Louisiana Film Prize is an award-winning festival that welcomes filmmakers from all over the world to compete for the largest cash prize for a short film on Planet Earth: $50,000.

To compete there are three basic rules: 1) your film must be between 5 and 15 minutes in length. 2) you must shoot your film in Caddo Parish or Bossier Parish, Louisiana to be eligible to win $50,000 or elsewhere in Louisiana for a chance at $25,000. 3) your film must premiere at Louisiana Film Prize 2025.

Film Prize is the perfect place for a filmmaker to get a taste of the real world. Our system for participation more closely resemble the studio/distribution world than a traditional film festival, and that prepares filmmakers for the road ahead.

Awards & Prizes

- Grand Prize $50,000 if the winning film is shot in Caddo Parish or Bossier Parish, Louisiana. $25,000 if the winning film is shot elsewhere in Louisiana.

- Founders circle: 5x $3,000 grants toward making another short for Louisiana Film Prize.

- Top 5 Award: 5x $1,000 reimbursable grant for film festival entry fees.

- Best Performance Award

Rules & Terms

How to Compete in Film Prize

- Projects must be no shorter than 5 and no longer than 15 minutes in length, including credits (30 second limit on credits).
- Projects must be scripted live action. No documentary or animation.
- Shoot in Louisiana to compete, eligible for a maximum of $25,000 cash prize.
- Shoot in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, eligible for a maximum of $50,000 cash prize.
- Document your production to prove when and where you filmed.
- Rough cut and Filmmaker Portal due by 11:59pm CT on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.

Complete rules available at https://prizefest.com/film/rules/

Important Notes:

You Must Document Your Shoot.
Your responsibility as a contestant in Film Prize 2025 is to PROVE beyond a shadow of a doubt that your production took place when and where you say it does by providing what we call “Qualifying Evidence” with your submission. More information on what counts as Qualifying Evidence can be found in the Complete Rules section below.

You Must Complete the Filmmaker Portal.
You must submit more than your finished film to compete in Film Prize. You must also complete the online Filmmaker Portal (you will be provided with access to enter your information). The Filmmaker Portal is a place to upload other required assets to complete your Film Prize 2025 submission. A list of required items can be found in the Complete Rules: https://prizefest.com/film/rules/

You Must Premiere Your Film at Film Prize Festival!
If you are selected as a Top 20 Finalist, you and your film must premiere at Louisiana Film Prize during Prize Fest on October 16-18, 2025. You may not screen anywhere for any reason prior to Film Prize. If you are not selected as a finalist on August 2025, you are no longer bound by this requirement.

Complete rules available at https://prizefest.com/film/rules/