The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is gearing up for a landmark celebration in 2026. As the festival marks its 50th anniversary, organizers have announced their biggest and most diverse competition lineup to date, highlighting the continued growth of global animation.

Scheduled to take place from 23 to 27 September 2026 in Ottawa, Canada, this special edition of OIAF will bring together filmmakers, artists, studios, students, and animation fans from around the world. The festival has received a record number of submissions this year, showing the increasing popularity and creative strength of the animation industry.

Seven Feature Films Selected for Competition

For the first time, OIAF has expanded its Feature Animation Competition to include seven films. According to the festival’s artistic director Chris Robinson, the quality and variety of submissions made it impossible to limit the selection to the usual number.

The official feature film lineup includes:

• Girlfriends of Father by Xi Chen (China)
• Magic Atlas by Xun Sun (China and Singapore)
• Filho da Puta (Son of a Bitch) by Erica Maradona, Tania Anaya, Otto Guerra, and Sávio Leite (Brazil)
• Tangles by Leah Nelson (Canada and the United States)
• The Orbit of Minor Satellites by Christopher Sullivan (United States)
• Mononoke the Movie: Chapter III – The Curse of the Serpent by Kenji Nakamura (Japan)
• We Are Aliens by Kohei Kadowaki (Japan)

Record Number of Entries

OIAF 2026 received 3,026 submissions from more than 100 countries, making it the largest entry pool in the festival’s history. This milestone reflects the growing demand for original animated storytelling and the increasing number of creators entering the global animation space.

New Platform Animation Category

To reflect the changing way audiences consume animated content, OIAF has introduced a new Platform Animation competition. This category replaces the former Animated Series competition and welcomes projects created for streaming services, digital platforms, social media, educational content, and other modern distribution channels.

The updated category recognizes that animation today reaches audiences through many different platforms beyond traditional television.

More Competitions Announced

Along with the feature films, OIAF has also revealed selections for several other categories, including:

• Platform Animation
• Animation for Young Audiences (7+)
• Animation for Teen Audiences (13+)
• Animated Shorts
• Commissioned Films
• Student Films
• Canadian Student Films

The winners across all categories will be announced during the OIAF Awards Ceremony on 26 September 2026.

Celebrating 50 Years of Animation

Since its launch in 1976, the Ottawa International Animation Festival has grown into one of the world’s leading animation events. Over five decades, it has become a platform for independent creators, established studios, students, and emerging talent to showcase their work.

The 2026 edition promises screenings, workshops, exhibitions, networking opportunities, and industry events, making it one of the biggest celebrations in the festival’s history.

A Milestone for the Global Animation Industry

The 50th anniversary edition of OIAF highlights how animation continues to evolve across styles, cultures, and storytelling formats. With a record-breaking number of submissions and an expanded competition lineup, the festival showcases the creativity and innovation driving the animation industry forward.

As OIAF prepares to welcome creators and audiences from around the world, the 2026 festival is set to be a major celebration of animation’s past, present, and future.