TAAF2026 Competition Nominations and Student Award Winner Revealed!
Mark your calendars, animation enthusiasts! The international animation film festival Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2026 (TAAF2026) is gearing up to take over Ikebukuro, Tokyo from March 13th to 16th, 2026. In some hot-off-the-press news, the nominated works for the Competition Department’s long and short animation categories have been unveiled, and the recipient of the <Student Award> has been selected. And here’s the kicker – tickets for the Competition Department are now on sale!
What is TAAF All About?
Known as TAAF, the Tokyo Anime Award Festival is an international animation film festival hitting its 13th edition in 2026. At its heart are three core pillars: the Competition Department, which showcases animation from around the world not yet released in Japan; the Anime of the Year Department, focusing on works released within Japan; and the Anime Merit Department, which honors contributors to the industry and passes on their history, techniques, and spirit. The festival is packed with invited film screenings, symposiums, and even workshops for kids.
Its mission? To discover and nurture new talent, boost animation culture and industry, and promote Tokyo’s appeal to aid tourism. With the rallying cry “Tokyo becomes the hub of animation.”, it aims to screen high-quality, original works from across the globe right in Tokyo, fostering connections among animation lovers worldwide. It’s all about delivering inspiration and moving experiences to creators and audiences, using that energy to send new waves of animation from Tokyo to the world.
Competition Department Nominees Are In!
The main event—the Competition Department—has now locked in its nominees for feature-length and short animations. This year’s feature category saw 39 entries from 31 countries and regions, with 4 works earning a nomination. For short films, a whopping 997 submissions from 71 countries and regions were whittled down to 23 nominated pieces, which will be screened across three separate programs.
Student Award Crowns a New Talent
From among the short animation submissions to the Competition Department, the <Student Award>, judged by preliminary selection committee members for works by students at Japanese educational institutions, was awarded to “The End of a Small World” directed by Tajubo Hana from Tokyo University of the Arts. This piece will be screened during the festival as part of Program “Slot 1”.
Tickets and Hands-On Workshops
Tickets for the Competition Department went on sale today at 2:00 PM. The grand finale on March 16th will feature the screening of the Grand Prix winners selected from the nominated feature and short films. But that’s not all! The festival is once again hosting “Children’s Workshops” to let everyone experience the joy of animation creation. Details for “Create Animation with Cut-Out Dolls” and “Create Animation with Mohair Dolls” have been announced, so be sure to check them out.
Event Snapshots: Nominated Works
Here’s a look at some of the visual highlights from the nominated works in the competition.
TAAF2026 Competition Long Film Nominated Works
TAAF2026 Competition Short Film Nominated: “Meal Time”
TAAF2026 Competition Short Film Nominated: “Holy Heaviness”
TAAF2026 Competition Short Film Nominated: “Saudade”
TAAF2026 Competition Short Film Nominated: “White Carousel”
TAAF2026 Competition Short Film Nominated: “Forest Owl”
TAAF2026 Competition Short Film Nominated: “Things Past”
Festival and Workshop Details at a Glance
TAAF2026 Competition Department
Dates: March 13 (Fri) – 16 (Mon)
Venue: Ikebukuro HUMAX Cinemas Cinema 2
Ticket Info:
– Per Program: Adults 1,500 yen / Students and below 1,000 yen (200 yen more for day-of tickets)
– TAAF2026 Competition Passport: Adults 5,000 yen / Students and below 3,000 yen
* Grand Prix screening: March 16 (Mon) from 20:00 (scheduled to end by 21:52 at the latest)
* Please note that the end time may change depending on the award-winning works.
Children’s Workshops:
Create Animation with Cut-Out Dolls
Target/Capacity: Elementary school 3rd grade and above / approx. 30 people
Date & Time: March 14, 2026 (Sat) 13:00–16:00 (doors open 12:45)
Venue: Toshima Ward Center 8F Multi-Purpose Hall
Instructors:
– Takeuchi Koji (Animation Producer / Japan Animation Education Network)
– Gotoo Takayuki (Animator, Character Designer / Production I.G, Japan Animation Education Network)
– Mendaka Sayaka (the “高” is read as “hashigodaka”) (Animation Artist / Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Film and New Media, Japan Animation Education Network)
Fee: 1,000 yen per person (advance reservation required)
Cooperation: Nunoyama Taruto (Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Film and New Media)
Application Period: February 2 (Mon) 12:00 – February 18 (Wed) 23:59
Create Animation with Mohair Dolls
Target: Elementary school students and above, families welcome (2–4 people per group)
Date & Time: March 15, 2026 (Sun) 13:00–17:00 (registration 12:45–16:30)
Venue: WACCA Ikebukuro 1F STAGE
Instructor: Mendaka Sayaka (the “高” is read as “hashigodaka”) (Animation Artist / Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Film and New Media, Japan Animation Education Network)
Fee: Free (no advance reservation needed) *If full on the day, you may be asked to wait or may be turned away.
Cooperation: Nunoyama Taruto (Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School of Film and New Media)
Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2026 (TAAF2026) Overview
Dates: March 13, 2026 (Fri) – March 16, 2026 (Mon)
Venue: Ikebukuro, Tokyo
Organizers: Tokyo Anime Award Festival Executive Committee, The Association of Japanese Animations
Co-organizer: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
Secretariat: Tokyo Anime Award Festival Executive Committee Secretariat (within The Association of Japanese Animations)
For all the latest details, head over to the official website!
Writer: Nakase Koutarou
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