Film Riot’s “Stay At Home” Short Film Challenge

Film Riot is sponsoring a short video contest. The assignment: Make a terrific movie—60 seconds or shorter—shot in your home or on your property. The contest was inspired by the fact that because of the pandemic, many of us are living under stay-at-home rules. Film Riot believes that being restricted this way should not inhibit…

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Ian Leer wins Final Draft app for his surreal short “8:20”

Los Angeles mobile moviemaker Ian Leer has won the People’s Choice Award in the Preview 2020 Video Contest. Shot on an iPhone 11 Pro, the 60-second movie predicts that stress and anxiety will remain with us as we rush into the future. Leer’s prize is a copy of Final Draft screenwriting software, a tool favored…

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Our Contest Sponsors

Running moviemaking contests is one of our favorite activities. We have found that contests can motivate entrants to create superior work. At the same time, outstanding entries demonstrate techniques that other filmmakers can borrow. Good contests require good prizes, and we’ve been lucky to receive support from some of the key companies that serve filmmakers.…

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“Preview 2020 Video Contest”: Submissions Welcome

No one knows for sure what 2020 will bring. But we can be sure that the New Year will be interesting. And that brings us to the “Coming Attractions Video Contest 2020.” The challenge: Make a video—60 seconds or shorter—that gives your vision of the coming year. You can focus on the big picture—what will make…

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Winners Announced in the Close-up Video Contest

A horror trailer—”Vacant”—won the top prize in our Instagram Close-up Video Contest.  Directed by Oliver Richards, the one-minute teaser trailer previews an as-yet-to-be-produced feature film. The contest challenged mobile filmmakers to create a video—60 seconds or less—that included at least one memorable close-up. Entries came from eight countries. You can see Richards’ entry here and…

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Enter our Instagram Close-up Video Contest

We invite you to take part in our Instagram Close-up Video Contest. THE CHALLENGE:  Use a smartphone or other mobile device to shoot a short video—60 seconds or less—featuring one or more close-ups. The close-up or close-ups must play a key role in the movie. You may submit an excerpt from a longer movie as long…

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