Who can enter?
What can I enter?
Fan-made video art production work that involves the editing of video and audio sources.
Acceptable video sources include but are not limited to:
- Japanese Animation (Anime)
- Western Animation
- Video Games
- Live Action (Movies, TV Shows, Original Productions)
- Manga
- Self-Animated Work
Acceptable audio sources include but are not limited to:
- Music (can be a mix of: Lyrics / Instrumental / Sound Effects)
- Narration (Trailers, Commercials, short bits of talking segments)
- Self-Produced Work
You MUST be the editor/creator (or one of the editors/creators if it is a multi-editor project) of the video being entered. The use of generative AI for visual and/or audio sources is prohibited. If it is found that the video you entered violates these rules, then it will be immediately disqualified.
You cannot enter a video anonymously.
Videos submitted to previous Kawaii Kon VAST contests are not eligible.
A limit of two (2) videos per entrant / group may be submitted. There are no length restrictions on videos, but the preferred duration is one (1) to four (4) minutes. Videos that are under or over will not be disqualified from the contest. However, if a video becomes a finalist and is not within the preferred duration, then inclusion of the video in the contest showcase is at the sole discretion of the Kawaii Kon VAST Department for overall integrity of the contest presentation.
Videos entered should be suitable for a content rating of PG-13. Adult themes, language, and social sensitive topics should be kept to a minimum. If your video has a content rating above PG-13, then you may submit your original video for judging and a PG-13 version for the contest. The only explicit content rating exclusions are any X-rated / adults-only themed videos, even if blurred. If the Kawaii Kon VAST Department determines that your video has any other questionable content, then we will contact you.
Where can I enter?
Videos MUST be submitted via our online form. ONLY direct uploads will be accepted. We will NOT accept videos by links (e.g. YouTube), mail, or in-person at the convention.
When can I enter?
Video submissions will be accepted starting NOW!
Entries will be accepted now until Saturday, 28 February 2026 @ 11:59 pm HST.
Why do I enter?
To get your video on the big screen in front of a live audience and for the chance to win recognition and fortune! Okay well, not fortune, but if you are one of the winners, you can “win some wood”!
Additional prizes and awards may be awarded at the discretion of the Kawaii Kon VAST Department. All prizes and awards have a negligible cash value.
How do I enter?
- READ the contest rules to ensure that your video will meet all the requirements.
- Make a cool video!
- Click on the entry form button located at the bottom of this page.
- READ and complete the entry form before the deadline.
Email is our primary form of contacting you so please make sure you provide an email address that you check regularly. You may need to add a filter to your email to receive emails from [email protected] to prevent it from going to spam. If you provide a Discord username and/or are part of the BentoVid Discord server, then we may also reach out to you on there as needed.
Once you complete the online form, you will receive an automated confirmation email. Your video will be downloaded, tested, and pre-screened by the Kawaii Kon VAST Department to ensure all requirements are met. If all is good, your video will be placed into the judging queue. If there are any issues, and as time permits, the Kawaii Kon VAST Department will contact you to try and fix any problems. Therefore, the earlier you enter the better!
Video Entry Format
Upload:
The maximum video size is 1 GB per video. If your video exceeds that size, please email us first to make arrangements.
File Naming Convention:
ALL video files submitted must be named in the following format (please!):
Creator – Title.File Type
- Creator – ONE of the following
- Editor name(s)
- Real name(s) (if you don’t use an editor name)
- MEP group name / Studio name
- Title – the title of your video (if any)
- File type – the video format used (MP4, MKV, AVI, etc)
Video Requirements:
The Kawaii Kon VAST Department will add custom title bumper screens to identify each video so please submit a video without any bumpers if possible. We discourage personalized bumpers, title screens, credits, or any other form of creator / footage / audio identification to allow for a uniform look of all entrants during the contest showcase. However, if included, you will not be disqualified or judged to any lesser degree.
We prefer that an additional two seconds of blank / black space at the beginning and end of your video is included. But this is optional and not required.
For judging purposes, videos will be scored on the actual submitted file. However, for contest playback purposes (only), submitted files may be converted to our preferred format (see below) for optimal contest playback at the convention.
Video Formats:
Preferred container format – The Kawaii Kon VAST Video Art Contest is run from a Windows PC. Our preferred video format is as follows.
Preferred format:
MP4 / MKV Container
Resolution: 640×480 minimum to 1920×1080 maximum
Framerate: 23.976 / 24 fps minimum to 29.97 / 30 fps maximum
Audio: AC-3/AAC at 44.1 kHz, stereo audio, 224 kps or higher
Video: H.264 or x.264
Other video formats and frame rates are also acceptable, but, if possible, please conform to the preferred format: for example, many are still not capable of displaying 4k / 60fps videos. Only exceptions are for AVCHD video (.m2t) and QuickTime (.mov) as they have tended to cause issues on our side in the past. If a video is entered that exceeds the above requirements or in a format that is non-standard, please be prepared to submit another file if we or our judges have difficulty with your original video.
Non-MKV / MP4 Profile:
Resolution: 640×480 is the recommended minimum
Framerate: 23.976 / 24 fps minimum, 30 fps maximum
AVI containers using the following codecs – DIVX, XVID, HuffYUV, Lagarith, DV-AVI, or the standard complement of codecs installed by Windows.
Audio Requirements:
Any suitable audio format per your container files at a suitably high (128 kbps or higher) bitrate. Stereo only, no multi-channel audio options are currently supported.
Contest Format
Videos compete for the following main awards:
- Best in Showcase
- Showcase Runner-Up
- Judges Choice
- Directors Choice
All videos are judged prior to the convention. Judges are a random mix of editors and non-editors that vary each year. Videos are placed into a random judging queue and only the title of the video is provided to our judges. The total overall score from all judges will determine the winners and finalists. Judges also receive a set number of judges’ favorite points to determine the Judges Choice award winner. Judges will score each video based on:
- Video Quality
- Audio Quality
- Editing
- Effort
- Overall Impression
If you submitted two (2) entries and both become finalists in the overall ranking, only the video with the highest overall score will be eligible to win an award. Your 2nd lower scoring entry will automatically become a non-finalist regardless of where it is in the overall ranking. This allows for a diverse group of winners and finalists.
All entrants will receive an email within 1 month of Kawaii Kon to notify them if they are a finalist or not.
The number of finalists varies each year and is dependent on the time available for the VAST Video Art Contest showcase at Kawaii Kon.
At the end of the contest showing at Kawaii Kon, the winners are announced. As is tradition at Kawaii Kon, the Best in Showcase winner will receive a phone or Discord call to be congratulated live by our attendees at the contest showing! If these options are not your preference, then a voice recording will be made and emailed to you after the convention.
An online playlist version of the contest will also be made available on the Kawaii Kon YouTube page.
Winners will be announced on Kawaii Kon’s socials, the animemusicvideos.org website, and the BentoVid Discord server. Winners will also be posted to Kawaii Kon’s VAST Winners page.
Awards will be mailed out to the winners within 1 month from the last day of Kawaii Kon.
Final Notes
By submitting your video to this contest, you authorize Kawaii Kon to screen and distribute your video under the Kawaii Kon and / or Kawaii Kon Video Art Showcase Theater (VAST) Contest title. Kawaii Kon reserves the right to disqualify entries for any reason deemed necessary to protect the overall quality and integrity of the event. Entries may be disqualified for any of the following reasons: objectionable content, low quality video / audio, failure to adhere to the contest rules, and / or at the discretion of the Kawaii Kon VAST Department.
Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns on any of the above, please feel free to email us at [email protected].
Thank you for participating and good luck to all!
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