The Unreal Engine Short Film Challenge provides the opportunity for rising Australian and New Zealand animators to have their work seen by some of the industry’s top experts.

As part of this initiative, Epic Games is offering three weeks of free Unreal Engine online training for real-time animation, from April 11-29. The free courses are suitable for all skill levels, and are open to anyone – whether or not they go on to participate in the challenge.

The application deadline for eligible creatives is May 9, and a shortlist of top pitches will be selected by participating screen agencies. In addition to Australian screen agencies VicScreen, Screen NSW, Screen Tasmania, Screen Queensland, Screen Canberra, Screenwest, and the South Australian Film Corporation, Epic is also partnering with Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission (NZFC) to broaden access to this year’s challenge. Epic and its industry partners will then select up to ten projects, who will receive $50,000 AUD/NZD in funding and have eight weeks to bring their ideas to life using Unreal Engine 5. These projects will then be reviewed by industry experts and showcased internationally.