At The Animation Conference during the Ottawa International Animation Festival’s 50th edition, Cheyenne Curtis’ series pitch beat more than 100 applicants to win Pitch THIS!, taking an $11,300 CAD prize package and mentorship resources.
2026 competition at The Animation Conference (TAC), the Ottawa International Animation Festival 's industry conference, held during the festival's 50th anniversary edition.
"For its clear vision, heart, charming visuals and unapologetic love of snails, King Baby Snail is this year's winner," the jury said.
# What happened Cheyenne Curtis won Pitch THIS! 2026 at The Animation Conference (TAC), the industry arm of the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), with her series pitch King Baby Snail. The competition reviewed more than 100 applications and narrowed the field through a Canadian semifinal of eight projects before naming two finalists.
# Why the jury picked it The final jury described King Baby Snail as having a "clear vision, heart, charming visuals and unapologetic love of snails." They said the project offers "a solid story engine with endless potential." The jury panel included Mike Barth (Jam Filled Entertainment), Lisa Cinelli (CBC), Tanya Green (Mainframe Studios), and Kirsten Hurd (TVOkids).
# What the winner receives Curtis' prize package is valued at CAD $11,300 and combines direct cash, software, professional services, and festival access:
# Creator reaction Curtis framed the project personally, calling King Baby Snail "a love letter to my family, and to myself," and expressed gratitude that the Pitch THIS! jury connected with her story.
# Context and track record Pitch THIS! has operated at TAC since 2005 to connect emerging Canadian animation creators with producers and industry decision-makers. This edition took place during OIAF's 50th anniversary festival in downtown Ottawa.
# Practical next steps for creators and observers
# Bottom line King Baby Snail won Pitch THIS! 2026 on the strength of a clear creative vision and a story engine the jury judged scalable. The award pairs financial support with tools and professional services aimed at moving a concept toward production and industry connections.
Selected from more than 100 submissions, Curtis’s series pitch won a CAD $11,300 prize package. Gino Baldeon’s 'tiny BIG adventure' was runner-up.
Mexican creative duo YUCA's short earns the Grand Jury Prize at the Montreal festival’s 13th edition; ‘SAFE ZONE’ wins festival’s inaugural A.I.-made film prize; 'Freshwater' and 'Shooting the Moon' share award for Best Canadian Student Film.
Kohei Kadowaki won the Grand Prize for Feature Animation, while Joe Hsieh nabbed the Grand Prize for Short Animation, and Laurence Thérien's ‘Ball Face’ took home a record 4 awards, at the 50th Ottawa International Animation Festival.
We recap OIAF 2026, including the festival’s award winners, a ‘Ray Gunn’ panel with Brad Bird, AI discussions, Pitch THIS!, and more.
Other Ottawa International Animation Festival winners included 'Eri,' 'The Comet,' Adult Swim’s 'The Elephant,' and Don Hertzfeldt’s 'Paper Trail.'
Chingy is a proud father! Fans were surprised to learn about his children after the rapper's interview on 'The Jason Lee Show' on Sept. 2.
Loading more related stories...
Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.