About the Citadel LA Holiday Film Festival
The Citadel LA Holiday Film Festival was founded to celebrate stories that capture the magic, mystery, and meaning of the holidays — all holidays, from any culture, in any genre. Whether it’s the chills of Halloween, the warmth of Thanksgiving, the joy of Christmas, or the traditions of celebrations worldwide, we believe in honoring the creativity that springs from these special moments in time.

Our Story
The festival was created by Ernie Rivera, an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker whose work has earned multiple grand prizes and semi-finalist honors at prestigious film festivals. Ernie’s vision was simple:

Bring together filmmakers from around the globe to share stories that astonish, inspire, and unite audiences — while giving them a reason to celebrate.

As a filmmaker himself, Ernie understands the challenge of getting your work seen and respected. That’s why the Citadel LA Holiday Film Festival is designed to be more than just a competition — it’s a platform for discovery, connection, and long-term recognition.

The Holiday Theme
Submissions are welcome in all genres and styles, but each entry must connect to a holiday theme — big or small, real or imagined. Whether your film is set on Halloween night, during Lunar New Year, in the heart of Diwali, or in a world where holidays are invented from scratch, we want to see it. We celebrate the universal human tradition of marking time, memory, and meaning.

Why Citadel LA?
Los Angeles is a citadel for dreamers — the fortress of cinema, creativity, and ambition. Hosting this festival here means your work will be celebrated in a city that thrives on bold voices and fresh visions.

Our Mission
To astonish audiences, elevate creators, and prove that the holidays are a canvas for every kind of story imaginable.

Awards & Prizes

$500 plus trophy will be awarded to grand-prize feature film
$250 plus trophy will be awarded to grand-prize short film
$200 plus trophy will be awarded to grand-prize best screenplay 60-120 pages
$100 will be awarded to grand-prize best screenplay under 60 pages.

Other prizes include Certificates for finalists, laurels via film freeway, and opportunity for interviews and recognition for all placing projects.

Rules & Terms

Citadel LA Holiday Film Festival
Celebrating Stories that Spark the Spirit of the Season

1. Theme

All submissions must connect to a holiday in some way — any holiday, from any culture, country, or tradition. This includes but is not limited to Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Lunar New Year, Diwali, Eid, Valentine’s Day, Independence Days, and cultural celebrations unique to your region.

The holiday connection may be central to the plot or simply provide an important backdrop, but it must be clear and intentional.

2. Eligibility

Open to filmmakers of all ages and nationalities.

All genres and styles are accepted: narrative, documentary, animation, experimental, music videos, etc.

Works-in-progress will be considered if they are clearly labeled as such and substantially complete for jury viewing.

3. Submission Formats

All submissions must be made via FilmFreeway with a secure online screener (Vimeo, FilmFreeway, YouTube private link, etc.).

Physical media (DVDs, Blu-rays, USB drives) will not be accepted.

4. Languages & Subtitles

Films not in English must include English subtitles.

Films in English with heavy regional accents or dialects are encouraged to include subtitles for accessibility.

5. Runtime Categories

Short Films: up to 40 minutes

Feature Films: over 40 minutes

There is no minimum runtime.

6. Premiere Status

Premiere status is not required, but premieres may be given priority for select categories.

7. Multiple Entries

Filmmakers may submit multiple projects, but each entry must have its own submission fee.

8. Deadlines & Fees

All deadlines are posted on our FilmFreeway page and are final.

Submission fees are non-refundable.

9. Judging

All films will be viewed and scored by our jury of industry professionals, filmmakers, and festival programmers.

Judging criteria include originality, storytelling, technical execution, and emotional impact.

All decisions by the jury are final.

10. Awards & Recognition

Awards will be given in multiple categories (Best Feature, Best Short, Best Director, Best Holiday Spirit, Best Performance, Best Cinematography, etc.) along with special jury awards.

Winning films will be announced on January 1, 2026 and will receive official laurels and certificates.

11. Screening

Official selections will be screened online and/or in Los Angeles (venue TBA).

By submitting, you grant the festival the right to screen your film at our event and in any promotional context related to the festival.

12. Rights & Clearances

The filmmaker must hold all necessary rights (including music, images, stock footage, etc.) or have obtained proper permissions.

The festival is not responsible for copyright infringement.

13. Agreement

By submitting, you acknowledge that:

You have read and agree to the rules and terms.

The submission fee does not guarantee selection.

The festival reserves the right to update rules at any time.