Aichi-Nagoya International Animation Film Festival (ANIAFF) Returns for its 2nd Year: Dates and Details Announced

Nagoya, one of Japan's centers for animation and creativity, will host the Aichi-Nagoya International Animation Film Festival (ANIAFF) for the second time this year. According to the official statement made by the festival committee, the event will take place between November 13 - 18, 2026, at the city's prominent venues such as Midland Square Cinema and 109 Cinemas Nagoya. The festival, which was held for the first time last year and received great interest, aims to raise the bar even higher this year.

Applications for the "International Feature Film Competition," which lies at the heart of the festival, are already open. In this competition, where animation productions of 40 minutes or longer are accepted, prestigious awards await the winners. The grand prize, the Kinshachi Award (Grand Prix), will be crowned with a cash prize of 1,000,000 yen and a gold statuette. In addition, the jury special award Ginshachi and the audience award Akashachi will also find their owners. The names of these awards are inspired by the legendary golden carp figures (Shachi) found on the roof of Nagoya Castle.

The team behind ANIAFF consists of highly experienced names in the anime industry. While Genco studio president Taro Maki serves as the general producer of the festival, former Kadokawa executive Shinichiro Inoue serves as the festival director, and renowned anime critic Tadashi Sudo serves as the artistic director. This team is the same group that previously brought the Niigata International Animation Film Festival (NIAFF) to life. The team defines the festival's core philosophy as "Creators First" and highlights Nagoya's connection to Ghibli Park and the World