Celebrating young filmmakers from art and animation schools around the world, the VAF Best Graduation Film program delights in playful ideas, thoughtful themes, raucous energy, and the courage and desire to create and tell new stories.

The films showcase a wide range of styles and techniques, as young filmmakers share their ideas and visions in animated short films designed to announce the arrival of exciting new talents poised to rock the world of animation.

VAF Best Graduation Film receives films from art and animation schools around the world. Mixed media, including live action, is accepted. The length of the film must be a maximum of 15 minutes including credits. The winner will receive €700.

The award is sponsored by BoligViborg.

The films in competition will be shown at two separate screenings: Program 1 & Program 2

Celebrating young filmmakers from art and animation schools around the world, the VAF Best Graduation Film program delights in playful ideas, thoughtful themes, raucous energy, and the courage and desire to create and tell new stories. 

VAF Best Graduation Film receives films from art and animation schools around the world. Mixed media, including live action, is accepted. The length of the film must be a maximum of 15 minutes including credits. The winner will receive €700.  

The award is sponsored by BoligViborg. 

Best Graduation – Program 1

Best Graduation – Program 2

Current Month

Meet the Jury

Maurice Galway

Maurice is the Co-Founder and Festival Director of Animation Dingle in Ireland and has over 25 years of festival experience he brings each year to Animation Dingle. As a festival director, programmer, exhibitor and as an artist and filmmaker himself, Maurice has a deep understanding of what works, what needs to be seen, what audiences want to see, how to
exhibit that and, ultimately, what is good! Maurice has viewed thousands and thousands of hours worth of film and animation and is a highly experienced programmer. Maurice has programmed for Festivals, not only in Ireland, but also internationally.

Co-Founder/Festival Director Animation Dingle

Maša Udovičić

Since 1994 she has worked as a 3D modeler and animator in advertising. Since 1998 she worked in Varga Studio Budapest as an animator and compositing artist on many European series and commercials. In 2006 she co-founded Bold Studio production house for commercials in Zagreb. Since 2010 she produced 15 short animated films and one series. In 2012 founded Luma Film that currently develops several different animated projects. Lately, she dedicated herself to the popularization of animation as an art, organising workshops trough Croatia. Founded Animafin festival and School of Animation for children and youth in Zagreb. Member of Croatian Producers Association and of ASIFA.

Kristian Pugholm

In 2016 Kristian (He/Him) entered the Danish film industry, working on various animated and live action features, series and short films which have traveled the world on over 30+ festivals.
In 2017 he was headhunted for the independent film school 18Frames, along working as a junior producer for the company “new creations”. In 2019 he was accepted into The National Filmschool of Denmark as a producer until he graduated summer 2023. After that he went to Animation Sans Frontières investigating the European animation industry for future collaborations and working on this evil project. Kristian now works as a freelance producer. In 2024 he was nominated for the Danish Academy Award for his short documentary “WILD WOMAN”.