The BDFIL Prize 2026 is an international emerging comics competition organised by the Festival de bande dessinée de Lausanne (BDFIL), one of Switzerland’s leading comic art festivals. Designed to spotlight new voices in contemporary comics, graphic storytelling, and visual narrative, the competition invites artists to create an original, complete one-page comic based on the 2026 theme “Running (of) water.” The theme encourages broad interpretation, allowing participants to explore environmental issues, movement, fluidity, metaphor, or personal storytelling through the dynamic language of sequential art. By focusing on a single-page format, the competition challenges artists to demonstrate clarity, creativity, and narrative impact within a concise structure.
The BDFIL Prize positions itself as a platform for discovering and promoting emerging comic artists from around the world. Participants are required to submit a finished comic page in A3 vertical format, reinforcing professional presentation standards while giving artists freedom in style, technique, and genre. Whether working in traditional ink, digital illustration, experimental mixed media, or graphic novel aesthetics, creators are encouraged to showcase originality, storytelling strength, and artistic identity. The selected works are exhibited during the BDFIL festival in Lausanne, offering finalists valuable international exposure within the European comics scene and the broader visual arts community.
More than just a contest, the BDFIL Prize 2026 serves as a career-launching opportunity for aspiring comic creators seeking recognition in the competitive field of graphic literature and illustration. By connecting emerging talent with industry professionals, festival audiences, and media attention, the prize strengthens artistic visibility and professional development. Through its annual theme and curated exhibition, the competition reinforces BDFIL’s mission to support innovation in comics, celebrate diverse storytelling voices, and foster the next generation of graphic novelists and visual storytellers.
There is no entry fee.
Eligibility
Open worldwide to emerging comic artists aged 15 years or older whose work has never been previously published.
Prize
The total prize pool of CHF 5,000 is shared among winners with cash awards including a CHF 2,000 first prize, a CHF 1,500 second prize, a CHF 1,000 third prize, and a public prize of CHF 500, and winners are invited to the exhibition opening and award ceremony; the first-prize winner also gets to create the following year’s competition flyer.
