DopaVee World Vertical Festival
The Future of Storytelling Is Vertical

The DopaVee World Vertical Festival is a global digital festival dedicated to discovering the next generation of vertical series and mobile-first storytelling.

More than a traditional festival, DopaVee functions as a discovery gateway for a new streaming platform focused entirely on vertical series designed for the pocket screen.

Creators submitting to the festival are participating in the first discovery cycle of the DopaVee platform, where standout projects may move beyond festival recognition into continued visibility and programming on the platform itself.

Founding Creators

The inaugural edition of the DopaVee World Vertical Festival will introduce the first creators helping shape the DopaVee streaming platform.

Projects selected during this first discovery cycle will be recognized as Founding Creators of the DopaVee platform.

Founding Creators may:

• premiere their work during the global festival event
• receive creator profiles on the DopaVee platform
• be promoted through DopaVee discovery channels
• participate in early programming cycles of the platform

The festival is designed not only to recognize outstanding work, but also to discover the creators who will help define the future of vertical storytelling.

Vertical Storytelling

Vertical storytelling is rapidly transforming how audiences experience entertainment on mobile devices.

The DopaVee World Vertical Festival highlights creators producing cinematic stories specifically crafted for 9:16 mobile viewing — designed for the pocket screen.

The festival welcomes creators from around the world working across genres and storytelling traditions.

Projects may be discovered through two pathways:

Curated Selection
Projects selected by the programming team for originality, storytelling strength, and creative vision.

Audience Discovery Selection
Projects demonstrating strong audience engagement and response.

Together these pathways help identify creators whose work resonates both artistically and with audiences.

Festival Event

The inaugural DopaVee World Vertical Festival will take place July 3 – July 6, 2026, combining live screenings, global streaming, and creator engagement.

The opening night screening will be held at Maysles Documentary Center, in Harlem, New York featuring a curated selection of vertical series presented in episodic segments.

Additional live screenings are currently being developed across the United States and internationally, with locations to be announced and updated as confirmed.

While the festival includes in-person screenings, select screenings and creator discussions will be streamed, allowing global audiences to engage with the work beyond physical venues.

The festival serves as the primary discovery event for the DopaVee platform, introducing the first generation of creators whose work will help shape its programming.

The Meaning of DopaVee

The name DopaVee reflects the experience of modern storytelling.

Dopa — emotion, engagement, and narrative reward
Vee — the vertical screen where mobile-first cinema lives

Together they represent the connection between powerful stories and the device we carry every day.

Awards & Prizes

Awards & Prizes

Official Selections of the DopaVee World Vertical Festival receive:

• Official Selection digital laurels
• Promotion through Dopavee festival and platform channels
• Creator profiles on the Dopavee platform
• Global streaming during the festival event

The festival also serves as the primary discovery pathway for the Dopavee streaming platform. Selected creators will be recognized as Founding Creators of the platform’s first programming cohort.

- Platform Creator Revenue -

Projects selected for continued programming on the Dopavee platform may participate in the platform’s creator revenue program. Participation may include:

• Creator royalties tied to platform streaming activity
• Revenue sharing from unlocked episodes or premium features
• Additional promotion for high-performing series

Creators retain full ownership of their work.

-Festival Awards-
Best Vertical Series
Audience Discovery Award

-Category Awards-
Best Romance Series
Best Family & Generational Series
Best AI-Generated Story
Best Animation & Motion Series
Best Cultural Story
Best Experimental & Art VR Project
Best Workplace Drama
Best Spiritual & Enlightenment Story
Best Docudrama & Educational Story
Best Comedy Series

Rules & Terms

Rules & Terms

Please read all rules carefully before submitting.

1. Festival Format

The DopaVee World Vertical Festival is dedicated to short-form vertical storytelling designed for mobile viewing.

All submissions must be created primarily for vertical viewing (9:16 format) and designed for audiences watching on phones.

Projects may include:

• live-action
• animation
• documentary
• AI-assisted filmmaking
• experimental storytelling

2. Vertical Series Structure

Submissions should typically be structured as short-form vertical series composed of multiple segments or episodes.

Recommended structure:

• 5–10 episodes per series
• Episode length: approximately 1 second to 3 minutes
• Total runtime: approximately 3–30 minutes

Creators must submit both of the following formats:

1. Individual Episodes
Each episode uploaded separately for audience viewing.

2. Full Compilation
A single video containing all episodes in sequence for festival screening.

3. Publishing Requirements

To support audience discovery and engagement, all submissions must be publicly published before submission.

Creators must upload their episodes to the following platforms:

• YouTube
• TikTok
• Facebook

Creators should submit the links to these posts as part of their submission.

These public uploads allow the festival to observe audience engagement signals across platforms.

4. Hashtag Requirement

All published episodes must include the hashtag:

#dopavee

This allows the festival team to track submissions and audience engagement across platforms.

5. Audience Engagement & Selection

Projects may be considered through two selection pathways.

Curated Selection
Projects selected by the programming team for originality, storytelling, and creative vision.

Audience Discovery Selection
Projects demonstrating strong audience engagement across platforms, including views, comments, shares, and audience growth.

Both pathways are considered when selecting projects for the festival.

6. Festival & Platform Promotion

After submission, the festival may review the published content to ensure it meets community standards and festival guidelines.

Selected projects may be reposted or promoted through Dopavee festival and platform channels.

Creators grant the festival permission to use limited promotional materials including:

• clips
• trailers
• still images

These materials may be used for festival promotion and discovery.

7. Experimental & Immersive Category (AR / VR)

Projects in the Experimental & Immersive category may include augmented reality, virtual reality, or immersive visual environments.

Because the festival is presented through a digital streaming platform, immersive projects must be submitted in a format that audiences can view through the screen.

Creators may submit immersive work in one of the following formats:

360° VR Video (Recommended)
Creators may upload a 360° video to YouTube, allowing audiences to explore the environment by moving their phone or viewing with a VR headset.

Recorded AR / VR Experience
Creators may submit a recorded presentation of their immersive work, such as:

• a cinematic walkthrough of the environment
• a demonstration of the experience
• a recorded interaction within the AR or VR world

Vertical presentation is encouraged where possible.

8. Rights & Ownership

Creators retain full ownership and copyright of their work.

By submitting, creators confirm they hold all necessary rights for the submitted material.

9. Entry Fees

Entry fees are non-refundable.