The 2nd Babelgum Online Film Festival was created to celebrate and reward the very best in international independent short filmmaking by

Animation – Stories told through the craft of animation in all its forms: animated films made in any animation technique, frame-by-frame or computer-made (5 minutes max). Documentary – True stories and inspiring films that engage, inform or entertain the viewer using any of the documentary styles (e.g. cinema vérité, observational, presenter-led, narrated, personal, authored storytelling - 30 minutes max).

The Spike Lee Award is given to the top films in each of the four categories as selected by Spike Lee. The winners receive each a cash prize of 20,000 Euros (over $26,000). The Looking for Genius Award, selected by Spike Lee and the industry jury, is presented to a new or emerging filmmaker who displays clear and outstanding achievement through direction, animation, writing and/or camera work for his/her film in competition in any of the four categories. The winner receives a cash prize of 20,000 Euros.