NEWS
NEW CHITOSE is proud to announce the 13th edition: November 20-24, 2026.New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival is an animation festival dedicated to animated films held at the terminal building of New Chitose Airport (Hokkaido, Japan), which connects Hokkaido with the rest of the world as an entertainment airport. We are excited to announce the 13th edition of the festival: November 20-24, 2026.
Submissions Open April 20!The submission for all the competitions starts on April 20th.
The competition includes a Short Film (under 30 minutes, including student works) and a Feature Film (30 minutes and over), along with the newly established “NEW CHITOSE Digital Signage”.
Selected films in “NEW CHITOSE Digital Signage” category will be broadcast for a designated period on digital signage throughout the airport, including the 295-inch video display screen on the second floor of the domestic terminal—one of Japan’s busiest air hubs, serving approximately 22 million passengers annually.
Furthermore in this category, through an official collaboration with the Sapporo International Art Festival 2027, selected works will be presented as part of an outdoor projection program at the Shiryokan (Former Sapporo Court of Appeals). Alongside moving image works created by the official artists of SIAF2027, these projections will illuminate the museum throughout the Sapporo Snow Festival.
The submission deadlines are July 10 for the Short and Feature Film, and July 31 for the Digital Signage.
What is SIAF?
The Sapporo International Art Festival (SIAF)–Usa Mosir un Askay utar Sapporo otta Uekarpa in Ainu–is an initiative that introduces opportunities for discovery, learning, and participation by exhibiting artworks and new forms of expression from around the world in Sapporo. Centered around the triennial art festival, SIAF also collaborates continuously with schools, local communities, and businesses to cultivate a creative environment within the city.
Director’s Message
Chitose City, home to New Chitose Airport, will mark the 100th anniversary of the airport’s opening on October 22, 2026.
The story goes back to when a railway station was first built in what was then Chitose Village. This new connection inspired Otaru Shimbun (now Hokkaido Shimbun) to organize a trip to the village. In return for the villagers’ help in preparing food and hospitality, the newspaper arranged for flyers to be scattered from an airplane they owned. Eager to catch a glimpse of this aircraft up close, the villagers came together and, in just two days, carved out a simple landing strip in the open fields. This moment is remembered as the origin of the airport.
What makes this story compelling is not only the collective effort behind it. It’s the sense of curiosity—the desire to encounter something unknown, something beyond the world they knew. When we look back at the people of a century ago through that lens, their impulse feels strikingly familiar, and deeply human.
The New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival began without prior experience in running a film festival. Since then, we have continued step by step, learning as we go. By continually rethinking existing frameworks and embracing the diverse perspectives in the works presented here, we have shaped this platform into what it is today.
At its core is a sense of excitement—the belief that there are still forms of animation in the world we have yet to encounter. Even in a time marked by division and conflict, we believe in a space where different voices and viewpoints can naturally meet and intersect.
This year, in the festival’s competition program, the “NEW CHITOSE Digital Signage Category” will officially collaborate with Sapporo International Art Festival 2027. We hope to see selected works extend beyond the festival itself, creating new connections that move between the film festival and the art festival.
A festival that looks at the present and shapes what comes next begins again this year.
We look forward to welcoming you this early winter at the 13th edition of the festival.
ONO Tomoko (Chief Director)
NEW CHITOSE 2025 is excited to announce the official selection for the FEATURE FILM Competition. From 63 films submitted from 29 countries/regions, 5 films are selected. The films are screened in the New Chitose Airport Theater during the festival (November 21st-25th) and judged by the international jury.
The official selection for the Feature Film Competition lineup: From Spain comes DECORADO, the latest film by director Alberto VÁZQUEZ, known for Psychonauts and Unicorn Wars. From Canada, brothers Peter and Seth SCRIVER present their feature-length documentary Endless Cookie (Japan Premiere), an Annecy Contrechamp Grand Prize winner, which animates nearly nine years of conversations between two brothers who have lived very different lives. From China, director CHEN Xi, who gained a cult following in Japan after the release of his earlier film Chicken on the Mound, returns with his new feature film Girlfriends of Father (World Premiere). From Mexico, Aria COVAMONAS—an experimental filmmaker who tragically passed away in July this year at the age of 46—leaves behind her debut animated feature The Great History of Western Philosophy (Japan Premiere). Representing Japan is JINSEI, the feature debut of director SUZUKI Ryuya, whose Lawless Love won the Japan Grand Prix at this festival in 2022. Produced by acclaimed filmmaker IWAISAWA Kenji, director of 100 Meters, this nationwide release has already attracted significant attention in Japan.
