There will be a kickoff event and filmmakers must attend via: in person or virtually (via Farm & Ranch Facebook Live), that is when the cultural phrase will be disclosed. Once the kickoff event is complete, they are free to start production on their film, but must incorporate the phrase verbatim creatively into their film. No outside help will be allowed. All must be present at the kickoff event. We also encourage help within all of the filmmakers who attended the kickoff event. If a team is in need of a certain job/trade, like sound, or makeup, etc. We encourage for others help them. "Scratch my back, and ill scratch your back" This is intended up each teams level of production because at the end of the day we all want to make the best films we can make.
1. ELIGIBILITY
• The Contest is open to students and the general public unless otherwise stated.
• Entrants must comply with all submission deadlines and requirements.
• Minors (under 18 years of age) must have parent or legal guardian consent.
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2. ORIGINAL WORK & RIGHTS
• The submitted film is an original work.
• The Entrant holds all necessary rights, permissions, and clearances for content included in the film (including music, images, footage, and performances).
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3. THEMATIC REQUIREMENT
• Films must meaningfully relate to agriculture, ranching, rural life, or heritage, with a clear connection to New Mexico.
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4. CULTURAL PHRASE REQUIREMENT (MANDATORY)
• All films must include the official cultural phrase revealed at the Contest kickoff event.
• The phrase must be used word for word, without alteration, paraphrasing, or omission.
• The phrase must be clearly identifiable within the film (spoken or on-screen).
• Failure to include the phrase exactly as provided may result in disqualification.
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5. CREATIVE CHALLENGE ACKNOWLEDGMENT
• Entrants acknowledge that the delayed release of the cultural phrase is an intentional creative challenge and accept this condition as part of participation.
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6. SELECTION & EXHIBITION
• All selection decisions are final.
• Selected films may be exhibited at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.
• Selected films will screen at the Las Cruces International Film Festival in April 2026, subject to festival scheduling.
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7. OWNERSHIP & USE OF SUBMITTED CONTENT
• By submitting, the Entrant agrees that all submitted content becomes the property of the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Short Film Contest.
• The Contest, the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, and designated partners may use, reproduce, edit, adapt, exhibit, distribute, and archive the content, in whole or in part, at their sole discretion, for any lawful purpose, including educational, promotional, exhibition, marketing, and archival use, without further permission or compensation.
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8. FILMMAKER CREDIT & ATTRIBUTION
• Filmmaker credits will always be listed and publicly acknowledged when a film is exhibited or screened in full, where reasonably practicable.
• Full credits will be maintained in official programs, listings, and archival records.
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9. WAIVER OF CLAIMS
• Entrants waive any right to inspect or approve the use of their film.
• Entrants release the Contest, the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, and affiliated partners from any claims related to use, presentation, or context of the submitted content.
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10. NO COMPENSATION
• Participation is voluntary.
• No monetary compensation is provided for submission, selection, exhibition, or use of submitted content.
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11. PUBLIC INSTITUTION NOTICE
• Participation does not imply endorsement by the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum or the State of New Mexico.
TECHNICAL DELIVERY SPECIFICATIONS
Format / Container
• .MP4 or .MOV
Video Codec
• H.264 or H.265 (H.265 preferred for compression efficiency)
Resolution
• 1920 × 1080 (Full HD) will be fine. Film in 4K but export in 1920 x 1080p
Bitrate
• High bitrate recommended
• Approximately 20 Mbps minimum; up to 40 Mbps preferred for optimal image quality
Audio Specifications
• Codec: AAC or uncompressed PCM
• Sample Rate: 48 kHz
File Size Guidelines
• Initial short-form submissions must not exceed 350 MB for easy download and judging.
• Selected or finalist films must be able to deliver a higher-quality file of up to 10 GB
Side note: A happy medium should be 1 GB and 4 GB, balancing quality and file size.
Screening & Final Delivery
• Web-optimized MP4 files are preferred for initial jury screening
• Higher-quality exhibition files will be required for final screening, archival, and public presentation
