To be eligible for the fellowship, applicant duos needs to meet these requirements:

• Must be at least 21 years old

• Able to attend the weekly three (3) hour long sessions

• Must be located in the United States or Canada (We hope to extend this opportunity to a global scale in the future.)

• Fluent in English (program will be taught in English)

• Minimum of 1 year of professional work experience

• Agree to adhere to the Code of Conduct and Short Film Guideline

• Ability to commit to completing the full program

Each team must consist of exactly two members, and only one application should be submitted per team.

Nope! You don’t need to have any affiliation with our partners in order to apply.

The fellowship application requires these key elements:

• About the Project: A one-page project overview (following this example template) describing the team’s short animation idea.

• About the Team: A 1 - 3 minute video introduction featuring both team members and an overview of the project.

• About the Two Team Members: portfolio, resume, short bio, skills & program proficiency, employment status, education level, and other demographic information.

• Each team must develop an original story that fits the fellowship’s inaugural theme:

  • Myth-making: For our inaugural theme, we're welcoming projects that explore myths from diverse cultures, across all genres. Whether drawing from ancient folklore or contemporary stories, this is an opportunity for filmmakers to reimagine and invent myths, integrating unique cultural perspectives and shedding new light on timeless stories that resonate across generations. We encourage bold and imaginative storytelling that can honor the past but also redefines how mythology can shape the present and future.

  • Projects should not infringe on copyrighted intellectual property.

• The final short animation project must meet the following requirements:

  • Runtime between 1 - 2 minutes

  • No spoken dialogue (projects should rely on visual storytelling and music-driven audio design)

  • Created using either:

    • 2D animation, or

    • 2D + 3D hybrid techniques

  • Horizontal orientation

A music mix house will assist selected teams during Phase Two with music production for each project.

Here are some examples of 1 - 2 min animations (they are for references only; may not meet all requirements of this program): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYieOQuAlVNPuf46ZGTWTWldF5-4X392D

• Phase One (9 Weeks):

  • Fellowship awardees are required to attend nine (9) weekly Zoom classes held on Saturdays from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time, starting August 22, 2026.

  • Awardees are also encouraged to participate in an optional weekly one-hour virtual office hour session during the week (exact schedule TBD) to share work-in-progress assignments and receive feedback from instructors.

  • Each week includes homework assignments, with submissions due 24 hours before the following class.

  • By the end of Phase One, participating teams are expected to complete a pitch deck for their short animation project and present it during the Pitch Day event.

• Phase Two (6 Months)

  • Selected teams will spend approximately six (6) months completing the short animation project developed during Phase One.

  • Phase Two runs from January 2027 to June 2027.

  • During Phase Two, Each team will receive a 30-minute one-on-one feedback session with mentors on a weekly or biweekly basis to receive guidance throughout production.

Review the full program schedule here.

Participants should carefully consider the workload and ensure they can commit the required weekly time throughout the duration of the program.

Yes. Teams advancing to Phase Two are expected to complete a finished short animation within the six-month mentorship period.

• Application Deadline: Friday, July 31, 2026

• Recipient Notification: Friday, August 7, 2026

• Recipient Confirmation: Monday, August 10, 2026

• Public Announcement: Friday, August 14, 2026

• Phase One Begins: Saturday, August 22, 2026

Yes. All classes, mentorship sessions, and presentations will take place online via Zoom. Teams may participate from anywhere within the United States or Canada.

There are no required software programs for creating the short animation project. Selected teams may use any software, tools, or production pipeline that best supports their project, provided the final deliverables meet the program requirements.

Please note that participating teams are responsible for securing access to any software or tools needed throughout the duration of the program.

However, participants must have access to the following free online platforms and services in order to participate in the fellowship:

• Zoom

• Google Drive

• Discord

• SyncSketch

No. The fellowship is completely free for selected participants and there is no fee to apply.

A total of 10 teams (20 participants total) will be selected to participate in Phase One of the fellowship.

At the conclusion of Phase One, selected teams will advance to Phase Two to continue production of their short films with mentorship support.

Yes. This fellowship is designed for working animation professionals who want to expand their experience in creating original animated shorts. While prior filmmaking experience is helpful, teams are not required to have previously completed a short film.

Yes. Team members do not need to live in the same city or state, as long as both applicants are located within the United States or Canada and can attend the scheduled sessions.

No. Applications must be submitted as a team of exactly two members.

There are no strict role requirements, but teams are encouraged to apply with complementary skill sets. Please note that each team should ensure that they can complete the short animation from scratch to the end using their existing skills.

The judging panel is made up of representatives from each of our partner organizations (listed below).

Yes. Teams retain ownership of their pitch, underlying intellectual property, and the final short film created during the fellowship.

Yes. Completed projects may be featured in an online showcase presented by Titmouse Foundation and Warrior Art Camp. Additional showcase opportunities may be announced at a later date.

Phase 1’s Zoom classes will be recorded and additional details regarding access to recordings will be shared with selected participants.

Please feel free to reach out to us at info@titmousefoundation.org. We’ll also be hosting a recorded info session on June 30th at 9am PT. If you aren’t able to make that session, please send your questions over via email and we’ll try to answer them.