.85、1:2.35● Audio specs ／ 5.1ch stereo
For any other format, please consult the Office.
6.4.3.
DCP: The entrant is responsible for subtitling. All English words
must have Japanese subtitles and works not in English, orJapanese must have both English and Japanese subtitles inkeyless.
● The KDM for the encrypted DCP has to be provided aweek before the NIAFF 2025. Please make sure that theexpiry date of the KDM is set after NIAFF 2025. Theentrants shall bear the fee to issue the KDM.

7.

Final Judging
The shortlisted films will be subjected to the final judging.
7.1. The Committee will appoint international juries for the feature film
competition. The juries will choose which films will receive awards
during NIAFF 2025 after the examination.
- Grand Prix JPY500,000.- and a trophy- Kabuki Award JPY200,000.- and a trophy- Edge Award JPY200,000.- and a trophy* Other special awards may be established by the international jury.
7.2. Prizes are subject to withholding tax for Japanese residents/taxpayers.
For non-Japanese residents, we will be compliant with the tax treaty
between Japan and the resident country.

8.

Invitation
8.1. The Committee will bear the following traveling costs if the following
eligibility is met. NIAFF 2025 reserves the right to cancel the invitation incase of an epidemic or any other serious issues.
8.1.1.
The total of the round-trip expenses (there is an upper limit bythe Office) between the nearest airport of the residence andNiigata (either Niigata airport or Railway Niigata station) and the8.1.2.

8.1.3.

8.1.4.
9.

accommodation (reservation must be made by the Office) during
the NIAFF 2025 for one person per film who is the nominee
director of the work in the final list of the Competition. He/She
has to be eligible to attend the film screenings, Q&A sessions,and press conferences. Details will be notified directly to theshortlisted entrants by the Office.
Either with the director or unaccompanied by the director, thespecified accommodation (reservation must be made by theOffice) during the NIAFF 2025 will be provided to one person perfilm who is the nominee producer of the film in the final list.
He/She has to be eligible to attend the film screenings, Q&A
sessions, press conferences Details will be notified directly to theshortlisted entrants by the Office. No travel expenses will bepayable.
In addition, he/she is obliged to provide or attend the talks,
speeches and/or master class lectures held during NIAFF 2025
when requested.
No meal expenses will be provided.

Others
9.1. Approval of use for promotion purposes: The entrants agree that NIAFF
2025 may use a portion of his/her submitted film, less than 10% of thetotal length of the work, and submitted materials such as images of thework and the director for the purpose of publicity of NIAFF 2025.
9.2. Maximum number of seats per work: 1,500 seats.
The shortlisted films will be screened once at the main venue and once at thesub-venue. Please note that additional screenings may be held at the mainvenue due to the award, and if there is a strong request by the press or buyers,
they may be held in the screening room (120 seats).
9.3. Understandings(1) We will not accept any questions or objections regarding the selection,
judgment, or reasons for rejection.
(2) Please be aware that once you have passed the preliminary judging forshortlisting, you will not be able to withdraw your entry.
(3) By submitting the online entry form either via the NIAFF official website or
the FilmFreeway, the entrant accepts these Terms and Conditions. Pleasecarefully check the Terms and Conditions before the entry.
(4) NIAFF 2025, the Committee, or the Office will not be responsible for any
accidents, such as loss or damage of the submitted films, until the Officereceives them.
(5) The submitted film materials will not be destroyed or returned but stored inthe Niigata International Animation Film Festival Library for archive projectstudies and future animation education.
(6) The Committee will decide all matters outside these Terms and Conditions.

10. Contacts
Niigata International Animation Film Festival Officec/o Sunny Rain Co., Ltd. 3060 Shirone, Minami-ku, Niigata City, Niigata, Japan
Tel: +81-25-385-6538
email entry@niaff.net
URL https://niigata-iaff.net
Please contact us via the above email address to correct the submitted information ortroublesome entry.