Everyone has a name, represented by letters, that we use to identify and designate ourselves. Sometimes it is given, sometimes chosen. Individuals become groups under a common cause to establish a united expression of their voices. These groups come together under a new designation, a string of letters that represents the group’s ideas, issues, and concerns. It would take the entire alphabet to cover them all. Bringing them all together would look like Alphabet Soup, where every letter has a place, where there are endless combinations and ways to represent ourselves in the great melting pot of humanity.

The 2026 Alphabet Soup 48 HR Film Festival will be open to all high school and university students, student groups, faculty, staff, and the public. Films may be completed individually or in a group. All levels of experience are invited to participate in the race.

The theme of the film competition is Cultural Diversity and Community Engagement, and the primary criterion for judging will be how well these themes are integrated into the film. Once production begins on Friday after the kickoff event, the filmmaker(s) must complete the production within 48 hours and submit the final file by Sunday, 2 PM. After the submission deadline, a panel of judges will select the winning films and announce the winners at the end of the screening on Sunday evening.

IMPORTANT DATES + EVENTS

All listed events will be hosted on the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) campus and live-streamed on the Media Studies Department's YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@mstuncg

March 6 @ 12:00 PM — The Kick-Off Event!
https://youtube.com/live/UonVLrU60b8?feature=share
This live-streamed event will cover the Alphabet Soup Film Festival’s mission, the competition’s rules and requirements, and introduce the prop item. Let the 48-hour competition begin!

March 8 @ 2:00 PM — Film Submissions Cutoff
Films will be uploaded and submitted via FilmFreeway at any time during the 48-hour period. Following submission, a diverse panel of judges will convene to select the winning films.

March 8 @ 7:00 PM — Film Screening & Award Ceremony
https://youtube.com/live/3jXiwrbrzr0?feature=share

If you missed any live-streamed videos, you can watch them here.
https://www.youtube.com/@mstuncg

For questions pertaining to the Alphabet Soup film competition, email c_chun@uncg.edu

Awards & Prizes

1st Place ⁠
2nd Place
3rd Place
Best Use of Prop Award
Young Director Award (For ages under 18)

Rules & Terms

FILM CRITERIA

Films must be under 5 minutes in length.
Films can be from any genre.
Films can be created on mobile devices or digital cameras.
Films must include a special prop that will be revealed 48 hours before the festival.
Films not completed in time can be screened, but will not be eligible for a prize.
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HOW TO REGISTER ON FILMFREEWAY.COM

1. Teams (group or individual) should set up a FilmFreeway.com profile in the name of your lead contact (yourself if an individual, or team leader if in a group).

2. Then set up a project to submit in your newly made profile. You will upload your film to this project once the 48-hour competition begins after the Kick-Off Event.

3. Provide contact details for at least one team member, including phone and email address.

4. To start the submission process which will register your team in the challenge, go to: https://filmfreeway.com/AlphabetSoupFilmCompetition

5. You should pay the $0.00 entry fee and provide contact details for the lead team member.

6. Once you have received the ‘acceptance email, your participation in the competition is confirmed.

7. Follow our YouTube channel to watch the live-stream Kick-Off event. This live-streamed event will cover the Alphabet Soup film festival’s mission and competition rules and requirements, and will introduce the mystery prop item.

8. Make your film over the competition weekend and complete the submissions process by uploading your film along with your press kit, following the instructions on FilmFreeway.com. Registration and film submissions close at 2:00 PM on the festival date.

9. You should then receive an email confirming your film has been accepted for the competition.

10. The screening will be free and live-streamed on our YouTube channel at 7:00 PM on the festival date.

For questions about the Alphabet Soup film festival, email c_chun@uncg.edu

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  • Brissa&Mya Leyva

    We had so much fun! Thank you for working so hard! Learned a lot!

    March 2022
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