All deadlines will be Midnight Pacific Time.

End of Year Deadline: December 31st, 2025 

Early Deadline: January 30th, 2026

Regular Deadline: February 27, 2026

Late Deadline: March 31st, 2026

Late & Final Deadline: April 3rd, 2026

1. Trailers must be under 4 minutes and 30 seconds long (no exceptions).

2. Creation dates for Trailers/Teasers/TV spots/Video Game Trailers: In order to be eligible, the above mentioned must be created between  April 12th, 2025 to April 3rd, 2026. That is the creation date of the trailer NOT the film (TV Series or video game). It is the creation date of the asset that you are submitting.

3. In order to be eligible for SUMMER 2026 BLOCKBUSTER which is for a Film RELEASE date for the 2026 Summer Blockbuster Season (which for 2026 is April 24th, 2026 – Sept 7th, 2026). The trailer must be made for a film released during the UPCOMING 2026  SUMMER Blockbuster Season.

4. Maximum up-loadable size for trailers is 300MB (please note, the larger the file, the longer the upload for larger files, please be patient if you have a slow connection)

5. Please NO “bars and tone”, NOR “Company Slates” on the front of the trailer. The trailer should begin just after you hit play.

6. Entry Fees are NON-refundable

Absolutely! If your film is produced outside the United States, you can submit your trailer in any category that matches your genre. All categories are available to international films, giving you more flexibility in choosing the most appropriate category.

For films produced in the United States, they can only enter the domestic categories. However, if a US film meets the criteria of being at least 50% filmed outside the US and has at least 50% of its financing from international sources, it may qualify for the foreign categories as well.

This also applies to the Posters/Print categories, and note that there is generally less competition in the foreign categories, which might be advantageous for some submissions.

If you’re a graphics company looking to submit for Best Motion Title Graphics but didn’t edit the Trailer (TV Spot or Asset), you can still submit your work. Just ensure that you properly credit all the companies involved, along with your graphics team, when completing the submission. This way, all parties receive the appropriate recognition. If you need clarification here, please contact us.

Yes, you may still submit it but be sure to get your clients permission!

Yes, the category Most Innovative could either be one asset or multiple components. Our entry system allows you to enter up to six.

A campaign in this category could be one asset or multiple assets, and may include as many supporting documents as you feel the campaign requires to fully convey the effectiveness or the experience. The entry is just the one entry cost, whether it is one asset or multiple assets. If you have multiple video assets, please combine them into one reel / one video when uploading.

Supporting examples: in previous’ years: ‘Zombie Strippers’ was one viral video. The effectiveness of this was self-evident and no further explanation was needed. The ‘Mission Impossible’ experiential campaign consisted of: a video with users participating in the experiential event, photos of collateral and also a write up that spelled out the overall effectiveness of the campaign. Both the above examples are eligible.

Trailers are movie previews (originally) for a theatrical audience, but now include online trailers as well. Duration of theatrical trailers is usually 2 to 2 1/2 minutes in length. TV spots are previews that tend to be :30 or :60 seconds and were created for a television audience.

Relax, mistakes happen! Especially in this world where theaters, streaming, and everything in between are all blending together. If you make an error during the submission process, our entry coordinators and submissions manager will do their best to catch and fix it (ie: like submitting a feature film trailer into a TV category? No problem, we’ll move it to the right spot). But hey, if you catch it before the final deadline, just contact us and we’ll sort it out together. We’ve got your back!

We believe “talent is king,” and independent trailers can absolutely go head-to-head with the big studio trailers—just like indie films compete with studio giants for box office dollars and audience attention. But we also think indie talent deserves its own spotlight, which is why some categories are strictly reserved for independents, though almost all categories (except Summer Blockbuster) are open to independent trailers.

The “Best Independent” category became so popular (and so impressive) that in 2016, we split it into two: “Best Independent” and “Best Independent (under $3.2 Million)” to give extra love to those lower-budget gems.

Quick heads-up: “Best Independent” is a Show Category, while “Best Independent (under $3.2 Million)” isn’t.

Oh, and when we say “under $3.2 Million,” we mean the film’s shooting budget, not including P&A costs. Plus, if you’re eligible for “Best Independent (under $3.2 Million),” you can still enter all other categories, including “Best Independent.” WE keep mentioning diversification because it’s an important thing to consider.

.mp4, .mov

The upload limit is 300 MB maximum.

.gif, .jpeg, .jpg, .png

and for motion posters: .mov and .mp4

35 MB maximum for posters and  300 MB maximum for motion posters.

It depends on your connection. If you have a slow connection it could take a few minutes. Be patient and allow yourself enough time to get all your entries in by the deadline(s).

If you are an independent video game company, then classify yourselves as “Independent”. If you are one of the large gaming companies (ie. EA (Electronic Arts), Activision, Sony, Universal et al.) then classify yourself as a “Studio”.

Anyone can enter: Producers, Directors, Filmmakers, Trailer Houses, Music Houses, Graphics Houses, Ad Agencies, Companies, and Individuals alike, foreign or domestic. If you have a great trailer or poster or viral campaign – ENTER IT! There are no restriction as to who can enter!