The Association of South East Asian Nations Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) has launched its 2014 animation contest, held to promote the 2011-2015 ASEAN intellectual property action program and encourages cartoon production.

The competition is open to all professional and amateur animators and students who are citizens of ASEAN member countries.

Contestants can submit their works online at www.aseananimationcontest2014.com and in person or via airmail to the Authorship Copyright Department (151 Hoang Hoa Tham, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi) from now to Apr 18.

Each contestant can send in only one work, which must be their own unpublished one in English.

The competition’s organizing committee will evaluate the contesting works based on the originality and practicality of their ideas and content, production techniques, character and design.

The prizes to be given away include one first prize, second prize, third prize and three consolation prizes. The prize-winning works will be distributed and promoted to raise awareness on intellectual property in the ASEAN community.

The winner will receive a chance to join a five-day course at a world-leading cartoon studio at Hollywood in the US along with a cash prize of THB100,000 (US$3,000).

The prize presenting ceremony is set to be held in Thailand in August.

The competition is also designed to improve animators’ skills and capabilities in making and commercializing their cartoons.

It also provides opportunities for the contestants to share experience, along with expanding the animation network and industry in the ASEAN region.