Sydney, Australia-based Hackett Films, the Sydney Opera House and Screen NSW are launching an international search for the best graphic storytellers, as a part of the Opera House’s inaugural Graphic festival.

The festival will take place between August 7 and 8 this year, and will celebrate the achievements of creators in the fields of comics, anime, manga, animation and illustration. Celebrated graphic novelist Neil Gaiman will be the keynote speaker for the event

The competition component will see entrants vying for a US$18,000 cash prize by creating a 60-second story that uses the theme of recovery, a seven-year-old character and the sound effect of a yawn. As the rounds progress, one more element will be added to the task.

Entrants can be an individual or creative team and the story can be told using any format, including storyboard comic, stop-motion or CGI animation.

For more information about the GRAPHIC festival and online animation competition please visit www.sydneyoperahouse.com/graphic.