18M, and I want to create my own animated short film.

I'm 18 and I want to make an original animated short film.

I've been developing the story and visual direction, and I think I finally have something I'd genuinely like to bring to life. It's probably going to be around 8–10 minutes long.

The problem is... I have absolutely no idea how the professional/indie side of this works.

I have around ~$6k USD (i know it's less) that I could put toward the project, and I'm trying to figure out whether I should just self-fund it or try to get additional funding somehow.

Do independent animated shorts actually get grants or funding from studios, film organizations, governments, festivals, etc.? If so, where do you find these opportunities, and what do they normally expect from a first-time filmmaker?

I'm also trying to figure out how people build their teams. I'm thinking of hiring freelance animators, background artists, a compositor, composer, sound designer, etc., rather than trying to do everything myself.

My big dream/target is to eventually submit the film to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. I know that's an extremely ambitious target, especially for a first film, and I'm not assuming I'll get in. I just want to make the best film I realistically can and aim high from the beginning.

So I'd really love advice from people who've made independent animated shorts, gotten grants/funding, worked with studios, or gone through the festival circuit.

Basically, I'm at the very beginning and trying to understand the ecosystem before I start spending money. What would you do if you were in my position?