AGBO cherishes the power of collaboration, where UNLIKELY ALLIANCES often yield the most innovative and heartfelt stories.

OFFICIAL PROMPT:
In this challenge, participants are required to create a short film that explores the dynamics of an unlikely alliance. Whether it’s an unusual friendship, a partnership between adversaries, or a connection between seemingly incompatible beings, show us how the most unexpected collaborations can lead to the most profound outcomes.

FESTIVAL DATES:
Friday, September 27, 2024 @ 5:00pm PST - Sunday, September 29, 2024 @ 5:00pm PST

ABOUT:
AGBO's “No Sleep ‘til Film Fest” is a global short filmmaking festival that invites filmmakers to make a short movie, three minutes or less, in only 48 hours. The winners and honorable mentions are selected by the Russo Brothers and creative executives at AGBO. Part of AGBO’s commitment to championing emerging content creators, the two-day festival challenges participants to make bite-sized films for a chance to win prizes and mentorship from the independent studio. The festival is open world-wide for filmmakers of all levels, and the challenge requires participants to make a film within the time constraint based on a creative prompt released from AGBO. In the three years of the festival, “No Sleep ‘til Film Fest” has received over 2000 submissions from over 60 countries.

The judges selected three winning films to premiere across the AGBOVERSE as well as AGBO’s social channels, and winners received prizes provided in sponsorship by top filmmaking companies. All three winners join the AGBO Storytellers Collective, an alumni network of participants from other AGBO fellowship programs. The current Storytellers Collective members also participate in judging, selecting an additional winning filmmaker to receive the “AGBO Storytellers Collective Award” and join the alumni network.

HOW THIS WORKS:
On Friday, September 27th at 5:00pm PST, the festival prompt will be posted online. Participants have until 5:00pm PST on Sunday, September 29th to submit films. Films and additional materials must be submitted via our Film Freeway submission page only, and we’ll announce the winners on November 6th.

Awards & Prizes

PRIZES
First Place will receive a RED KOMODO Starter Pack, a 1 year subscription to Avid’s Media Composer Ultimate, GoPro’s all new flagship camera, a copy of DaVinci Resolve Studio from Blackmagic Design, a special happy® coffee package of all your favorite products, and an AGBO merch gift package.

Second and Third Place will receive a 1 year subscription to Avid’s Media Composer Ultimate, GoPro’s all new flagship camera, a copy of DaVinci Resolve Studio from Blackmagic Design, a special happy® coffee package of all your favorite products and merch from AGBO.

All three winners will join the AGBO Storytellers Collective, an alumni network of participants from other AGBO fellowship programs. The current Storytellers Collective members will also participate in judging, selecting an additional winning filmmaker to receive the “AGBO Storytellers Collective Award” and join the alumni network.

Twelve honorable mentions will receive a 1 year subscription to Avid’s Media Composer.

Rules & Terms

RULES
You must be over the age of 13 to submit your film. If you are 18 or older you may register for yourself or on behalf of your team. If you are not over the age of 18, your parent or legal guardian must submit the film on your behalf with the parental consent form.

You have 48 Hours. On Friday, September 27 2024 at 5:00pm PT, we’ll post the Festival prompt and guidelines to this page and to AGBO socials. You then have until 5:00pm PST on Friday, September 29th 2024 to submit your film. Upload your film and additional materials via our submission page. Submissions received after 5:00pm PST on Friday, September 29th 2024 will not be eligible for consideration. All creativity must take place during this 48-Hour window. Any creative work in advance of the competition weekend is prohibited. Creative work includes, but is not limited to: Writing the script, Rehearsing, Costume/Set Design, Shooting, Editing, Sound Design, Rendering, Uploading your film to our submission page. The only work to begin prior to the challenge’s announcement is: Forming your team (organizing cast & crew), Scouting locations, and Gathering equipment.

Respond creatively to our prompt. The film prompt will be open-ended. It’s up to you to create an engaging universe for your film.

Keep films to a maximum total runtime of 3 minutes. Films must adhere to a minimum total runtime of 30 seconds, and a maximum total runtime of 3 minutes. These are the length of the entry not including end credits. Credits must be less than 15 seconds.

Keep content kid-friendly. In general, the entries must not be indecent or obscene. Please use MPA’s PG-13 rating rubric as a guideline for acceptable content.

You are welcome to submit films in any language. Subtitles are optional but encouraged.

Adhere to our acceptable use of VFX, Stock Footage, Copyright Materials. Animation and special effects are permitted but must be created after the challenge’s announcement. No stock footage or footage shot or created at another time may be used unless the footage is part of a post-production effect or on a background monitor, i.e., a television, as long as the team has rights to the stock footage and the stock footage is placed over or under footage that is shot within the Official Time Period. Allowable stock footage includes bullets, fires, explosions, chromakeyed backgrounds, etc., but stock footage of people or other performers is not allowed. You must have authorization if copyrighted material is used. This includes music, video, and any other materials that someone else has created. (e.g., you may not use a popular song as the film’s soundtrack unless you have written permission.)

Use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”). While the use of AI is not prohibited, it must not be a substantial amount of the film you are submitting, and it should not be used to write any literary material. In the event you use any AI or machine learning technologies, including any artificial intelligence system, algorithm, model, or other technology that has the ability to generate, produce, or develop content, data, or outputs such as text, images, video, audio, or code by analyzing, processing or learning from models that were trained using existing data or content for the purpose of developing new ideas in connection with your entry or in the entry itself, you must provide notice at the time of submission by checking the box in the entry form confirming use of AI and explaining your usage, including (a) which parts of your entry were created using, or otherwise include, AI, as well as your estimate of how much of the entry consists of/was created using AI; (b) a description of the AI system, algorithm, model, or other technology that you used; and (c) your affirmation that the entry submission is your creation. We reserve the right to request further information, including documentation, at any time.

Submission Materials. When submitting your film, please follow the Film Freeway form. If you are under the age of 18, a parental consent form must be signed by your parent or legal guardian.

Union Members. Please note SAG has restrictions on posting films with SAG actors on the web. SAG members may wish to check with SAG if they can participate in this challenge. Submissions may not include scripts written by WGA members.

Late Films. We will not consider submissions made after the deadline.