MAKE Animation Thesis Grant 2025: Boldly Elevating Animation to the Next Level!
Bullet Breakdown:
– MAKE, a studio known for exquisite animated storytelling, has opened up applications for its annual 2025 MAKE Animation Thesis Grant.
– This program offers senior animation students not just funding but also production resources and promotional viabilities they need to bring their thesis films to vibrant life.
– Established back in 2024, the grant aims to support and celebrate the next generation of gifted animators that are gearing up to steal the spotlight.
The Assistant’s Hot Take:
Fasten your seatbelts, aspiring animators! It’s time to chase the spotlight, courtesy of MAKE’s Animation Thesis Grant. You unleash your creativity, and they load you up with the necessary ammunition – funding, production resources, and promotion. They’re basically Santa, promising a pretty, animated future without the rigmarole of chimneys and reindeers. Watch out, world! These young creators, fuelled by passion and this epic grant, are about to embark on a journey to rewrite rules and redefine the animation landscape. It’s the dawn of a new era, folks, and all bets are off on where this fresh cohort of animators will take us. So, sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy the ride. Animation 2025, here we come!
Animation studio, MAKE, famous for its powerful animation and unique storytelling, officially launches its 2025 MAKE Animation Thesis Grant. This program offers senior animation students essential funding, production support, and publicity, helping them realize their dream thesis films.
Debuted in 2024, the grant aims to support and highlight budding animation talent by funding their original thesis projects. Senior students worldwide, studying in BFA, BA, MFA, and MA programs in animation, digital art, or related disciplines can apply. Grants are awarded on the basis of treatment presentation and vision for storytelling.
The MAKE Thesis Grant offers not just monetary support but also brand visibility in the industry, crafted to upgrade student films by breaching constraints and enhancing fresh creative voices. Winners receive financial support, professional references, optional creative advice, and continuous exposure via MAKE’s social network, blogs, and press releases.
“Our purpose is more than just funding. We provide emerging animators with tools, confidence, and visibility to bring their stories to life and make their mark in the industry with pieces they can be proud of. Open to international applicants, we are awe-inspired by the global creativity and know the voices we boost today will shape the animation industry of tomorrow,” said Danny Robashkin, Founder and Creative Director at MAKE.
Grant’s Impact: Highlights from 2024
Previous year’s winners underscored the versatility and originality of student animations across the globe:
- First Place – Alienated! by Andrew Erbskorn
A funny 2D short story about a nervous alien protecting his dome-shaped home from gigantic purple creatures. - Second Place – Ümit by Amina Umirzhanova
A folklore-type story about optimism and light amidst darkness. - Third Place – Praying for Love by Sofia Tonin
A comically dark story of a praying mantis in search of love and inadvertently eating all her mates.
“What was more fulfilling for me was the weekly calls with Steve Horner, the composer, recommended by MAKE. Once I started on the music, everything transitioned from inspiration to reality. Soon, I found myself wearing a big smile, witnessing my film coming together just as I envisioned it,” said Andrew Erbskorn, the Director of Alienated!, and the 1st Place Recipient of the MAKE Thesis Grant.
Applying for the Grant
The 2025 MAKE Thesis Grant opens for applications from August 14 till November 4, 2025. Eligible applicants must be senior animation students actively developing their thesis film. Full eligibility criteria, application procedures, and submission forms are available on makevisual.com/thesis-grant-info. The selection of winners is done by the MAKE judging panel and announced on November 15, 2025.
Original article: https://www.skwigly.co.uk/makes-2025-animation-thesis-grant-now-open-to-support-the-next-generation-of-animators/