The Mini Fest is a celebration of short stories of both stage and screen. UPU, for nearly a decade, has included a Two Minute Play competition in our national gatherings, and also presided over a Short Play Competition at a national festival for nearly three years. The mastery of being able to tell a complete story in a short amount of time has been our cornerstone. The Mini Fest (formerly UPU Fest) officially launched in Los Angeles, California on December 1-2, 2017 and was a huge success. We screened nearly 18 films and plays during our annual conference and met some amazing story tellers, filmmakers and performers. Our second event was in Detroit Michigan on July 20, 2019 and was met with more enthusiasm and participation around the country. Now for our third year we are headed to Wilmington, DE, July 17-18 2020.

Through the UPU Fest, we will shine the light on both emerging and seasoned playwrights, filmmakers and performers. We also seek to honor everyone that is a part of the process and encourage our entrants to work as teams. The unique approach of the UPU Fest is that we accept all genres and expressions of story telling without censorship. From dramatic to comedic, horror to inspirational, documentary, animation, children's and web series, we are simply looking for amazing short stories and amazing people!

Much more than a festival, you will see that our friendly atmosphere and welcoming family will leave you feeling inspired and a part of a great community of like-minded artists. Don't just submit! Come and be a part of the Urban Playwrights United Organization. We are much more than just a group of creatives!​

Short Film Screenings - Friday, July 17, 2020 - Artz Scape, Wilmington, DE

Award Categories for Short Film
BEST FILM
BEST DIRECTION
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST EDITING
BEST ACTOR
BEST ACTRESS
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
AUDIENCE CHOICE

Special Categories
BEST WEB SERIES
BEST TRAILER
SOCIAL AWARENESS

Short Play Performances - Saturday, July 18, 2020 -Artz Scape, Wilmington, DE
Award Categories for Short Plays
BEST PLAY
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST PRODUCER
BEST ACTOR
BEST ACTRESS
BEST COSTUMING
AUDIENCE CHOICE

Special Categories
BEST ORIGINAL STORY CONCEPT
BEST MONOLOGUE
BEST LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE (in a short play)

Submission Criteria:

Short Film (July 17, 2020)

Film Submission Format – Vimeo link, YouTube link, etc.
Films should be 6-20 minutes
Film submissions will only be accepted by the Writer, Director, Producer or Executive Producer of the project.
Films should not contain unlicensed musical scores.
​All films must be in English or English subtitles.

Short Play (July 18, 2020). You must be present to present your works.

Theatrical works 8-15 pages (20 minutes running time maximum)
Four (4) characters (maximum)
Include a detailed character description.
Play must be in one location and not require scene changes.

General Festival Guidelines:
​All genres of film and theater are accepted including: drama, comedy, horror, inspiration, religious, documentary, webisodes, children's PSA etc.

All materials submitted must be registered with the Library of Congress, if you have not done so, you can submit your materials now at www.copyright.gov.

​Entrants are responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, royalties, release forms, clearances, and permits necessary to present their work.

Should your project be accepted into the festival, there is a minimal participation fee that is payable. For short plays: you are responsible for producing, casting, directing and mounting your show at the festival.

Submission Fees: Official UPU Members (dues up to date) -One Free (multiple submissions 50% off)
Non-Members - $25 per project

Participation fees varies based on length and scope of submission but range from $75-$200.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Great Festival - gained loads of knowledge.

    December 2017
  • ASENETH PARKER

    I was unable to attend UPU's first Film Festival but the UPU staff has maintained communication via Facebook, showing videos of the award's ceremon along with comments from other filmmakers. .

    December 2017
  • Great experience! I left wanting to complete more projects. Gained more knowledge of breaking scripts down. I am very motivated to doing more of what I need to do.

    December 2017
  • Andrea Clinton

    Really good festival for the 1st year. I can imagine it only getting better in time. There were workshops, lots of learning from professionals and an overall good time.

    December 2017