The 13th annual Imaginarium Convention will take place July 17-19, 2026 at the Holiday Inn Louisville East, in Louisville, Kentucky!

The Imaginarium Convention is centered entirely around professional creatives and the art of storytelling, including the worlds of movies, books, gaming, music, cosplay, art, and comics/graphic novels.

The Imaginarium Convention features extensive programming content, with panels and workshops presented across all three days of the event by over 200 professional guests!

Our panel and workshop programming covers topics in indie film, screenwriting, the craft of writing, a range of various genres, industry-specific topics, publishing, game design, and social media/publicity.

The convention features an all-genre independent film festival with a full array of awards, a masquerade/costume contest, live music, gaming, an expo, an awards banquet, a series of literary awards called the Imadjinns, film awards, and many more activities, creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere that is content-rich and ideal for networking, promotion and personal development.

The Imaginarium Convention's Independent Film Festival showcases an array of short films, feature films, documentaries, web series and music videos of all genres. Projects accepted into the film festival are evaluated by our jury for an array of awards that include several focusing on the storytelling/screenwriting components.

As a convention that celebrates the art and craft of storytelling, we strive to present a diverse range of quality independent projects in the festival, while giving additional spotlighting to the screenplays and screenwriting aspects of filmmaking.

All projects named as Official Selections for screenings and the awards jury receive one complimentary full-weekend Event Ticket, valued at $150. In addition to the complimentary Event Ticket, up to three additional full-weekend Event Tickets can be purchased at 50% off.

For further information on the Imaginarium Convention, please visit www.entertheimaginarium.com

Awards & Prizes

Juried awards will be issued for each of the the following categories:

(1)PRODUCED WORK

Feature Film Awards

Best Feature

Best Feature – Runner-up

Best Directing

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Cinematography

Best Editing:

Best SFX

Best Score

Best Stunt Choreography

Best Sound

Best Character Development

Best Plot

Best Screenplay

Best Dialogue

_____________________________________

Short Film Awards

Best Short Film

Best Short Film – Runner-up

Best Directing

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Cinematography

Best Editing:

Best SFX

Best Score

Best Stunt Choreography

Best Sound

Best Character Development

Best Plot

Best Screenplay

Best Dialogue

_____________________________________

Documentary Awards

Best Documentary

Best Documentary – Runner-up

_____________________________________

Web Series Awards

Best Web Series

Best Web Series – Runner-up

_____________________________________

Music Video Awards

Best Music Video

Best Music Video – Runner-Up

_____________________________________

(2)NON-PRODUCED SCREENPLAYS

Best Non-produced Screenplays

Best Screenplay Long Format

Best Screenplay Long Format Runner-up (3 recognized)

_____________________________________

Best Non-produced Screenplay Short Format

Best Non-produced Screenplay Short Format Runner-up (3 recognized)

Rules & Terms

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

(1) All works must be submitted as an online screener.

(2) All Non-English films MUST have English subtitles.

(3) You may submit more than one film. Each film must be submitted separately with your form completed and the appropriate fee.

(4) If you are under the age of 18, a legal guardian must submit for you.

4.) Each project named an Official Selection must provide us with a download link to our film festival staff within one week of notification so that we can prepare our screening presentation for the in-person event at the Holiday Inn Louisville East . Unless discussed in advance with our staff, files are to be provided for screening with the specs H.264, 1920x1080, 10-20 Mbps, AAC 256kbps

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Imaginarium Convention is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.

The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless Imaginarium Convention from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

50 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Courtney Lee Simpson

    I wish I could have been there! The communication was top-notch. I look forward to the next one. Thank you for selecting "The Root."

    August 2025
    Helpful
  • curtis harrison

    It was a great experience with this festival

    July 2025
    Helpful
  • Harun Kazaz

    Thank you for showcasing "Rising Wings" at your festival. It was an incredible opportunity to have our documentary featured alongside such outstanding works. We appreciate your support.

    August 2024
    Helpful
  • Original Cinematic

    Despite a travel issue that prevented our attendance, which we were devastated about, this festival is so well run, with such caring and enthusiastic individuals with wonderful attention to detail and fantastic communication, that it ranks among the best festival experiences we have ever had. We cannot wait for next year!

    August 2024
    Helpful
  • chase dudley

    This is by far one of the most professional festivals running and such a great team running it. They have amazing panels and an excellent category for filmmakers to shine in. I think other festivals should take note.

    July 2024
    Helpful