The 15th Kuandu International Animation Festival (KDIAF), organized by the Department of Animation, National Taipei University of the Arts, will grandly open at the NTUA Arts and Culture Eco-Museum from October 26 to November 1, 2025. This year, with the theme "A 15-Dimensional Journey of Animation," audiences are invited to traverse multiple universes and embark on a seven-day animation adventure.
A 15-Dimensional Journey of Animation
This year's main visual is piloted by "Laika" – a character from outer space. On a lonely journey to Mars, reminiscing about 15 years of Kuandu viewing experiences, Laika once again dances amidst a sea of stars and flowers, inviting audiences to embark on a fantastical voyage across time, style, and medium.
KuanDog Prize Competition
As the festival's most anticipated segment, this year saw 2419 submissions from 104 countries, with 61 competition films and 18 showcase films ultimately selected. These works will compete for multiple honors, including: Best Animation Award, Best Student Animation Award, Taiwan Special Award, Taiwan Student Award, Taiwan Original Score Award, and Best MR Special Award.
Opening and Closing Films
Opening Film: The Songbirds’ Secret (Le secret des mésanges)
Directed by French director Antoine Lanciaux, this stop-motion paper puppet animation features over 2000 hand-crafted paper puppets and more than 800 sets, recreating the ultimate aesthetics of traditional craftsmanship. It received critical acclaim after its special screening at this year's Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Closing Film: ChaO, I Married a Mermaid for Humanity
Produced by Japanese director Yasuhiro Aoki and STUDIO 4℃, it won the Jury Award at the 2025 Annecy International Animation Film Festival and was also selected for the Fantasia International Film Festival. Yasuhiro Aoki weaves a love story that transcends reality with delicate emotions and poetic narrative.
Special Screenings and Curated Programs
This year's animation festival expands into diverse curated programs, offering rich and exciting content from international to local, and from academia to industry!
International Exchange: Spotlight Director
Lectures and Forums: Animation critic Nancy Denney-Phelps and composer Nik Phelps will explore the deep connection between animation and music; Taiwanese directors Huang Yun-Hsien and Chuang Hsien-Chun will share their creative thinking and new media challenges; The Beyond will be presented by Hong Kong director Ng Kai-Chung and art director Cheung Siu-Tap, recreating the birth of their work on-site.
Furthermore, this animation festival also invites internationally renowned Taiwanese animation director Hsieh Wen-Ming, known for The Night Bus, to share behind-the-scenes insights into his new short film Mantis at the Taiwanese Industry Lecture.
Inter-school Collaboration: For the first time, selected student works from SCAD (USA) and GOBELINS (France) will be jointly screened, with Cécile Blondel, Director of International Affairs at GOBELINS, personally attending for exchange.
15th Anniversary Alumni Program: Four outstanding alumni – Liu Cheng-Chieh, Wang Wei-Fan, Yeh Hsin-Hsuan, and Chan Kai-Hsun – are invited to showcase their creative energy from NTUA to the international stage.
Jury Panel
This year's final jury panel brings together international and local heavyweights, including Cécile Blondel (Director of International Affairs, GOBELINS, France), Waltraud Grausgruber (Curator, Tricky Women, Austria), Nancy Denney-Phelps (International Animation Critic), Nik Phelps (Composer), and Taiwanese directors Hsieh Wen-Ming, Chuang Hsien-Chun, Liu Cheng-Chieh, and Huang Yun-Hsien, to jointly witness the birth and breakthroughs of new generation animation.
Nationwide Tour, Free Admission
In addition to the festival activities at the NTUA main campus, this year KDIAF will also step out of campus, holding touring screenings at the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei, Hualien Railway Culture Park, and five high schools across Taiwan, allowing more audiences to share the charm of animation. All events are free to enter, so animation fans definitely shouldn't miss it!
Event Dates: 2025/10/26 – 11/1
Location: NTUA Arts and Culture Eco-Museum
Official Website: http://kdiaf.tnua.edu.tw
Facebook: Kuandu International Animation Festival
15th Anniversary, 15 Dimensions, let's meet at Kuandu!