Every Great Film Starts with a Challenge.

Can you tell a complete story in three minutes? Anyone who thrives on the fun of filmmaking within the parameters of a challenge and is inspired to create a short film in Asbury Park, NJ should enter.

The AP’N3 Short Film Challenge is a creative competition where participants produce a three-minute film in Asbury Park that includes a required theme, prop, location, and line of dialogue that are revealed upon registering for the Challenge.

Designed as a proof-of-talent incubator, AP’N3 encourages filmmakers to experiment, test ideas, and showcase the kind of storytelling that can launch larger projects. Hosted in Asbury Park, a city known for its creative energy and cultural revival, the challenge brings filmmakers and audiences together for a screening event celebrating originality, risk-taking, and cinematic short storytelling.

All the entries will be reviewed and the top ten in each category will be chosen by a panel of local judges. Finalists will be screened at a live premiere event to an audience at the Jersey Shore Arts Center (JSAC). The top 3 winners in each category, and an Audience Choice entry chosen by the assembled audience on premiere night will win prizes that can be used in future filmmaking endeavors. The entire event will be recorded for playback later on the Asbury Park Arts Council website, YouTube channel and on APTV - the Asbury Park cable access channel with a worldwide reach.

WHY SUBMIT TO AP'N3?
- Showcase your storytelling in a bold three-minute format
- Screen your film in a curated public event in Asbury Park
- Connect with filmmakers and creative audiences from across the region
- FREE, full access to the pre-cleared PrimalHouse New Jersey music library.
- Compete for filmmaker awards and recognition. Prize packages include gift cards from B&H Photo, a gratis license for all PrimalHouse tracks used in your submission, consultation services from [the collective].
- Use your short film as a calling card for larger projects

TELL A STORY THAT LEAVES AN IMPACT.
AP'N3 challenges filmmakers to create a complete cinematic experience in three minutes or less. The constraint encourages filmmakers to focus on:
- strong ideas
- visual storytelling
- emotional clarity
- bold creative choices

The city of Asbury Park is a visually imaginative backdrop, perfect for filmmakers as inspiration. The timed aspect of the format along with the required elements challenges and provides the teams’ creativity for a more level playing field.

Participants: Anyone who thrives on the fun of filmmaking within the parameters of a challenge and is ready to shoot their short film in Asbury Park.

All genres - animation, drama, comedy, horror, experimental, action/adventure, music video, PSA, commercial, documentary, student film - are acceptable.

The AP’N3 Short Film Challenge is presented by the Asbury Park Arts Council (APAC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Asbury Park. The Challenge is sponsored by the Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce, the Coaster and Primal House New Jersey.

Awards & Prizes

The AP'N3 Trophy Statuette - locally designed by Hot Sand Glass Studio - will be awarded to the top three winners in each of the two categories - Short Film. Student Film. Prize packages that can be used in future filmmaking endeavors are provided by B&H Photo, PrimalHouse New Jersey and [the collective].

Recognition will also be given to:
- Best use of Music
- Best On-Screen Performance
- Best use of Logo
- Best use of Prop
- Best use of Line of Dialog
- Best Original Music
- Fastest Film Award (if you create your film in 72 hours)

AP’N3 is thrilled to offer 2026’s challenge participants full access to PrimalHouse Music’s library of 280K + tracks for their submissions for the first time. The partnership between PrimalHouse New Jersey and Asbury Park Arts Council’s just expanded your creative playground at no cost to you.

When you participate in AP’N3 this year, you can gain firsthand experience with the industry standard licensing process, having the impact of music synchronization, but with clearance and licenses already handled under this partnership and pre-cleared library. You’ll have the freedom to dive deeper into filmmaking and experiment with global tracks from a library with credits across Amsterdam, House of Gucci, and Pluribus.

[the collective] in Asbury Park is offering prize packages to the top winners in each category. The top student film will be eligible for a creative project development starter package of consultation. The top winner in the main category will be eligible for Jumpstart, an exclusive complimentary creative consultation with [the collective].

