Project PRISMation, the original anime initiative launched by Japanese streaming service ABEMA, has begun soliciting pilot film proposals from creators across the globe. The move comes after it debuted three pilot animations on its YouTube channel in January, and was accompanied by a sequel announcement for one of those previous pilots, Poppin-Play Kitchen by Thailand’s Zemyata.
Project PRISMation says it’s looking for “original projects with high ‘character appeal,’ ‘storytelling potential,’ and ‘entertainment value’ that show a unique worldview and promise for future commercial expansion” and are roughly five to ten minutes long. It recommends that the proposed works be “somewhat self-contained as a single video work” and is open to the use of “Any technique or software… including hand-drawn (2D), 3DCG, stop-motion, or live-action compositing.”
©AbemaTV,Inc.
An exception to the latter is AI, which is only allowed as a “‘supplementary tool’ for non-creative tasks” like machine translation (and this has to be mentioned in the proposal). AI-generated videos, or pre-production materials like image boards and concept art which are made by AI, won’t be accepted.
In addition to the pilot film proposal, entrants will need to submit a “Future Expansion Plan” to describe their “vision for expanding the project commercially.”
Project PRISMation doesn’t require creators to have professional status to apply, but stipulates that entrants have experience “producing and completing an animation work as a director or in a similar capacity” and the ability to communicate well in Japanese or English. Out of the received proposals, three titles will be selected for funding and other forms of support, such as casting, translating, promotion, and licensing. A release on ABEMA and appearances at film festivals and events are part of the promotion package.
The deadline for submissions is August 31 at 23:59 JST. The full list of guidelines and the link to the application form can be accessed here.
Project PRISMation was announced last December and is described as “an initiative that supports creators—who release animated works individually or in small, elite teams—by co-creating original anime pilot films.” On May 17, it hosted PRISMation Film Fes 2026, which featured creator talks and screenings of selected indie animations both old and new, at United Cinemas Toyosu. Among the screened titles were Project PRISMation’s current three pilot films, Makoto Shinkai‘s She and Her Cat, Shingo Tamagawa‘s PUPARIA, Hiroyasu Ishida‘s Fumiko’s Confession, Akiwashi‘s Living In A World Without Magic, Tomoki Misato‘s My Little Goat, Yohei Kameyama‘s Milky☆Highway, Shuzuku‘s Dreaming of a Whale, and Ai Nina‘s LUCA.
ABEMA’s majority shareholder is CyberAgent, which has animation studios Studio Kurm, CA Soa, and CyPic under its umbrella.
Source: Press release
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