Thank you very much for all submitters, filmmakers, producers and distributors!
Please see the lineup of the official selection for the Feature Film Competition ☞ https://airport-anifes.jp/en/competition/feature_compe/
We are pleased to announce that animation director YAMAMOTO Ken, director of the feature film Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era, will serve as a member of the International Jury for both the Feature Film Competition and the 30 Seconds Competition.
During the festival, he will join the International Jury together with Gints ZILBALODIS (Latvia) and HAN Jiwon (Korea) in judging the competitions.
Please see the International Jury members ☞ https://airport-anifes.jp/en/competition/jury/
We are pruod to announce the poster for NEW CHITOSE 2025 designed by Japanese animation director and animator, OSHIYAMA Kiyotaka, who is the director of the animated feature film “Look Back”.
Please discover the full poster and the message from the artist. ☞ https://airport-anifes.jp/en/about/poster/
Among a record-breaking number of 2479 submitted films from 97 countries/regions from across the world, NEW CHITOSE 2025 is proud to present the 62 films selected for the Official Selection – Short Film (International/Japan/Student/Music) and present the 8 works selected for the 30 Seconds Animation in competition.
The Official Selection for the Short films is screened in the New Chitose Airport Theater during the festival (November 21st-25th) and judged by the jury for each competition.
In the 30 Seconds Animation category, 8 works are selected from 172 works submitted to this category. The selected works will be broadcast for a specific period (From the end of October, 2025 *Scheduled) on digital signage throughout the airport facility at New Chitose Airport. One of these works will receive the award during the festival.
Thank you very much for all submitters, filmmakers, producers and distributors! SEE YOU AT NEW CHITOSE 2025!
✈Please discover all the results of the SHORT FILMS’ Official Selection ☞ https://airport-anifes.jp/en/competition/selection/
✈Please see the Official Selection for 30 Seconds Animation Competition ☞ https://airport-anifes.jp/en/competition/nc30sa_selection/
Selection Committee;
ONO Tomoko, chief director of NEW CHITOSE 2025
IWASAKI Hirotoshi, artist
TANAKA Daisuke, animation researcher
NIHEI Sarina, animation filmmaker
Preview Member;
TSUKADA Yutaka, critic
NAKAGAWA Hitoshi, animation director
Nagasena, filmmaker
MIWOO Youki, animation filmmaker
NOMURA Takaaki, critic
MOMMA Yusuke, filmmaker
WAJIMA Kohei, web designer
This is your last reminder to submit your Feature Film and 30 Seconds Animation to NEW CHITOSE 2025!
New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival is making a last call for entries for Feature films and 30 Seconds works. The deadline is approaching: July 21st.
The selected films in 30 Seconds Animation category will be broadcast for a specific period on digital signage throughout the airport facility at New Chitose Airport for a month. One of these films will receive the award during the festival. Please don’t forget to submit your films from our online submission form or FilmFreeway and more information on the link below.
✅ Regulation of Feature Film: https://airport-anifes.jp/en/competition/
✅ Regulation of 30 Seconds Animation: https://airport-anifes.jp/en/competition/nc30s/
✅ FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/NewChitoseAirportInternationalAnimationFestival
TAGUCHI Ayuri from the animation studio MADHOUSE joins the selection committee for Feature Film.
We’re glad to announce that TAGUCHI Ayuri who is an animation producer from the Japanese animation studio MADHOUSE joins the selection committee for Feature Film. The selection committee includes ONO Tomoko, TAGUCHI Ayuri and TANAKA Daisuke decides the selection and the festival office announces the result in the end of September.
TAGUCHI Ayuri (MADHOUSE)
Producer, Planning and Development Department, MADHOUSE Inc.
