Ani_JamV03 Will take place in Spring 2026!

Ani_Jam is an Alberta-based animation challenge that takes place over three jam-packed days.

Animated shorts are our jam.

Teams of 3-5 artists and animators will collaborate to create a 60-second animated film over the course of three days. Guided by a mystery theme provided on the day of the jam, teams will work within the constraints to inspire their stories.

Participating in a jam offers an unforgettable experience that could only be achieved through team work and ridiculously tight deadline. After just three days, teams will have a short animated film that can be expanded upon and refined for submission to film festivals worldwide.

Rules

  • Generative AI is prohibited. (writing, art, animation, sounds, etc.).

  • Premade visual assets are not allowed. All work must be original and created after the animation prompt has been announce.

  • Sounds and music must be royalty free. (or created by a member of your team).You may enlist the help of voice actors external from your team, however they are not eligible for the grand prizes.

  • No fan art or using existing characters or properties.

  • Do not include a title card or credits in the animation.

  • The animation must be exactly 60 seconds.

  • Work-life balance is a priority. We recommend that participants work no more than 12 hours each day (planning, goal setting, and schedules are important).

  • By participating, you must agree to the Ani_Jam Code of Conduct. Any behaviour that violates this Code of Conduct may result in removal from the event and/or future participation restrictions.

  • Event hosts and organizers have the right to address concerns and take necessary actions to maintain a safe and respectful environment at their discretion.

Ani_Jam at a glance

Jam Dates: TBD Spring 2026
(3 days Friday, Saturday, Sunday)
Film category: Animation (2D, 3D, Stop motion)
Film submission length: 60 seconds
Team Size: 3-5 Team members
Judges: A panel of 5-10 industry professionals
Awards: Best Student Animation, Best Animation, Audience Award (as chosen by the in-person audience at the showcase event)

Why did we create Ani_Jam?

Our goal is to foster a community of story-driven character animation professionals in Alberta. This event provides a valuable platform for these creative storytellers to showcase their work and build confidence, stepping away from their home studios onto a bigger stage. We hope this experience serves as a stepping stone for our participants to pursue bigger and more ambitious projects in the future. We know the depth of animation talent in Alberta, and we want to show film production studios, advertising agencies, and the local business community, that animation is a viable and attractive option for their projects that can be made right here in our home province.

An experienced panel judges

This is an opportunity of a lifetime! Your films will be reviewed by a panel of experienced judges that have been responsible for creating some of your favourite shows! We work hard to connect with judges that have a wide range of experience in the industry. Judges will be scoring each film as they take into account the concept, creativity, originality, story, pacing, clarity, art direction and visual appeal, animation technical quality, and overall impact.

A mystery theme!

Every jam has a mystery theme that we announce on the morning of the first day of the jam during our live-streamed kick-off event. These themes are meant to inspire something unique or interesting and challenge your storytelling abilities. Each team can interpret the theme however they choose and the judges will be taking the suitability to the theme into account when scoring the films. Past themes include “Unlikely Pair” and “Hidden Gem”.

Prizes and awards

Ani_Jam is all about the experience of collaborating with a team and creating stories together that are exciting to you! Nothing beats the experience of making a short film in 3 days with your friends. But, of course, everyone likes prizes too! Thanks to our incredibly generous sponsors we are able to give the winning teams prizes along with the recognition of the following awards:

Best Student Animation: This Award recognizes the best student film as determined by our panel of judges. Ani_Jam started as a way to recognize the hard work of Pixel Blue College’s animation students. As we grow this event we want to ensure that emerging Albertan animators and filmmakers are highlighted separately. If you and your team members are all current students at any post secondary school you should enter your film in this category.

Best Animation: This Award recognizes the film that received the highest overall score as determined by our panel of judges (this includes films created by student teams).

Audience Award: This Award is determined through a ballot at the in-person showcase event. Each person in attendance receives one ballot and is encouraged to vote for their favourite film.

Vintage Ani_Jam:

Ani_JamV01 2024 Showcase — Theme: Unlikely Pair

Ani_JamV02 2025 Showcase — Theme: Hidden Gem