K-MAC Film Challenge

WHAT IS IT?

The K-MAC Film Challenge is a competition where teams of filmmakers have 72-hours to write, shoot and edit a short film. The festival goal is to inspire our local film community by providing creatives an opportunity to create and share their work with an audience at MacWood’s Horrorfest 2026. 

​

WHEN IS IT?

The K-MAC Film Challenge takes place over the 72-hour period of October 23rd to October 25th 2026. 

​

WHO IS THE K-MAC FILM CHALLENGE FOR?

The K-MAC Film Challenge is a competition for anyone looking to challenge themselves creatively and is accessible to teams across the peace region. Teams of filmmakers will have 72-hours to write, shoot, and edit a short film. The K-MAC Film Challenge will accommodate both in-person and virtual attendees through a hybrid format. We hope this will encourage creatives from across the Peace Region to participate and make a film in their communities! 

​

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Those wishing to participate must REGISTER A TEAM.

• Creative Teams can be up to 6 members; this does not include actors. 

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

​

When the clock strikes 12:00 AM on Friday October 23rd, each team will be assigned a prop, and a line of dialogue that must be included in their final film. Films submitted without either of these elements will not be considered for awards. Additionally, each team will receive a character name that can be featured in their film for one bonus point on final scoring. Once all teams receive their information at 12:00 AM the race begins!

Teams will write, shoot and edit their film over the next 72-hours. Final movies must play between 3-10 minutes long. Films less or greater than the designated lengths will not be considered for awards. Final films must be sent to the K-MAC Team by 11:59 PM on Sunday October 25th. If a team submits their film late, it will still be shown at the screening but will be disqualified from awards. Film upload information will be included in the registration package. Each team must supply all required forms at submission for their films to be shown at the screening. 

​

K-MAC reserves the right to disqualify any film that is deemed offensive, discriminatory, or an act of hate. Guidelines will be agreed to by the K-MAC Team and presented to teams upon registration. K-MAC reserves the right to refuse screening of films in direct violation of the festival’s guidelines. 

​

The final films will be judged by a panel of judges appointed by the K-MAC Film Challenge staff. The final films will be screened before “Horrorfest 2026”, at KPAC in Dawson Creek BC, on October 30th. 

 

RULES & GUIDELINES

REQUIREMENTS

• Elements, themes, and styles of the team's declared film genre must be present. 

• The line of dialogue must be spoken at least once onscreen by an actor or prominently shown as text on screen. The line of dialogue cannot be shown as a physical manifestation or used as the title of the short film. 

• The prop must be visible on screen at least once during the film. 

• Failure to follow any of these requirements will result in the film being disqualified from awards, the film will still be shown at the screening. 

​

PREP

All creativity, preparation, and filming must take place during the designated 72-hour period. Teams are not allowed to do any production ahead of the festival. This includes, but is not limited to, script writing, rehearsing, shooting, editing, finding music, or sound design. 

​

Work that you CAN do ahead of the 72-hour creative period is organize your crew and cast, secure your equipment, and find shoot locations. Animation and special effects are allowed but must be created during the designated 72-hour period of shooting and postproduction work. 

​

Stock footage and use of generative AI is not allowed and will result in disqualification from awards and may result in screening penalties.

 

Teams are allowed to use pre-recorded music and sound effects, provided they have written permission from the artist/composer in the form of a music release. Royalty free music and sound effects can be used, provided you acknowledge the sources in your credits. 

​

AI USE POLICY

The K-MAC Film Challenge is rooted in appreciation for the strength of human creativity, storytelling, design, and joy. The use of generative AI on-screen is strictly prohibited.   

The following restrictions on 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 humans on your team.

• 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. 

​

4. Script Writing and Storyboarding 

• Encouraged: Original scripts, hand drawn story boards. 

• Prohibited: AI-generated scripts and story boards. 

​

5. Accountability

• Teams found to be using AI-generated visuals, voices, or writing sources will be disqualified from the K-MAC Film Challenge and may face screening penalties. 

• Teams may be asked to provide behind-the-scenes documentation (scripts, raw footage, story boards) to verify human creation.

​

PRODUCTION

To participate and submit a film in the K-MAC Film Challenge, every team must:

1. Own all rights to the film they 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. A talent release print-out will be included in the registration package. 

