
LALIFF ANIMATION DAY
PORTFOLIO REVIEWS
LALIFF Animation Day, curated by LatinX in Animation, is a celebration of animation by organizing programming that highlights and celebrates the work of Latinos, and creating opportunity for LXiA members to engage, educate, and inspire the next generation of animation professionals. Animation Day programming includes the Animated Shorts Program, Premiere Screenings, Cafecito Talks, Networking Mixers, Masterclasses, and the return of virtual Portfolio Reviews.
LALIFF and LXiA are excited to announce virtual Portfolio Reviews with the following participating studios:

ABOUT:
- Portfolio Reviews will take place virtually on LALIFF Animation Day – Friday June 3 from 1PM – 4PM.
- Portfolio Reviews are an opportunity to have your work exclusively reviewed by studio recruiters and artists, and is strictly an opportunity to receive feedback.
- A Portfolio Review is NOT an interview nor does it guarantee an opportunity for employment.
- There is no fee to participate in a Portfolio Review.
- Portfolio Reviews are open to college/university students and/or professionals interested in a career in animation.
- Portfolio Reviews are open to all LatinX in Animation members, regardless of location and country of residence.
- But submitting a portfolio, it does not guarantee selection for a Portfolio Review with a studio.
- Portfolio Reviews will be hosted virtually by each studio via video conferencing software.
- Each Portfolio Review will last approximately 10 – 15 minutes.
SUBMISSION PROCESS:
- Each studio will be offering Portfolio Reviews in several disciplines. Please review the FAQ and Requirements specific by each animation studio, as requirements will differ.
- SUBMISSIONS OPEN: Submissions are officially open starting today 05/09 for each studio. Please click on each studio specific submission link.
- SUBMISSIONS CLOSE: Submissions officially close Friday 05/13
- Studios cannot guarantee a selection for each LXiA member and submission.
- Each studio will communicate directly if selected for a Portfolio Review.
- Notification of a Portfolio Review will be received by Friday 05/27
- If your native language is not English, or if you are not fluent in English, please note that for each submission.
QUESTIONS:
- If you have any specific questions, please reach out to [email protected]
HOW TO SUBMIT
- LALIFF Portfolio Reviews are only open to LatinX in Animation members. Membership for LXiA is FREE. To sign up for membership follow the link below to sign-up.
- Please allow at least 24 hours after signing-up for LXiA membership to receive the Portfolio Reviews email blast that includes submissions link for each studio.
- After signing-up for a membership if you have any issues receiving emails from LatinX in Animation, please check your spam or junk folder.
- As a reminder, Portfolio Reviews sign-up close on Friday, May 13
- If you have any questions, email [email protected]
If I am a current student about to graduate this year can I still apply for this grant?
You may apply for this grant if you are a student graduating in December 2021, granted that you are not enrolled in an academic institution in January 2022. The project may not be part of any project, thesis, or school project post graduation.
If I haven’t made a short film before can I still apply? Does work from college count as a completed short film?
This grant program is geared towards emerging filmmakers who have experience directing/producing/animating at least one short film (animation, live-action, or VR). Work/films from college count as long as the short film was part of a senior thesis/project, or a previous short film produced in college was accepted to a major film festival.
This grant program is not meant for first-time filmmakers who are looking to produce and direct their first animated short film.
Can college work/films, live-action work, or storyboard/animatic work be included in the director or animator’s reel?
Yes, work from college can be included in the director’s reel as long as it is related to a short film as part of senior thesis/project.
Storyboard/animatic work can be included in the director’s reel as long as they created 100% of the storyboards or 100% edited the animatic. The storyboard/animatic work can be from their professional portfolio related to their work in animation Television, Features, or other animation related projects.
Live-action work can be included in the reel, as long as there is a still a focus on showcasing animation, motion graphic, or VFX work in the reel.
I am making a pilot for a series. Would I be eligible to apply?
Not at this time.
What can the funds be used for?
If awarded, funds from the LXiA Animation Spark Grant program may be used toward equipment, salaries, software, operational costs, sound design, sound mixing, and anything that will help the film get made in an meaningful way.
Can I apply for more than one project?
At this time, we are only accepting one (1) submission per person.
Can I apply as part of a team or with an additional director?
At this time, we are accepting submissions as a group, team, or filmmaking duo. To streamline review of submissions, only one person may submit to the program as the filmmaker.
I plan to raise additional funds for the film’s budget by applying to other grant programs, or plan to raise additional funding through crowdfunding (Kickstarter, Seed & Spark, etc), am I still eligible to apply?
Our preference is to have submissions that are original work of the submitter that was created solely for the purpose of the LXiA Spark Animation grant program.
A filmmaker is free to submit to other grant programs if you are not selected to the LXiA Spark Animation Grant program.
LXiA will retain exclusive review of the short project from November 15, 2021 to January 31, 2022.
If the filmmaker has already submitted to other grant programs or received funding to other grant programs, as long as those grant programs requirements do not conflict with requirements of LXiA Spark Animation program, then submitters are still eligible to apply.
We recognize that short films can be expensive to produce, and do not want to limit filmmakers from raising additional funds if needed. If a submitter plans on raising additional funding through crowdfunding (Kickstarter, GoFundMe, Seed & Spark, etc), we ask that they please include information in the budget breakdown of the submission.
I am not a US citizen or based in the United States, am I still eligible to apply?
Filmmaker must be living and legally able to work in the United States. Being able to work in the United states means you have the legal right to work in the US. If you are a US Citizen, whether you were born in the US or naturalized, it also means you can work in the US with no issues.
If you are a non US citizen but have obtained work authorization in the US, or someone who has obtained permanent resident to legally obtain a job in the US then you are still eligible to apply.
Unfortunately due to US laws regarding grant distribution, we are only able to distribute grant funds to those living and legally able to work in the United States. We hope in the future that this program may be open for international applicants.
What does Latinx/o/a/e mean?
This program will prioritize Latinx/o/a/e applicants.
Latinx/o/a/e is defined as a person of any gender who is from or whose family originates from one of the 33 Latin American and Caribbean countries/territories such as (but not limited to) – Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, Venezuela, Brazil, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Haiti, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin.
Latinx/o/a/e does not include Spain or Portugal.
If I am mixed-race Latinx, am I still eligible to apply?
Yes! If you identify as mixed-race Latinx then you are absolutely eligible.
Latinx/o/a/e is not a monolithic view of ethnicity and race, it is encompasses a wide spectrum of languages, racial identities, ethnicities, etc. If you are mixed-race and identify as Black-Latinx or Afro-Latinx, Asian-Latinx, White-Latinx, Indigenous-Latinx or other – then you are more than welcome to apply!