What are the submission criteria for BrandStorytelling 2026?

 

Submission criteria is as follows:

 

Narrative and/or non-scripted films, series, podcasts, and creator-led content funded by a brand, or brands will be considered.

 

All submissions must be funded by a brand.

 

Projects can be any length and must belong to one of five categories: Feature, Short, Series, Podcast, or Creator-Led Content

 

For series and podcast entries, please submit one episode of your series/podcast only.

Only one (1) episode per series/podcast may be submitted.

 

Each project must be individually submitted and accompanied by its own completed online entry form; please do not send links to multiple projects in your online entry form, as they may be disqualified.

 

Traditional commercial advertisements will not be accepted.

 

Submitted projects must not have had ANY public screening, broadcast, distribution, or

exhibition before January 1, 2024.

 

If your project is made an Official Selection, final screening file and assets must be delivered no later than December 13th, 2025, to remain an 'Official Selection'.

 

What qualifies a project as “branded”?

 

We define “branded” as content that was funded, co-produced, and/or released in partnership with a brand or organization. This includes brand sponsorship, platform-funded series, and collaborations with NGOs or institutions, as long as the brand has a visible association.

 

What if a project was made independently and later acquired or promoted by a brand?

 

That’s eligible. Please provide details about the timing and nature of the brand involvement in your submission.

 

Can independent directors/podcasters/creators submit their content directly?

 

Yes. We welcome projects initiated and led by creators, provided there was brand involvement in funding, distribution, or partnership. This could include branded sponsorships, platform collaborations, or in-kind support from a brand.  Please include information about your brand liaison (name and email) in your submission.

 

What are the Submission Deadlines and Fees?

 

The following deadlines are the dates by which BrandStorytelling must receive a completed application for your project via the Brand Storytelling Official Selections Submission Doc + a link to your project. All submissions are handled identically, regardless of when you submit your film within the submission window. Projects submitted after 11:59pm PST on September 30th, 2025, will not be accepted.

 

Submissions Open: 8/5/2025

Submissions Close: 9/30/2025

 

Submission Fees:

August 4 - 29: $125

August 30 - September 19: $200

September 20 - 30: $300

 

 

What are the submission categories? How do I choose the right one for my project?

 

Before you begin your submission, determine which one of the five categories your content belongs in and label it appropriately when submitted:

 

Feature: 40+ minute standalone feature length film

Short: Less than 40-minute standalone short film

Series: A single episode from a content series

Podcast: As single episode from a podcast

Creator-Led Content: Creator-led video OR creator-led feature, short, series, or podcast.

 

For films, select your submission category based on what the final projected running time of the film is, including credits.

 

15, 30, and 60 second ad spots will not be considered for selection.

 

There is no minimum length requirement for short films or maximum running time restrictions for feature-length films.

 

Podcasts must be entered in the podcast category.

 

What constitutes Creator-Led Content? 

 

Creator-led projects are those where the featured talent is a creator and/or the project concept and development is the result of a partnership between a brand and an independent creator or creator-led company. 

 

What if my creator-led project is a feature, short, series, or podcast? 

 

Creator-led content can be submitted in any category - Feature Film, Short Film, Series, or Podcast - so long as it fits that category’s criteria. If your project exists outside of those category’s parameters (i.e. a brand story-driven brand-funded video that is not a film, short, or series), submit it in the ‘Creator-Led Content’ category.

 

 

How old can my project be and still qualify for submission?

 

All projects submitted for consideration in 2026 must not have had ANY public screening, broadcast, distribution, or exhibition before January 1, 2024. If your project was exhibited prior to January 1st, 2024, it is no longer eligible for submission.

 

If your project’s production took place prior to 2024 but was not exhibited until after January 1st, 2024, it is still eligible for submission. Work submitted in a previous year for official selection at BrandStorytelling is not eligible for selection.

 

 

May I submit my project as a rough cut?

 

While unfinished projects with incomplete or temporary sound, missing scenes, no credits, or titles, unfinished VFX, etc. are acceptable at the submission stage, please consider that the project needs to be complete enough for the committee to decide on its inclusion. Where applicable, please provide an on-screen description of missing scenes or elements as placeholders within the continuity of the project. You should also list other general elements that are missing or incomplete on a title card before the project begins.

 

If your project is selected, you must submit a completed version by December 13th, 2025. If your completed version is not in hand by then, it will no longer qualify as an official selection of BrandStorytelling 2026.

 

 

Is my project eligible if it has aired on television or digital/streaming services?

 

Yes, your project is still eligible if it has been screened elsewhere, so long as was not exhibited prior to January 1st, 2024.

 

 

What format do you accept submissions in?

 

Please only submit links to your project that can be reviewed, preferably hosted on YouTube or Vimeo (for podcasts, any platform that hosts the podcast is acceptable).  If a password is required to review your project, please include it with the project link.  If your project is selected for exhibition in the BrandStorytelling theater, a final file must be delivered no later than December 13th, 2025.