Submit your showreel to Kaboom Animation Festival and become part of Kaboom Industry Days 2026! 

We’re excited to bring back our beloved Best Showreel Contest for debutants! It’s a unique chance for animation graduates to showcase their talent and gain visibility in the professional industry while scouting for job opportunities. 

As usual, we will introduce 10 selected showreel candidates and their work during our Kaboom Camp Day on the 17th of March as part of the Industry Program at the HKU Art University in Utrecht (Oudenoord 700). Submit your best work for a chance to be among the selected few! 

The selected competition showreels will be displayed during both Kaboom Industry Days for all participants, including students and industry representatives. Beyond gaining exposure, this contest offers exclusive one-on-one meetings with prominent professionals and studios from the Dutch animation industry and beyond. Each of the 10 selected debutants will receive a free pass to the event. The ultimate winner will be chosen by an international jury and announced during the evening’s highlight: the Debutante Ball & Afterparty!

Our team is very excited for all of you who dare to take part, there is so much to look forward to! Thanks to the generosity and support of our new partner Keep an Eye Foundation, the Debutante Award and the Debutante Ball will be bigger and better than ever! 🥁 Drumroll please…The best showreel creator will be granted the Debutante Award of 2026, including a trip to the Annecy Animation Festival in France in June 2026. 💥

⏰What are you waiting for? Now is the perfect time to put together your personal showreel extraordinaire. 

How can you participate? Please fill out the following submission form no later than the 15th of January 2026:

RULES FOR PARTICIPATION: 

– Length of the showreel is a maximum of 60 seconds. 

– For submission, we require an online screener. 

– For inclusion in our professionals catalogue, we need an HD file (NOT A DCP) of your showreel; technical specs are available here on page 2. Repeat, no DCPs! 

– If selected, the deadline for sending your final HD file is the 29th of January 2026. 

– Selection of the ten debutants for the competition will be announced at the end of February 2026. 

– If selected, we will plan one-on-one meetings for you with attending professionals on Tuesday, 17th of March 2026. You must be available to attend these meetings. 

TIPS FOR PARTIPATION: 

– Think beforehand about what kind of work you would like to do: character animation, motion graphics, background design, or something else? Choose the elements of your reel based on this ambition.  

– You don’t have to create an edit of your entire work collection; you can also show a 1-minute clip of a specific work if it aligns better with your goals, like directing or writing.  

– Only use your most recent work (from the past two-three years, no later). 

– Only use your best work. Less is more. 

– If applicable and possible: mention what was your role for the work you’re showing. 

– Use music that matches your work (using music you personally like is not equally important). 

– More tips & tricks: Educational Voice & CreativeBlog.com & PremiumBeat.com. 

For more information, requests or questions please contact us via email:
industry@kaboomfestival