The official kick-off to Awards Season begins today as the International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announces its 'Call for Entries' for the 49th Annual Annie Awards™. Honoring excellence in the field of animation, the 49th Annual Annie Awards™ will be presented in 36 categories including Animated Feature, Animated Feature-Independent, TV/Media Production, Sponsored Production, Short Subject, and Student Film, as well as Achievement and Honorary awards. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at UCLA's Royce Hall.           

Changes to this year's rules include, the definition of episodes in the TV/Media categories; limits to the number of team members in the achievement, direction and student film categories; and clip content clarification.

To review this year's rules and submit your projects, please visit my.asifa-hollywood.org. Entries submitted for consideration will be from animated productions that were released in the United States between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021.  Exceptions are commercials, short subjects, special projects, and student films, which can qualify with or without United States releases. Submissions close on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, at 5pm PST.

The deadline to become an Annie Awards Sponsor, to reserve advertising space in the program book, to join ASIFA-Hollywood or to renew membership, and to submit voting applications is Friday, December 31. 2021, 11:59 p.m., PST.

Now through September 21, 2021, ASIFA-Hollywood is also conducting the 49th Annual Annie Awards™ Call for Nominating Committee Judges. All judges, whether they have applied in the past or are enrolling for the first time, will need to submit a new application. To be considered for a nominating committee, judges do not need to be a member of ASIFA-Hollywood but must have an established career in animation and exemplary professional credentials in at least one of the Annie Award categories. Individuals in the animation community, who are interested in being a nomination committee judge, will find the application at members.asifa-hollywood.org/judge-application. August 9 also began ASIFA-Hollywood's Annual Membership Drive which will continue through December 31.

Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, and in whose name the philanthropic June Foray Award was established, the Annie Awards™ have grown in scope and stature for the past four decades. ASIFA-Hollywood is the world's first and foremost professional organization dedicated to promoting the Art of Animation and celebrating the people who create it.

Today, ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the Association Internationale du Film d'Animation (International Animated Film Association), supports a range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, Animation Educators Forum, animated film preservation, special events, scholarships, and screenings.  

For up-to-the minute details and information on the 49th Annie Awards™, please visit https://annieawards.org/. For information on ASIFA-Hollywood, please visit www.asifa-hollywood.org.