She joined MADHOUSE Inc. in 2005 and her major credits include: One-Punch Man (TV series, 2015), Death Parade (TV series, 2015), ACCA:13-Territory Inspection Dept (TV series, 2017), Mr. Tonegawa: Middle Management Blues (TV series, 2018), Boogiepop Phantom (TV series, 2019), Afterlost (TV series, 2019), Chihayafuru 3 (TV series, 2019), Sonny Boy (TV series, 2021), Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom (feature film, 2023), Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (TV series, 2023), The Dinner Table Detective (TV series, scheduled for 2025).
She is currently producing two upcoming projects: a TV series scheduled to air in 2026, and an original feature film set for release in early winter 2027 together with the animation staff and the production committee team.
We’re excited to introduce you to the jury members for NEW CHITOSE 2025!
The jury members will have the task of choosing among the selection films in competition and bestowing 10 official awards, including the Grand Prix for short films and the Grand Prix for feature films.
The jury members for Short Films are Špela ČADEŽ, a three-times nominee and award-winning Slovenian director (Steakhouse) in NEW CHITOSE; NISHINO Shinjiro, Representative Director of GAS AS INTERFACE CO., LTD who runs a multi-disciplinary art facility; Caibei CAI, currently one of the most significant Chinese animation filmmaker and award-winner for two categories (Sliver Cave, Jury prize and Best music animation) this festival.
The jury members for Feature Films and 30 Seconds Animation are Gints ZILBALODIS, a Latvian filmmaker best known for directing ‘Flow’ which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and was also nominated for Best International Feature Film; Jiwon HAN, South Korea-based filmmaker whose original animated film ‘Lost in Starlight‘ is released as the first animation produced by Netflix in Korea. The other member of this category and the jury member of Music Animation will be announced at a later date.
We’re looking forward to your submission and seeing you at NEW CHITOSE 2025!
We are open for the submissions! Submit your animation film now, for a chance to join in the next NEW CHITOSE 2025 Official Selection.
The selected Short films and Feature films will be screened in the Official Selection programs during the festival. The International Jury may present the following awards as a result of deliberation during the festival.
In addition, we have “NEW CHITOSE 30 Seconds Animation” category. The selected films in this category will be broadcast for a specific period on digital signage throughout the New Chitose Airport (Hokkaido, JAPAN) facility that boasts approximately 22 million annual users. One of these films will receive the award during the festival.
Deadline
30th June 2025 for Short Films, Graduation Films, Music Videos
21st July 2025 for Feature Films
21st July 2025 for 30 Seconds Animation
Submissions & Regulations
Short and Feature Films ⇒ https://airport-anifes.jp/en/competition/
30 Seconds Animation ⇒ https://airport-anifes.jp/en/competition/nc30s/
FilmFreeway ⇒ https://filmfreeway.com/NewChitoseAirportInternationalAnimationFestival
Last year the festival received 2,258 works in all categories. The winners were “Zima” (Short Grand Prix, directed by Tomek POPAKUL and OZEKI Kasumi), “Glass House” (Feature Grand Prix, directed by Boris LABBÉ), “Misérable Miracle” (Japan Grand Prix, directed by Orikasa Ryo), “Sweeter is the Night” (New Talent Award, directed by Fabienne WAGENAAR) and else.
We are really looking forward to your submissions. See you at NEW CHITOSE 2025!
NEW CHITOSE is proud to announce the 12th edition: November 21-25, 2025.
The submission starts on April 21!
New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival is an animation festival dedicated to animated films held at the terminal building of New Chitose Airport (Hokkaido, Japan), which connects Hokkaido with the rest of the world as an entertainment airport. We are excited to announce the 12th edition of the festival: November 21-25, 2025.
Launched in 2014, the festival has been providing an exciting experience that is only possible as a one-of-a-kind “airport festival” and we gathered about 35,800 attendees last year. The coming 12th edition will continue to present various programs delivering the look of animation “today” from various perspectives such as special screenings and guest speakers of films the festival picked to feature, in addition to the Competition section which is the main event of the festival receiving more than 2,000 entries from around the world each year.
The submission for all the competitions starts on April 21th!
See you at NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT 🩷 ✈