Rules & Terms

1. Timeline: Individuals and teams will have until August 31 2026 to write, scout locations, cast talent, film and edit a 3-minute short, uploading a finished film to the AP'N3 FilmFreeway site by 6PM August 31st 2026. You may register to submit a film as early as March 31st, 2026. TO PARTICIPATE, register your project, fill in your project page with basic information including the genre of your film and submit your entry fee on FilmFreeway. Upon registration, you'll receive the prompts you'll need to include in your film.

2. Eligibility: To be eligible, entries must be the original work of the entrant and filmed in Asbury Park; must not infringe on any third-party's rights; must be suitable for publication (i.e., may not be obscene or indecent); must not contain obscene or pornographic material; may not contain defamatory statements about any person, company, organization or entity; may not invade privacy or other rights of any person, company or entity; may not in any other way violate applicable laws and regulations; and may not contain any copyrighted elements. Entries containing prohibited or inappropriate content as determined by the AP'N3 Short Film Challenge, in its sole discretion, to be inappropriate will be disqualified. AP'N3 Short Film Challenge reserves the right to make the final determination as to which entries are eligible. Student entries must register using a valid school email address (.edu or institutional equivalent) or other proof of enrollment at the time of registration. The Challenge reserves the right to request verification.

3. Production Package: All entrants will receive notification via email of their production packets which include the prompts necessary to include in your film. The 5 prompts listed in the production package MUST be included in your short. Excluding any one of the 5 prompts will be cause for a lower rating by the judges.

4. Music: Each participating team may only use licensed music from a legally sanctioned source or music written and licensed for the film. Through our partnership with PRIMAL HOUSE NEW JERSEY, you may use music from their library for FREE. Details of that usage will be included in the production packet. In the Music Video genre, the musical performance must reflect an original composition. Cover songs may not be entered as performance in the Music Video genre.

5. Running Time: The finished film cannot be any longer than 3 minutes. Credits at the end of each film are limited to a maximum of 20 seconds, in addition to the 3-minute maximum time limit. For example, you may have a 3-minute film plus 20 seconds of credits for a total running time of 3:20:00. Films any longer than 3:20:00 are not eligible.

6. Format: The finished film/video must be uploaded via your project page on FilmFreeway.

7. Entries: No entries will be returned and all submissions MUST be made through the FilmFreeway portal via your project page. AP'N3 and its presenting agency, the Asbury Park Arts Council, retain the rights to use, disseminate and otherwise replicate the entries, in part or in whole for, but not limited to, advertising and promotion. A submission fee will be required at the time of your project page completion and entry into the Challenge. Any questions about the submission fee, please email greetingsapac@gmail.com

8. Refund of submission fee will not be given if your film does not meet our requirements above and is not accepted as part of the AP'N3 Short Film Challenge. Any film submitted that is not made for the Challenge and does not use any of the items and requirements will automatically be disqualified.

9. The AP'N3 Short Film Challenge organizers at the Asbury Park Arts Council reserve the right to amend these rules up until the festival. If you have any questions regarding the challenge, please email Co-Festival Director Mike: mike@asburyparkartscouncil.org.

10. Films may not be uploaded or distributed to any online service, social media service or website prior to the Premiere Event on November 1, 2026.

11. TO ENTER:
a) Click the SUBMIT button on the AP'N3 Challenge FilmFreeway page as early as March 31, 2026.
b) Log in to Film Freeway (if you have a FilmFreeway account) or set up an account with FilmFreeway.
c) Add a Project to your account- this Project Placeholder page will HOLD your entry slot in the Challenge. Simply title it "AP'N3-2026" or "(your name) - 2026" for now, fill in pertinent contact information and SAVE your project.
d) Navigate to the AP'N3 Challenge Main Page on FilmFreeway under 'festival search' to now ENTER your Project Placeholder form in the Challenge. Follow the prompts to check out your entry through the Secure Checkout.
e) Click Pay and Complete Order and you're entered in the Challenge.
f) You'll receive a confirmation email with a link to the Production Package of prompts to include in your short film.
g) Your entry is considered "incomplete" at this point, as it has no video file associated with it - as yet.
h) WHEN YOU COMPLETE YOUR FILM:
- you'll return to your project page,
- CHANGE the temporary title AP'N3-2026 to the title of your film,
- fill in the remainder of information about your film and
- upload your video file. Your entry is now complete and ready for judging. That's It!