A team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has won the top prize at the 24 Hours Animation Contest 2025, an international competition that challenges students worldwide to produce a short animated film within a day.
Competing against 764 teams and 3,820 students from 185 institutions across 35 countries, the IIT Guwahati team secured first place for their creative and technical excellence. The contest, organised by Toon Boom Animation, is among the most recognised student animation challenges globally.
The winning team — comprising Arin Bandyopadhyay, Aditya Ravi Pawar, Aseel Pasha, and S. Balasankar — participated under the mentorship of Dr Mriganka Madhukaillya, Assistant Professor in the Department of Design. This year’s theme, “Flip Your Perspective,” required students to create a 30-second animated short within 24 hours, from storyboarding to final output.
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Congratulating the students, IIT Guwahati Director Prof. Devendra Jalihal said the win reflected the creativity and hard work of both the students and faculty. He added that earning such recognition on an international platform underscores the global standard of talent emerging from the institute.
The competition is known for its rigorous rules, prohibiting pre-made assets and AI tools in visual or audio creation to ensure originality. Entries submitted even a second past the deadline face disqualification, making the contest both demanding and competitive.
As first-prize winners, the IIT Guwahati students have received passes to the Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) 2026, along with professional animation software licenses, studio memberships, and mentorship sessions with animators from Walt Disney Animation Studios.
The 2025 edition of the contest was supported by leading global studios, including Pixar, Sony Pictures Animation, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. Animation, DreamWorks, Netflix, and Cartoon Saloon, among others.
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