This is the fourth year of the annual Makona Fraternity Short Film Festival hosted and organized by Makona Fraternity at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas. This festival, spearheaded in 2021 by the efforts of Men of Makona Noah Wagner & Jordan Mackey, encourages filmmakers to explore bold ideas and original stories, offering a forum for emerging talent from McMurry University, Abilene, and surrounding Texas communities.

The event will be held on March 4th at The Historic Grace Museum! Our mission is to bring the community together through the art of film while supporting students' artistic growth. The 2025 theme, Cult Classics, inspires filmmakers but does not restrict submissions to any specific genre. All are welcome to submit! From students to passionate working professionals & classes to church groups, Makona wants to see quality films from every corner of the community!

Since its creation, one goal of Makona Film Fest has been to be ever-expanding, always bigger and better than the prior year. In pursuit of that goal, this year, we will be offering more film slots, so there are more opportunities for passionate works to shine than ever! Accordingly, we are also expanding the awards and bringing back a Makona Film Fest classic, our awards, formerly and currently, the Zappies! This year, we're offering over $1000 in prizing and are excited for submissions to start rolling in! Ticketing will be open soon, CRACKABOOM.

Awards & Prizes

Zappy Awards & Prizes List

Thunder Zappies
1. 1st Place Thunder Zappy - $200
o Recognizes the first-place submission overall to the Makona Film Festival.
2. 2nd Place Thunder Zappy - $125
o Recognizes the second-place submission overall to the Makona Film Festival.
3. 3rd Place Thunder Zappy - $75
o Recognizes the third-place submission overall to the Makona Film Festival.

Creative Zappies
4. Makona's Choice Zappy - $50 Gift Card
o Choice Award evaluated by the Men of Makona Fraternity.
5. Audience Choice Zappy - $50 Gift Card
o Choice Award evaluated by the Audience at Makona Film Festival.
6. Ladybug's Choice Zappy - $50 Gift Card
o Choice Award evaluated by the Ladybugs of Theta Chi Lambda Sorority.
7. Best Use of Theme Zappy - $25 Gift Card
o Recognizes the submission that most creatively and successfully integrates the "Cult Classics" theme.
8. Founders Zappy - $50 Gift Card
o Honors Makona Film Festival Founders Noah Wagner & Jordan Mackey. Recognizes the submission with the most exceptional innovation or unique storytelling.
9. Best Screenplay Zappy - $25 Gift Card
o Recognizes the submission with the best script based on its format, dialogue & similar components, and how successfully the script was executed to screen. The inclusion of a script in submission is required for this Zappy.

Technical Zappies
10. Best Cinematography Zappy - $25 Gift Card
o Recognizes the submission with the most outstanding visual composition and camera work.
11. Best Editing Zappy - $25 Gift Card
o Recognizes the submission with the most exceptional editing techniques.
12. Best Sound Design Zappy - $25 Gift Card
o Recognizes the submission with the most excellent audio quality, sound effects, and music integration.
13. Best Trailer Zappy - $25 Gift Card
o Recognizes the submission with the most well-crafted and compelling trailer.

Performance Zappies
14. Best Male Performance Zappy - $25 Gift Card
o Recognizes the best male acting performance.
15. Best Female Performance Zappy - $25 Gift Card
o Recognizes the best female acting performance.
16. Best Ensemble Cast Zappy - $50 Gift Card
o Recognizes the best submission with a large cast of actors.

Entry Zappies
17. Best Organizational Submission Zappy - $100
o Recognizes the best submission from the organizational entry category.
18. Back to Back Zappy - $25 Gift Card
o Recognizes the best submission from a Makona Film Fest returning submitter.

Rules & Terms

Makona Film Festival Rules & Terms

Eligibility
• Open to Texas filmmakers statewide; preference is given to submissions originating from McMurry University and the Abilene community.
• Submissions must have been completed on or after February 26, 2024.
• Submissions must be original works, free of copyrighted works that the filmmaker does not have a license to use including scripts, music, footage, sound effects, images, and AI-generated content.
• All submissions must be submitted through FilmFreeway.
• Submissions must be congruent with a PG-13 rating to be eligible.
• Runtime Range: 3 minutes to 15 minutes per submission including credits.
• Submissions that have reached distribution are not eligible.
• Submissions involving three or more Men of Makona as cast or crew may participate but are not eligible for the following Zappies:
o Thunder Zappies (Top 3 Awards)
o Best Organizational Submission Zappy
o Ladybug’s Choice Zappy
o Makona’s Choice Zappy
o Best Trailer Zappy

Submission Categories
• Organizational Submissions: Films submitted by university groups, Greek organizations, youth groups, high school classes, or other similar organizations. Zappies will be distributed to the president, treasurer, or similar officer.
• Individual Submissions: Films submitted by independent filmmakers or non-organizational student teams. Zappies will be distributed to the Director.

Submission Guidelines
• Submissions must be in English or have English subtitles.
• Up to three submissions per individual or organization are permitted, but each will be evaluated independently.
• Submissions must include:
o A downloadable short film in MOV format with the highest resolution and frame rate possible.
o A 10–60 second trailer.
o An up to 300-word synopsis.
o A list of all cast and crew involved in making the submission.
• Submissions may include (Optional):
o Behind-the-scenes footage or photos from filmmaking.
o Professional photos of the director, cast, and crew.
o Screenplay used for filmmaking (Required for Best Script Zappy).

Judging Process
• Submissions will be evaluated on multiple axes by a faculty and staff committee from McMurry University and Abilene Community Members.
• Makona, Theta Chi Lambda, and the Audience will evaluate Choice Awards.

Deadlines & Fees
• Submission fees vary by deadline, submission category, and student & gold status. Submission fees will be used to fund the expanded prize pool. Check “Categories & Fees” for more information.
o Lightning-Quick Deadline: December 31, 2024
o Regular Deadline: February 14, 2025

Selection & Notifications
• Selected submissions will be notified by February 24, 2025
• Selected submissions will be screened during the festival.
• Selected submissions cast, crew, and director are strongly encouraged to attend the festival.

Zappies & Prizes
• Submissions will compete for the Makona Film Festival Zappies, including trophies, certificates, monetary prizes, and gift cards.
• Submissions are eligible to win multiple Zappies if they fit the criteria.
• See the full Zappies list for details on all Zappies and prizes.

Terms & Conditions
• By submitting, filmmakers confirm all necessary rights for exhibition, including music, images, and performances.
• By submitting, filmmakers grant the festival permission to all submitted materials for promotional and marketing purposes.
• The festival reserves the right to disqualify submissions that do not adhere to guidelines or contain inappropriate content.
• Submission fees are non-refundable.

Contact Information
For inquiries, contact:
Email: makonafilmfest@outlook.com
Phone: 806-939-5110