At 9pm (UK time) on Friday 23rd May 2025, the first email will be sent to challengers with the official creative brief and rules.
Amongst this, you will be given a short list of what must be included. This could be a specific prop, a line of dialogue, or maybe even a specific sound effect.
Challengers will then have 66 hours and 6 minutes to write, film, edit and submit their film, which must be between 1 and 6 minutes long.
You’ll be free to submit your entry any time up until 3:06pm (UK time) on Monday, 26th May 2025
Award winners will be announced during our very special gala screening event, details of which will be released once the challenge has concluded.
Please read our full terms below in their entirety.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
1. Eligibility: The short film challenge is open to individuals or teams of individuals. The lead or main entrant must be over the age of 18 at the time of entry.
2. Any entry found to be using assets, whether whole or in part, generated by “Artificial Intelligence” (A.I.), Image Generators or Text-to-Image models, including but not limited to imagery and audio, are not permitted. All entries must be works of either live action, stop-motion, or animation, created by the entrant and their team alone with the exception of licensed materials. If at any point, an entry, whether whole or in part, falls under scrutiny by The Organisers as to whether elements of the entry are licensed and the entrants have obtained permission, evidence of the legal indemnity or permission for the usage of the aforementioned assets may be requested. The Organisers maintain the right to disqualify any entries that do not meet the above requirements and are not obliged to refund entry fees for entries found to be violating the above requirements.
3. Submission Requirements: Entries must be original short films that are no longer than 6 minutes and 6 seconds long. Films must be submitted in a digital format that meets the technical specifications outlined in the submission guidelines. Entrants are responsible for their own production and must have all necessary permissions and clearances for the content used in their films, including music, images, and other copyrighted material.
4. Rights: Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to their films. By entering the challenge, entrants grant The London Horror Group Ltd a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sub-licensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display their films, in whole or in part, throughout the world, in any and all media or platforms, whether now known or hereafter devised, for any purpose, including but not limited to, promotional and marketing purposes.
5. Screening and Broadcast: Selected films may be screened at a cinema and may be shown on a television channel. Selected entrants may be required to provide additional materials, such as high-resolution images and posters, for use in promotional and marketing materials. The London Horror Group Ltd will not be held responsible for any issues that may arise in connection with the screening or broadcast of the films, including but not limited to technical issues, errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.
6. Selection and Judging: Entries will be judged by a panel of judges selected by The London Horror Group Ltd. The judges’ decisions are final and binding. Entrants agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the challenge and by the judges’ decisions.
7. Indemnification: Entrants agree to indemnify and hold The London Horror Group Ltd and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates harmless from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses arising from or in connection with their participation in the challenge, including but not limited to any claims of infringement of intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights.
8. Liability: The London Horror Group Ltd will not be responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to entrants or their property arising from or in connection with their participation in the challenge. Entrants participate in the challenge at their own risk.
9. Termination: The London Horror Group Ltd reserves the right to terminate, suspend, or modify the challenge, in whole or in part, at any time and without notice, for any reason, including but not limited to fraud, technical failures, or any other factor beyond its control that corrupts or affects the administration, integrity, or fairness of the challenge.
10. Governing Law: The challenge is governed by the laws of the United Kingdom, without regard to its conflicts of law provisions.
11. Agreement: By entering the challenge, entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions, as well as the submission guidelines and any additional rules and regulations posted on The London Horror Group’s website (www.independenthorrorsociety.co.uk) or provided to entrants in connection with the challenge.
12. Entries must be original works of fiction and must not have been previously screened, broadcasted, or exhibited in any other film festival, contest, or platform.
13. The maximum duration of the film should not exceed 6 minutes and 6 seconds, including opening and closing credits.
14. Entries must be submitted in digital format via an online platform, as specified in the competition guidelines.
15. The submitted film should be in the English language or have English subtitles. Entries must not contain any obscene, offensive, or defamatory content.
16.By submitting their entries, participants grant The Organisers the right to screen, broadcast, and exhibit the films in any format, in any media, and for any promotional or non-commercial purposes, without further compensation to the participants.
17. The Organisers reserve the right to disqualify any entry that violates any of the terms and conditions or that, in their sole discretion, is deemed inappropriate or offensive.
18. The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
19. The Organisers reserve the right to cancel or suspend the competition or to amend the
terms and conditions without prior notice.
20. The Organisers accept no responsibility for any damage, loss, injury, or disappointment
suffered by any participant as a result of entering the competition or accepting any prize.
21. Participants must ensure that they have obtained all necessary clearances, licenses, and permissions for any copyrighted materials or music used in their films.
22. Participants retain the copyright to their films but agree to grant The Organisers a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use and distribute the films as specified
in the terms and conditions.
23. The competition winners will be notified by email and announced on the competition
website and social media channels.
24. The competition prize(s) will be specified in the competition guidelines and are subject to change at the discretion of The Organisers.
25. The Organisers reserve the right to use any submitted materials (including still images,
trailers, and synopses) for promotional purposes in connection with the competition,
without further compensation to the participants.
26. The challenge is open to individuals or teams of filmmakers who are at least 18 years
old.
27. By entering the competition, participants agree to these terms and conditions in full.
