From Minutes to Movies ShortFest

As we approach America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, people across the country are reflecting on what the American Dream looks like in their own lives. This edition of From Minutes to Movies ShortFest invites stories of American Dreams - stories grounded in contribution and community, hope and hardship, reinvention and resilience.

PLEASE NOTE: each entrant may be a member of no more than ONE team.

OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE FIFTY UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WHO ARE AGE 18 OR OLDER AT TIME OF ENTRY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. U.S. LAW GOVERNS THIS CONTEST.

The winner will be determined by a panel of judges including executives from Imagine Entertainment, Stand Together, and the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream (MCAAD). The top three entries will be amplified by the @ImagineEntertainment, @TheFilmZone, @StandTogether, and @AdvancetheDream communities on social media.

First-place winner gets the chance to have a project developed, funded, and produced by Imagine, Stand Together, and Portal A via a Moonshot Grant. Moonshots is Portal A's R&D lab, which invests in emerging creators and independent creative work we all believe in.

In addition to cash prizes, the top three winners will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to attend a culmination event at MCAAD in Washington, D.C this Fall*, where their films will be screened for attendees.

Overview of top three prizing:

• First Place: $7,500, development opportunities with Imagine Entertainment via a partnership with Portal A to develop and finance a project via a Moonshot Grant, and an all expenses-paid trip to attend a culmination event in D.C. this fall at MCAAD’s Stand Together theater.

• Second Place: $5,000, and an all expenses-paid trip to attend a culmination event in D.C. this fall at MCAAD’s Stand Together theater.

• Third Place: $2,500, and an all expenses-paid trip to attend a culmination event in D.C. this fall at MCAAD’s Stand Together theater.

*Event date TBC.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

What are we looking for?
Stories of American Dreams

We’re looking for diverse stories of hope, struggle, reinvention, and triumph — each one revealing a unique path to the American Dream. We're looking for stories of the dreams we chase, the ones we witness, those carried through generations, and from communities that shape us. While the American Dream may vary by when and where the story begins, it’s anchored by a belief in building something bigger than yourself, with each of us pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for those who follow.

The American Dream doesn’t fit in one frame - and neither should the way we tell it. We're open to all formats, from scripted to unscripted, widescreen to vertical. There are no limits to how incredible stories can be told.

What are we looking for?
- Stories of American Dreams
- Original concept
- Film must have been completed within the past two years
- 1 to 25 minutes
- Format & Genre: open / no restrictions (we’re looking for it all: short docs, scripted short films, short pilots, etc.)
- Filmmakers are responsible for any marketing & promotional clearances needed (if any) within their films (brand logos, trademarks, music licensing, etc.).
- Open to US-based applicants only

For complete details and conditions, please review the Official Rules, available at imagine-entertainment.com/fmtm.