The Global Round is held at Xiamen University Malaysia from November 2 to 8, 2026, over two days. Day 1 is the presentation of the film the participants already made; Day 2 is a new film, made on site on a general topic the Brainiacs Olympiad announces after the Day 1 presentations.
Day 1 — Presentation. Each team screens its movie or animation for the judges and gives a verbal presentation of up to 5 minutes: the idea, topic, purpose, story, message and creative concept, and how the film was planned and produced. Judges then ask questions and the students defend their ideas. What matters is that the team can show it understands its own project, its story, its message and the decisions behind it.
Day 2 — Video-Making Task. Students choose a specific topic and message within the announced general topic, build a simple story and characters, plan the scenes and locations, shoot with a phone or camera — or animate with the appropriate software — edit, add sound, titles and effects, and screen the result for the judges. The final video runs 3-6 minutes and must be planned, shot, made and edited entirely within the practical session.
Students bring their own phone, camera or other recording device and may use whatever editing or creative software or mobile applications they have. The finished film is shown on the large screen the Brainiacs team provides and must be brought on a USB flash drive, ideally in several formats such as MP4, FLV or WMV. Students demonstrate the important parts of the production — animation, filming, editing, sound, visual effects — explain the tools and methods they used, and answer questions on originality, technical work, teamwork and the final result. The purpose is not a professional film: it is creativity, teamwork, storytelling, camera work and a message worth communicating.
Judging. Innovation and Creativity 20, Production Design 15, Story Flow 15, Technical Expertise 15, Relevance 15, Teamwork 10, Emotional Impact 10. Total 100 points.
