Taiwan and Japan’s Anime Industry Leaders Gather in Yunlin for the Fifth Yunlin Anime and Animation Film Festival at NYUST

The Fifth Yunlin Anime and Animation Film Festival, organized by the Yunlin County Government and co-hosted by the Department of Digital Media Design and the Office of Industry-Academia Collaboration at National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (NYUST), will hold its award ceremony at 12:00 noon on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Yunji Hall in the Industry-Academia Building at NYUST. With a comprehensive transformation and upgrade this year, the festival is expected to bring together more than 280 distinguished guests from Taiwan and Japan, including representatives from government, industry, and academia, anime and animation industry professionals, young creators, and professional cosplayers, who will gather to witness the presentation of the festival’s highest honors for outstanding anime and animation works.

Connecting with the World: Japanese Anime Industry Leaders Join International Exchange and Promote Local Cultural Interpretation

Beginning in 2026, the Yunlin Film Festival was officially renamed the “Yunlin Anime and Animation Film Festival.” The festival is dedicated to promoting outstanding original animation and manga from Taiwan, with a particular focus on Yunlin’s diverse local themes, including agriculture, history and culture, historic sites, cuisine, traditional crafts, and the natural environment. Through the storytelling power of anime and animation, the festival seeks to promote local cultural tourism.

This year’s festival has specially invited a number of prominent figures from Japan’s anime and animation industry to Taiwan for international exchange and industry-academia engagement. Among them are Ueda Tsuyoshi, Director at COAMIX, a renowned Japanese manga publisher; Aoyagi Daisuke, Director at Nippon Engineering College, Japan’s largest specialized school for anime and related fields; Monji Tetsuya, Vice President of ASO College of Anime and Game; and Tian Hiroyuki, Vice President of Osaka Sogo Design College. Their participation will provide young Taiwanese creators with an international perspective while further establishing a platform for cultural exchange between Taiwan and Japan.

With strong support from the Yunlin County Government and Legislator Chang Chia-chun, the festival also embraces the spirit of the Ministry of Education’s “Big Hands Helping Little Hands” initiative. It actively connects educational institutions at every level, including elementary schools, junior high schools, senior high schools, vocational high schools, and higher education institutions. Schools such as Dounan Elementary School, Shiliu Junior High School, Douliu Home Economics and Commercial Vocational High School, and National Yunlin University of Science and Technology have all contributed to the initiative, showcasing the comprehensive development of local talent through a vertically integrated creative education system.

The call for submissions achieved outstanding results, attracting 435 original works from across Taiwan, including 340 animation entries and 95 manga entries. Following professional judging, 15 major awards will be officially announced at the ceremony, with winners receiving trophies as well as prize money and gift vouchers.

Animation Category (10 awards):

• Best Yunlin Smart City Award

• Best Elementary School Animation Award

• Best Junior High School Animation Award

• Best Senior High School Animation Award

• Best Vocational High School Animation Award

• Best 2D Animation Award

• Best 3D Animation Award

• Best Animation Screenplay Award

• Best Animated Advertisement Award

• Best Animation Editing Award

Manga Category (5 awards):

• Best Yunlin Story Award

• Best Manga of the Year Award

• Best Manga Screenplay Award

• Best Art Design Award

• Special Jury Award

Anime and Animation Carnival: Creative Market, Cosplay Popularity Contest, and Outdoor Cinema Bring the Campus to Life

To create a comprehensive anime and animation carnival, a variety of activities will take place alongside the award ceremony. The event will feature nearly 30 creative and toy market vendors from across Taiwan, as well as nearly 50 renowned cosplayers competing for the title of Most Popular Cosplayer. That evening, an outdoor “Starlight Cinema” will also be held on the large lawn of the College of Design at NYUST, inviting the public to enjoy outstanding anime and animation works in the gentle autumn evening breeze.

The organizers are also planning a series of follow-up touring activities. The award-winning works are scheduled to be screened publicly at Cinema 68 at the Taliwu Cultural Park in Dounan on October 31. The program will also connect with National Taiwan University of Arts, Ling Tung University, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung Municipal Kaohsiung Industrial High School, Kaohsiung Municipal Kaohsiung Commercial High School, Fu-Hsin Trade and Arts School, Hai-Ching Vocational High School, Chiayi Municipal Commercial Vocational High School, Dounan Elementary School, Shiliu Junior High School, Douliu Home Economics and Commercial Vocational High School, and National Yunlin University of Science and Technology for a series of promotional activities and workshops. Through these initiatives, the creative energy of Yunlin’s locally produced original anime and animation will continue to take root, grow, and flourish.

Group Photo at the Yunlin Anime and Animation Film Festival

Group Photo of the County Magistrate and Japanese Guests

County Magistrate Presenting Awards at the Ceremony

Yunlin Anime and Animation Film Festival Creative Market

Cosplay Photo

Organizing Unit: Department of Digital Media Design
Department Chair: Yang Hsi-Hsun
Contact Person: Weng Han-Teng
Tel: +886-5-534-2601 ext. 6519

※The above is an AI-generated translation and may not be 100% accurate. For reference only — please double-check any important details.