24 HOURS Animation Contest Announces 24th-Year Winners; Communication University of China Team Takes Runner-Up Honor
LONG BEACH, Calif. — The 24 HOURS Animation Contest for Students, an international competition challenging students to create a short animated film in just 24 hours, announced its 2026 winners in a livestream on Friday, October 16, as the contest celebrated its 24th year. A total of 670 films were judged and seven teams walked away with prize packs valued at more than $107,000. The winning films premiered on the big screen at the Animation Is Film Festival in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 18, at 12:00 p.m.
This year's theme, "Everyone Calm Down," was announced by Daniel Chong, director of the Disney and Pixar feature film Hoppers. First place went to FIVEGUYS of Sheridan College in Canada with 361 of 400 points, followed by The Whomp Whomps of California State University, Long Beach with 357 points, and 500lb Tungsten Cube of Sheridan College with 356 points. The two runner-up honors went to Leticias e Taxistas of Faculdade Méliès in Brazil (352 points) and Jam on Fire of the Communication University of China (345 points). The Collectors of Interlochen Center for the Arts won Best High School with 280 points, and the Behind-the-Scenes Prize went to Bald Guyz of the University of Technology in Jamaica. Each winning team receives between $15,000 and $26,000 in prizes.
Hosted by animation professor Aubry Mintz at California State University, Long Beach, the contest has grown into the largest student animation competition in the world, with more than 22,000 students from 377 schools across 50 countries participating over the years. Entry is free. "These films remind us of the power of bringing people together around a shared creative goal — even under incredible time constraints," Mintz said.
Top films from the last 10 years, along with a panel of past winners and judges, will screen at Lightbox Expo on October 25, and the top 160 films from this year's contest are available on the contest's YouTube playlist.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 冠军队FIVEGUYS作品剧照（24 HOURS学生动画大赛主办方提供）
