ASIFA-Hollywood’s Animation Educators Forum (AEF) is proud to announce its scholarship recipients for academic year 2026. Twelve students were selected out of a pool of 113 applicants. Three students are from Canada and nine are from schools in the United States. The scholarships awarded this year totaled $30,000, and will be used to cover costs for necessary software and hardware, creative and academic research, animation production, and tuition.

            The AEF scholarships are merit-based and designed to support college students in continuing their education in the field of animation. Each individual student’s written proposals, letters of recommendation from faculty, and demo reel/still art were taken into consideration as part of the selection process.

The 2026 AEF Scholarship recipients are:

Valentina Asenov – Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY

Bachelor’s Degree – Film Project

Dylan Baddeley – School of Visual Arts, New York City, NY

Bachelor’s Degree – Film Project

Diego Cumplido – California Institute of the Arts, Santa Clarita, CA

Master’s Degree – Tuition

Karoline Floreanova – Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Bachelor’s Degree – Tuition

Julia Han – Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY

Bachelor’s Degree – Books & Supplies

Jackie Manke – California Institute of the Arts, Santa Clarita, CA

Bachelor’s Degree – Tuition

Myriam Obin – Universite Laval, (Laval University), Quebec, Canada

Master’s Degree – Animation Research/Travel

Sofia Palacios – California Institute of the Arts, Santa Clarita, CA

Bachelor’s Degree – Animation Equipment

Reni Park – California Institute of the Arts, Santa Clarita, CA

Bachelor’s Degree – Tuition

Ariel Rutherford – Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Bachelor’s Degree – Tuition

Fiorella Tolentino – School of Visual Arts, New York City, NY

Bachelor’s Degree – Tuition

Jazmin Zeitune – School of Visual Arts New York City, NY

Bachelor’s Degree – Film Project

AEF is proud to support these 12 animation students on their journey towards membership in the global animation community. Now more than ever, animation in its many forms provides a way to communicate across cultures and across borders.

            ASIFA-Hollywood is the world’s first and foremost professional organization dedicated to promoting the Art of Animation and celebrating the people who create it. Today, ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a wide range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, Animation Educators Forum (AEF), animated film preservation, open source software support, special events, classes, screenings, and the annual Annie Awards™.

For more information about ASIFA-Hollywood, please visit www.asifa-hollywood.org.