UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Happy Valley Animation Festival, an international competition that showcases compelling animated works by student, early career, and practicing professional artists, designers, and filmmakers, returns to Penn State's University Park campus for its fifth year. All events are free and open to the public.
Works range from animated short films and experimental animation to animated motion graphics and design and push the innate ability of animation to communicate across cultures.
The festival takes place at the Penn State University Park campus, with open and student award winners and official selections featured in screenings and exhibitions at the HUB Flex Theater, the Palmer Museum of Art, the Carnegie Cinema and the HUB-Robeson Gallery. HVAF is a collaboration between organizers, volunteers, and academic partners and is supported by the Digital Arts and Media Design Program (DART) and the School of Visual Arts at Penn State.
Events
HVAF 2025 Animation Showcase
Public screening of award-winning animations in the international open and international student categories.
Flex Theater, 132 HUB-Robeson Center
Thursday, March 27, 7:30–9:30 p.m.
HVAF 2025 Official Selection Screening
Public screenings of official selections in the international open and international student categories.
Flex Theater, 132 HUB-Robeson Center
Friday, March 28, 6–8 p.m.
HVAF 2025 Official Selection Screening
Palmer Museum of Art
Saturday, March 29, noon–4 p.m.
HVAF 2025 Official Selection Screening
Carnegie Cinema, 113 Carnegie Bldg.
Tuesday, April 1, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
HVAF 2025 Gallery Exhibition
An exhibition featuring official selections and award winners from the 2025 Happy Valley Animation Festival.
HUB Gallery, HUB-Robeson Center
Thursday, May 1–Thursday, May 22, 10 a.m.– 6 p.m. daily
For more information, visit the Happy Valley Animation Festival online.