Are you a filmmaker?... You're here, so we'll assume yes.

Did you make films when you were younger? Like middle school, high school, or early college? Are they hilarious and embarrassing?... Of course they are.

Do you still have access to them, either on VHS, MiniDV, or an old FireWire 400 hard drive? And are they in some antiquated format (.wmv and .avi preferred)?... Perfect. We want to see them.

Sloppy Firsts Film Festival is a cute film festival looking for professional filmmakers' terribly made first films. We all start somewhere, so let's celebrate these films, instead of letting them collect dust on a shelf.

Awards & Prizes

Every year we send out two board members to a local thrift shop to pick up 5 random items. These become our awards for the year.

What are the awards for? That depends on the films.

Rules & Terms

FAQ:

Q: "What does 'Sloppy First' mean?"

A: ​A "Sloppy First" is the messy first film you made before you knew anything about storytelling, writing, directing, editing, etc. It's that middle school music video you thought you destroyed. That high school short film you buried in your backyard under 10 feet of concrete. It's sloppy. It's first. It's glorious. And we want to see it.

- "Can anyone submit?"

Sloppy Firsts Film Festival is currently invite only and priority is given to films that are at least 10 years old. We hope to expand in future years though so stay in touch!

- "Do I have to digitize my own material?"

Unfortunately, we don't currently have the resources to digitize your material for you. So, Yes.

- "What file formats do you accept?"
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All of them, as long as they are in digital form. The more antiquated the better honestly. Give us your worst.
2 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • John David DeVirgiliis

    Sloppy Firsts get better every year! Thanks to Nana, Sullivan Herb, Matt, and Kenya for bringing all these people together year after year to celebrate our worst moments in the best of ways.

    September 2022
    Helpful
  • Shelby Hadden

    I LOVE THIS FILM FESTIVAL! It was so much fun - such a wholesome and magical night celebrating where we started and how far we've come. Sloppy films, great people, the best vibes.

    September 2022
    Helpful