3. Obtain written permission from all crew in the form of a crew release. A crew release print-out will be included in the registration package. 

4. Obtain written permission from all locations used in the form of a location release. A location release print-out will be included in the registration package. 

5. Teams must submit signed copies of ALL documentation to the K-MAC Film Challenge Team upon submitting their final film. Failure to comply with any of these rules will result in a film being disqualified from awards and eliminated from the public screening.

​

All films produced for the K-MAC 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 discriminatory by the K-MAC Team will be disqualified and removed from the festival and all subsequent K-MAC, KPAC, or MacWood screenings. The K-MAC Team reserves the right to decide if a submitted film is appropriate for audience viewing. 

Submitted films must meet the technical requirements attached to this document to qualify for awards and screening. 

​

FILM LENGTH

All finished films must run between 3-10 minutes, including opening and closing credits. Teams can include up to a total of 60 seconds of credits. 

​

AFTER WRAP

If a team does not submit their film by Sunday October 25th, 2026, at 11:59 PM it will be disqualified from awards, but will still be shown at the screening. Make sure to allow for upload time.  

​

The K-MAC Film Challenge is not responsible for any technical problems, malfunctions, or personal difficulties that may arise during preparation, production, or postproduction that delays or prevents a film being submitted on time.

​

Teams must submit 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, TikTok, Meta, etc.). Teams are allowed to share behind-the-scenes photos or stills from their finished film. We encourage the use of the hashtag #K-MACFilmChallange and #Horrorfest on BTS content. 

​

Teams that fail to follow the Rules and Regulations will be disqualified from the awards ceremony and/or removed from the screening.

​

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

PART ONE: The Basics

Framing guidelines: No guidelines for framing. Filmmakers may frame in any way they seem fit but will be judged on the technical and creative accomplishments of each framing.

 

Suggested Aspect Ratios: Filmmakers may use the following aspect ratios: 16:9, 2:4:1, or 4:3. Any other aspect ratios used must be approved by the event organizers of K-MAC before submission. 

 

Frame Rate: Films must be shot in 23.98 or 24 fps in order to be entered into the competition. Films cannot be shot in 60, 30, or 120 fps. 

​

PART TWO: For Acquisition

Films must be submitted via a Google Drive link and submitted macwoodproductions@gmail.com AND programs@kpacdc.ca 

​

PART THREE: Judging Submission Formats

Your submission on October 25th for judging should be submitted in an MP4. format. 

​

PART FOUR:  Final Technical Submission (for screening)

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 colour correction and minor sound modifications to your technical submission, but your film may not be changed from the initial judging submission that is due at 11:59 PM on Sunday October 25th 2026.

 

Final screening format for the October 30th public screening can be: MP4. or MOV.  or potentially another option if Grady feels generous, like Oprah. He will need to be contacted directly if you desire to submit your files in another format. ​​

 

2026 JUDGING CRITERIA

​​​

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?

• Are the plot/structure/characters engaging?

​

TECHNICAL

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

• Visuals - the images are in-focus 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 K-MAC Film Challenge:

• Genre - the filmmakers used appropriate form, style and subject matter to tell a story in the genre they declared 

• 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

• Character Name - the character name is used in a way that added depth to the scene or overall story

​

AWARD CATEGORIES 

​

“BEST 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 3-part criteria: Creativity (50%), Technical (30%) and Challenge Requirements (20%). 

​

“BEST WRITING” 

This award is presented to the film with the most engaging and well-written script. The writer(s) create strong characters, their interpretation of the genre is original, their dialogue feels organic, 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 strong and captive 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 strongest technical edit. The final film has good pacing, follows appropriate continuity, 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. 

​

“BEST MUSIC”

This award is presented to the film that best uses music to complement the story and tone. The music enhances 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 unique way. The appearance of the prop may be unexpected; but does not feel random or out of place in the film. 

​

“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. 

​

“AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD”

This award is quite literally based on vibes. We will have a silent ballot for attendees to cast their votes in; may the odds be ever in your film-making favour. The Audience Choice Award will be a PRIZE-WINNING AWARD!

 

At this time we are seeking a sponsor for the Audience Choice Award, please contact EMMA at programs@kpacdc.ca if you are interested in sponsoring this award!