Call for Entries: ۲۰۲۵ Puyan Student Short Animation Festival

Call for Entries for the Puyan Festival — the 2025 Student Short Animation Festival of Iran — has been released. The University of Tehran Animation Scientific Association is proud to announce that, starting this year, Animation Week has evolved, in its fifth edition, into the Puyan Student Short Animation Festival. Aiming to discover and support emerging animation talent, the festival will host short student works from across the country. This artistic event builds on the successful experience of “University of Tehran Animation Week” and is now, in its fifth edition, officially held under the name “Puyan Student Short Animation Festival.” The festival will be hosted by the College of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran and marks an important step in strengthening the university’s standing in the country’s art and animation scene.

About 04/04/04

The truth is, everything was ready except our hearts. In the days when our minds were preoccupied with shared pain, we set the release of this call for today — a time when it’s once again possible to build and to stand together. In the days when our hearts were with the people, we postponed the release of this call. We were supposed to be with you sooner, but circumstances got in the way. In the days when we were all consumed by greater concerns, this festival waited a little, until today, to begin again with you. Sometimes circumstances arise that delay our plans; we too, in the days when everyone was caught up in greater worries and unease, postponed the release of this call. Now that we are together again, with hope for peace and for building, we invite all creative students across the country to submit their work to the University of Tehran Student Short Animation Festival. We hope this festival offers an opportunity for storytelling, imagination, and rebuilding the world we love.

Terms of Participation in the Puyan Festival Call

• All students nationwide, at any level and in any field of study, as well as graduates up to two years after graduation, may submit their work to the festival.
• Field of study is not a factor in this festival; it is enough to be currently enrolled or to have recently graduated.
• Only narrative or experimental short animations are accepted in this festival.
• Students may submit up to two works, but only one work will be selected for the final screening.
• Submitted works must be produced by the participant themselves and must not have been previously screened in past editions of University of Tehran Animation Week.
• Works face no restrictions in subject matter, style, technique, or duration.
• After review by the technical committee, works will be presented to the selection board and, if accepted, put forward for festival screening and final judging.
• Submitting an official poster for each animated work is mandatory.
• Participants must respect copyright, and submitted works must belong to them.
• If it is proven that a work does not belong to the participant, it will be removed from the festival.
• It is recommended not to leave submission until the final days.
• Submitting a work constitutes acceptance of the festival’s rules.
• Works must not have been screened in previous editions of University of Tehran Animation Week.
• Once a submitted work has been approved for the festival, withdrawal from the screening will not be possible.

Technical Requirements for Works Submitted to the Puyan Festival Call

Technical specifications for submitted videos:

• The submitted video must be in MP4 or MOV format.
• The video must be encoded with the H.264 codec.
• Image resolution: 1920 × 1080 pixels
• Audio in AAC format, 320kbps bitrate, 44.1kHz sample rate
• No additional information such as logos, dates, etc. should appear on the video.

Technical specifications for poster files:

• High-quality JPEG file for online display, RGB color mode
• TIFF file, minimum A3 size, CMYK color mode, for printing

For information on common technical standards for submitting works to international festivals, reputable platforms such as FilmFreeway offer complete guides for formatting and submitting short animated works.

Student Competition Section Awards

• Festival trophy and cash prize for Best Animation, as chosen by the jury
• Festival trophy and cash prize for Best Direction, as chosen by the jury
• Festival trophy and cash prize for Best Animator, as chosen by the jury
• Festival trophy and cash prize for Best Screenplay, as chosen by the jury
• Festival trophy and cash prize for Best Film, as chosen by the audience
• Honorary diploma and cash prize for the second-place film, as chosen by the audience
• Honorary diploma and cash prize for the third-place film, as chosen by the audience

The jury may also award an honorary diploma in any category. Selected works in the competition section will receive an official certificate of participation. To learn more about the structure and background of this event, you can also read the About the Puyan Festival page. Secretariat of the Puyan Student Animation Festival