The 2026 LOCO One-Week Funny Film Competition is NOW OPEN!

The competition will now be live until midday on Monday 6 April. All you need to do is write, plan, shoot, edit, and submit your comedy masterpiece. Easy! It can be any length between 10 seconds and 10 minutes. There is an entry fee for the competition of £10. All films that reach us by 6th will be entered into the competition. On 13 April, we will announce the funniest frantically-made film of 2026.

In order for your film to qualify, it needs to include a few choice ingredients. This year, all these ingredients relate to the word LOCO. Here they are…

• You are free to choose your own title, but it needs to include the syllable LO and the syllable CO. To spice things up, these syllables can form parts of longer words: The LOg COmpany, the LOft COnversion, the LOwestoft COnspiracy, BeLOw Are ACOrns etc. The choice is yours.
• We’re very keen on comic props. We’d like you to include either a locomotive train, a coconut, or a photo of Ricky Martin somewhere in your film.
• We can’t wait to enjoy your funny dialogue. Somewhere along the line, we’d like one of your characters to say (or write) ‘they’re acting in loco parentis’ or ‘I think it’s a case of staphylococcus.’
• And finally, we’d like your story to include someone eating (or otherwise using) bananas, nuts, or crackers.

Your film should not be longer than ten minutes.

Apart from our pesky little requirements, you are free to make your comedy short film in any way that suits you. It might be alternative, dark, farcical, observational, parodic, physical, romantic, satirical, surreal, whimsical, or in any other style that you fancy. Remember that your finished film should be between 10 seconds and 10 minutes long. The only other thing that matters is that it should make us laugh. Good luck! And have fun!

LOCO will be back from 7-10 May at the historic Ritzy Picturehouse in Brixton. The winning film from our one-week competition will be screened on 10 May, in front of a great London audience, including many seasoned filmmakers. The festival is BAFTA-accredited, which is a nice little cherry on the top.

We can't wait to see your films!

If you have any questions, you can contact us at submissions@locofimfestival.com.

Awards & Prizes

A prestigious award for best speedy short, presented at LOCO festival in May 2026.

A screening of your short film at LOCO 2026 as part of the BAFTA-accredited shorts competition.

A celebratory glass of champagne at the awards ceremony on the final day of the festival.

Rules & Terms

1. To be eligible for the competition, all films must be made in their entirety between 30 March 2026 and 6 April 2026. Films must have a running time of between 10 seconds and 10 minutes. All competition rules must be adhered to, especially those concerning elements (including prop, dialogue, plot point) required in each entry. Precise information will be available on the LOCO website after midday on 30 March.

2. The primary contact for each submission must have obtained necessary permissions for the inclusion of copyrighted music, images and other material within the film. By completing this submission, the applicant confirms that they possess all rights necessary for the screening of the submitted film at this film festival.

3. If the original language of the film is not English, the preview and screening copy must be subtitled in English.

4. All films submitted to the competition must be available for screening at the 2026 LOCO London Comedy Film Festival in May 2026.

5. All submitting filmmakers must complete their submission and provide the correct payment (£10) through FilmFreeway or the submission will not be considered.

6. The final selection of all films and their placement in the programme is the responsibility of LOCO programmers and their decision is final.

7. Due to the large number of submissions we are regrettably unable to offer feedback on individual films or unsuccessful entries.

8. All filmmakers will be notified as to whether their film has been selected, by 13 April 2026.

9. By completing the submission, the applicant allows the reproduction of stills and film clips (under 1min) for LOCO publications, promotions, press and TV screening.

10. Additional promotional materials such as press packs are not necessary at this stage and should not be included.

11. By completing the submission, you agree to LOCO contacting you regarding the status of the submission and with additional relevant information to the submission process. If your film is accepted to the festival, LOCO will request any materials and information required and keep you informed so that we can produce a successful screening.

12. By completing the submission, you agree to the terms and conditions in this document. Failure to comply with these terms and conditions may result in the submission being disqualified.

13. These terms and conditions are subject to change without prior notice.