ABOUT AAF

AMAZING ANIMATION FESTIVAL is a three-day celebration of all types of animated films from around the world, held at The Screening Room Cinema & Arts Café just outside Buffalo, New York. Our inaugural festival will be held April 30th, 2027 - May 2nd, 2027.

AAF screens new animated films of all types - 2D, 3D and Stop Motion – aimed at different age groups. We screen Micro Shorts, Shorts and Features. We have a category for Anime and another for films combining animation with live action.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT FILMS MADE WITH GENERATIVE A.I. That is the antithesis to our mission.

AMAZING ANIMATION FESTIVAL’s founder is filmmaker Gregory Lamberson, who is a member of the Producers Guild of America. Lamberson has run the multi-genre festival Amazing Fantasy Fest in Buffalo for 16 years, and AMAZING ANIMATION FESTIVAL is a spinoff of Amazing Fantasy Fest. Lamberson intends to bring the same respect for filmmakers, and the same thoughtful Q&As, to AMAZING ANIMATION FESTIVAL that he has brought to Amazing Fantasy Fest.

The Screening Room Cinema & Arts Café has a large screen and seats 100 people in a lounge environment. The Screening Room serves wine, beer, and assorted concessions. It’s the perfect environment for a frienly film festival. The new location is Elmwood Commons, 3200 Elmwood Avenue in Tonawanda.

We celebrate all styles of animation created by human beings without the use of generative A.I.

Divisions:

2D Animation

3D Animation

Stop Motion Animation

Animation & Live Action

Award Categories:

Student Animation (US, WNY, International)

2D Animation - Micro Short, Short, Feature (US, WNY, International)

Anime – Micro Short, Short, Feature (US, WNY, International)

3D Animation - Micro Short, Short, Feature (US, WNY, International)

Stop Motion Animation - Micro Short, Short, Feature (US, WNY, International)

Music Video with animation - Submit as Micro Short

TV Commercial with animation - Submit as Micro Short

Animation Combined with Live Action (US, WNY, International)

We will present awards in the different divisions and categories listed above at the end of the festival. Award winners who attend the festival will receive plaques. All other award winners will receive digital files. If a US-based award winner who doesn't attend wishes to have a plaque mailed, the cost of shipping is$12. We will not ship plaques to other countries, no exceptions. We reserve the right to combine, modify or eliminate award categories.