IIT Guwahati students win global 24 hours animation contest 2025

Students from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have won first prize at the 24hourscontest 2025, a global 24-hour animation challenge organised by Toon Boom Animation.

This year’s edition saw participation from 185 institutions across 35 countries, with a total of 764 teams and 3,820 students competing.

The winning team, comprising Arin Bandyopadhyay, Aditya Ravi Pawar, Aseel Pasha, and S. Balasankar, participated under the guidance of Dr. Mriganka Madhukaillya, Assistant Professor, Department of Design, IIT Guwahati.

The theme for this year’s contest, “Flip Your Perspective,” required participants to create a 30-second animated short film within 24 hours.

The IIT Guwahati team’s originality, creativity, and technical skill earned them the top honour among hundreds of international entries.

Congratulating the winners, Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director of IIT Guwahati, said, “This achievement reflects the creativity and hard work of our students and faculty. Winning an international competition of this scale is a testament to the world-class talent nurtured at IIT Guwahati.”

The 24hourscontest is known for its intense format, challenging participants to produce an entire animation—from concept to final render—within 24 hours.

Teams receive the theme at midnight and must complete all storyboarding, artwork, and animation during the competition window.

The use of pre-made assets or AI-generated visuals and sound is strictly prohibited.

Even a one-second delay in submission results in disqualification, underscoring the contest’s professional standards and rigour.

This year’s competition was sponsored by leading global studios, including Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Sony Pictures Animation, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. Animation, Bento Box, Netflix, Cartoon Saloon, Illumination, DreamWorks, Wacom, XP-Pen, ASIFA Hollywood, Animation Is Film Festival, and Toon Boom Animation.

As the first prize, the IIT Guwahati team has won student passes to the Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) 2026, along with professional animation software licenses, studio memberships, and mentorship sessions with Disney animators, among other recognitions.