Source Filmmaker powering Valve's second Saxxy Awards short film competition.

Valve's recently released Source Filmmaker tools will power the second annual "Saxxy Awards" short film contest, giving budding animators the chance to flex their filmmaking prowess for internet fame and virtual fortune. This year's Saxxys have grown in scope and notoriety, with the winners scheduled to be broadcast before the Spike TV Video Game Awards.

Unlike last year's Saxxy Awards, which was limited to animation created using Team Fortress 2, this year's contest can use any Valve-owned property, including Portal, Left 4 Dead, Counter-Strike, and Half-Life. The number of categories this year shrinks from 20 to just five: Best Action, Best Drama, Best Comedy, Best Original Universe, and Best Overall.

All winners will receive a virtual Saxxy — a gold statuette of Saxton Hale — in TF2, with the Best Overall winner scoring a trip to Valve for a filmmaking session with Valve's Source Filmmakers.

Filmmakers must submit their Source Filmmaker shorts to YouTube and the Steam Community between November 1st and November 15th. Community voting starts November 16th. Additional details and requirements are located at the official Saxxy Awards page.

Last year's winners can be seen at the official Team Fortress 2 website.