MFA FALL FILM CHALLENGE RULES AND FAQ

FAQ

WHAT IS IT?

The MFA Fall Film Challenge is a competition where teams of filmmakers have 72 hours to write, shoot and edit a short film. The goal is to invigorate the local film community by providing people with the opportunity to create and share their work. 

WHO IS THE EVENT FOR?

The Fall Film Challenge is a competition for anyone looking to challenge themselves creatively and is  accessible to teams across the state. Teams of filmmakers will have 72 hours to write, shoot, and edit a  short film. The kickoff event associated with the competition will accommodate in-person and  virtual attendees through a hybrid format. We hope this will enable interested creatives from Fort Kent to  Kittery to participate and make a film in their hometowns.  

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Those wishing to participate must REGISTER A TEAM. 

  • There are no rules for team size. 

  • Each team decides on a team captain. This person must register the team and will be the point of contact for the competition.

At a Kickoff Ceremony on September 18th, each team will be given the same line of dialogue and prop that must be included in the final film. Films submitted without any of these elements will not be considered for awards. Additionally each team will draw their own genre out of a hat. Teams that registered early will be given first priority. Once every team has their genre the race is on!

Teams will write, shoot and edit their film over the next 72 hours. Final movies must play between 4-5 minutes long. Films over this time length will be disqualified from the event.  Final films must be sent to the MFA by 7pm ET on the Sunday after Kickoff. If a team is late their film will still be shown at the screening but it is disqualified from the awards ceremony.  Film upload information will be included in the documentation. The team must supply all required forms at the film submission for their films to be shown at the screening.

The MFA reserves the right to disqualify any film that is deemed offensive. Guidelines will be agreed to by the MFA before the kickoff and be presented to teams when they register. 

The final films will be judged by a panel of film professionals. The final films will be screened at a local movie theater in Portland, ME followed by an awards ceremony.

RULES & GUIDELINES

REQUIREMENTS

  • Elements, themes and styles of a Team’s selected genre must be present. 

  • The line of dialogue must be said at least once onscreen by an actor. The line of dialogue cannot be shown as text or any physical manifestation.

  • The prop must be visible on screen at least once during the film. A photograph of the prop is allowed as long as it is prominent on screen. The prop cannot be just mentioned in a line of dialogue.

Failure to follow any of these requirements will result in a film being disqualified from awards, but the film will still be shown at the Official Screener.

PREP

All creativity, preparation and filming must take place during the designated three days. Teams are not allowed to do any production ahead of the Challenge. This includes, but is not limited to, scripting, rehearsing, shooting, editing, finding music, sound design.

The only work you CAN do ahead of Event Kickoff is organize a crew and cast, secure equipment and find locations. Animation and special effects are allowed but must be created during the designated three days.

Stock footage is not allowed and will mean disqualification from awards.

Teams are allowed to use pre-recorded music and sound effects, as long as they have written permission from the artist/composer in the form of a Music Release.

AI USE POLICY

The spirit of the Maine Film Association’s 72-Hour Film Challenge is rooted in human creativity, collaboration and storytelling. 

To ensure a level playing field and to honor the artistry of filmmaking, the following restrictions on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies will apply:

1. Visual Content

  • Prohibited: AI-generated imagery or video.

  • Permitted: Traditional visual effects using non-AI tools such as After Effects, Premiere, Final Cut, etc.

2. Voice & Dialogue

  • Prohibited: AI-generated voiceovers. All spoken words must be performed and recorded by human voices.

  • Permitted: Voice enhancement tools, used in standard editing workflows.

3. Music & Sound

  • Encouraged: Original music, live recordings, or licensed royalty-free tracks.

  • Prohibited: AI-generated compositions unless they are sourced from fully licensed royalty-free libraries that explicitly allow contest use.

4. Accountability

  • Teams found to be using AI-generated visuals or voices will be disqualified from the awards competition.

  • Teams may be asked to provide behind-the-scenes documentation (scripts, raw footage, session files) to verify compliance.

PRODUCTION

To participate and submit a film in the Fall Film Challenge, every team must:

  1. Own all of the rights to the film produced. This includes but is not limited to any music, sound effects, digital recordings, images or video.

  2. Obtain written permission in the form of a Talent Release from each person who appears in the film. 

  3. Obtain written permission from all crew in the form of a Crew Release.

  4. Obtain written permission from all locations used in the form of a Location Release.

  5. Teams must submit signed copies of all documentation to the MFA upon submitting the final film. Failure to comply with any of these rules will result in a film being disqualified from awards and eliminated from any public screenings.

A copy of a Talent, Crew, Location and Music Release will be given to each Team Leader before Event Kickoff. 

All films produced for the Fall Film Challenge must be suitable for publication and public display. Films may not contain obscene or pornographic material, films may not contain defamatory statements about any person, company, organization or entity and may not contain any copyrighted elements. 

Any films containing content that is determined to be obscene, offensive or defamatory by the MFA will be disqualified and removed from the Official Screener and all subsequent screeners. The MFA reserves the right to decide if a finished film is appropriate for viewing. 

Submitted films must meet the technical requirements attached to this document. 

FILM LENGTH

All finished films must run between 4-5 minutes, including opening and closing credits. Teams can include up to 15 seconds of credits total. 

AFTER WRAP

If a Team does not submit their film by Sunday September 21st, 2025 at 7PM ET it will be disqualified from prizes and awards, but will still be shown at the Official Screener. Make sure to allow for upload time.  

