72 Hours. One Region. Big Stories.

The Royal Gorge Film Commission presents the 72 Hour “River & Gorge” Film Challenge — a timed filmmaking weekend where Fremont County, Colorado, becomes your studio.

Teams have 72 hours to write, shoot, and edit a short film after requirements are revealed at kickoff. Films premiere on the big screen at our Red Carpet Screening + Awards in Cañon City at The Cañon Cinema.

Challenge Weekend (Production Window):
Kickoff: June 11, 2026 (8:00 PM MT)
Deadline: June 14, 2026 (8:00 PM MT) (no exceptions)

Red Carpet Screening + Awards: Mid-July 2026 (final date posted on our event page from our website)

Required Challenge Elements (revealed at kickoff)

Each film must include:

A Fremont County location prompt (assigned from our film-ready locations database)
A regional prop/theme element
A required line of dialogue
A genre draw (assigned at kickoff)
A simple local business/service-provider inclusion (on-screen and/or credited)

Who should enter?
Open to filmmakers of all experience levels — first-timers, students, and working professionals. If you can finish a film in 72 hours, you belong here.

Official event page + registration:
https://www.royalgorgefilmcommission.com/events/72hour-river-gorge-26

Awards & Prizes

Grand Prize — Best Film (Overall): $500 + Trophy + RGFF Entry
Audience Choice: Trophy
Best Cinematography: Trophy
Best Directing: Trophy
Best Screenplay: Trophy
Best Editing: Trophy
Best Sound: Trophy
Best Acting/Performance: Trophy
Best Use of Location: Trophy

Rules & Terms

Eligibility
Teams may include any number of members.
Student Division: team lead must be a current student or graduated within the last 12 months.
Team lead must register and be responsible for all releases/permissions.
Production Window
All principal photography must occur within the 72-hour window (Kickoff → Deadline).
Editing must be completed and exported before the deadline.
Use of pre-existing footage is not permitted (except limited “public domain” or properly licensed archival elements, if explicitly approved in writing).

Required Elements (revealed at kickoff)

Your film must include the assigned: location prompt, prop/theme, required line of dialogue, genre draw, and business/service inclusion.

Filming Permissions + Safety
Teams are responsible for obtaining permissions to film on private property and complying with all rules on public lands/parks.
No dangerous stunts, illegal activity, or filming that puts anyone at risk.
No filming on active roadways without proper control/permission.
Drone use must comply with all FAA regulations and any local restrictions; teams are solely responsible.

Rights + Releases
Teams must secure music rights and all necessary permissions for copyrighted material.
Releases are required for on-camera talent when used beyond incidental background.

Content Guidelines
No hate content or harassment.
Keep content appropriate for a public community screening (PG-13 recommended; no extreme gore).
The event reserves the right to disqualify films that violate rules, law, or safety standards.

Submission Specs
Max runtime: 10:00 including credits (recommended 4–10 minutes).
Format: MP4 (H.264) or MOV (ProRes preferred), 1080p recommended.
Audio: stereo mix; clear dialogue is strongly encouraged.
Subtitles are encouraged but not required.

Screening Rights
By submitting, teams grant the Royal Gorge Film Commission a non-exclusive right to screen the film at the official event and use limited excerpts/stills for promotional purposes (with filmmaker credit). Filmmakers retain full ownership of their work.

Judging
Films are judged on storytelling, execution, originality, required-element integration, and overall craft. Judges’ decisions are final.

Refunds
Entry fees are non-refundable except in the event the challenge is cancelled by the organizer.