The MFA and Fall Film Challenge are not responsible for any technical problems, malfunctions or personal difficulties that may arise during preparation, production or post that delays or prevents a film being submitted on time.

Teams must turn in signed copies of provided releases for all talent, crew, locations and music with their finished film. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from awards.

Teams are not allowed to distribute their film in any way prior to the Official Screening (ex. YouTube, Vimeo, etc.). Teams are allowed to share behind-the-scenes photos or stills from their finished film.

Teams that fail to follow the Film Production Requirements will be disqualified from the awards ceremony and removed from the Official Screener.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

PART ONE: The Basics

  1. Framing guidelines: We ask that you compose your film in a horizontal aspect ratio. Not in a vertical format for social media.

  2. Suggested Aspect Ratios: 4:3, 16:9, 1:85, 2:39 are all fun and creative ways to frame your film.

  3. Frame Rate: If you film in sync sound, please use and submit your film using 23.98 frames per second (fps).  Feel free to film at higher and lower frames rates to create a desired FX. However, your submission for the judging and for the final screening should be at 23.98 fps playback. 

PART TWO: For Acquisition

  1. Resolution: FHD 1920x1080, or UHD 3840 x2160

  2. CODEC: Acquisition can be any flavor of Apple ProRes, h.264, h.265 or mpeg4. You may also shoot in raw or log to give you max image control in color and contrast.

PART THREE: Judging Submission Formats

  1. Your submission on September 21st for judging should be an h.264 file with HD 1920x1080 resolution.

PART FOUR:  Final technical Submission for the Grand Premier at Nickelodeon Theater. A deadline date will be set and the Team Leader will be notified. The technical submission deadline will be at a date and time after the judging submission. You may perform additional color correction and minor sound modifications to your technical submission but your film may not be changed from the judging submission.

  1. Final screening format for the October 9th public screening can be

    1. Apple Pro Res 422 FHD 1920 x 1080

    2. Apple Pro Res 422 UHD 3840x 2160

2025 JUDGING CRITERIA

“BEST DAMN FILM”

This award is presented to the film that tells the most entertaining story, showcases the filmmaker's creativity, and demonstrates technical skill in the movie making process. The judges will base their decision on a 3-part criteria: Creativity (50%), Technical (30%) and Challenge Requirements (20%). 

CREATIVITY

●  First and foremost, this competition is judging filmmakers’ creativity and originality:

○  Did the filmmakers showcase imagination in their storytelling and interpretation of their selected genre?

○  Did they use available resources in interesting and unexpected ways?

○  Is the plot, structure, characters engaging and holds your attention?

TECHNICAL

●  Secondary consideration will be given based on how well the final film looked and sounded:

○  Visuals - the images are in-focus, well-lit and visually interesting

○  Sound quality - sound levels are consistent throughout the film (ex. the dialogue is clear, music and sound effects are well mixed, etc.)

○  Edit - the final edit has good pacing, smooth transitions and follows continuity

CHALLENGE REQUIREMENTS

●  Final consideration will be given to how well the film followed the rules and aligned with the spirit of the challenge:

○  Genre - the filmmakers used appropriate form, style and subject matter to tell a story in the genre they are assigned 

○  Prop - the prop played an interesting and significant role without distracting from the scene or story

○  Line of Dialogue - the line of dialogue is used in a unique and unexpected way that did not distract from the scene or story

“FAN FAVORITE”

At the Official Screener, the MFA will pass out a link where people will vote for their favorite film (virtual viewers are eligible to vote as well). Filmmakers are allowed to choose the film they worked on but are not allowed to submit more than one ballot. At the end of the screener, a representative from the MFA will tally the ballots and announce the winner. 

“BEST DIRECTION”

This award is presented to the film that delivers the most distinctive and consistent style and tone. The filmmaker(s) achieve this by creatively using all the elements of the movie making process, including on-screen talent, to support their vision and tell a cohesive, clear, and engaging story.

“BEST WRITING” 

This award is presented to the film with the most engaging and well-written script. The writer(s) create characters that are multidimensional, their interpretation of the genre is original and breaks conventions, the story has a clear structure, and the plot keeps the audience entertained.

“BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY”

This award is presented to the film that displayed the most impressive and interesting visuals. The cinematography must be in the style that supports the required genre. The shots are in focus, well-lit and the filmmaker used camera angles and shot sizes in deliberate ways to add meaning to the story.

Best cinematography does not necessarily mean best camera. This award is celebrating how the film is shot NOT what the film is shot on.

“BEST ACTING”

This award is presented to the film that showcases believable and entertaining performances from the actors. The judges can make their selection based on a single actor’s performance or the performance of an ensemble.

“BEST EDITING”

This award is presented to the film that has the smoothest and most technically proficient edit. The final film has good pacing, follows appropriate continuity (such as eye-line), and uses transitions and cuts that are not distracting or confusing. The editor uses creative techniques to enhance the style of the genre and director’s vision.

Extra consideration will be given to films that have excellent color grading and sound design.

 “BEST MUSIC”

This award is presented to the film that best uses music to complement the story and tone. The music enhances the themes, visuals and genre of the film, and never distracts the audience. Extra consideration will be given to films with original music.

“BEST USE OF PROP”

This award is presented to the film that uses the required prop in a clever and/or unique way. The appearance of the prop can be unexpected, but does not feel random or out of place in the film. In fact, it fits seamlessly into the overall story.

“BEST USE OF LINE OF DIALOGUE”

 This award is presented to the film that uses the required line of dialogue in the most unique and interesting context. The line exists as part of a larger conversation, drives the narrative and is not a throwaway.