Rules & Guidelines

Please read and carefully consider the following details and guidelines for the 1-Minute Film Competition 2022 before submitting your short film.

All entrants must adhere to the following guidelines:

The competition theme for 2022 is ‘Dreams’. All submitted entries must establish a link to this theme.

Dreams: Hopes we have for the future; an often fleeting array of experiences which mainly occur during sleep.

Whether it’s our wishes for an ideal future, personal dreamscapes to which we let our minds wander, or goals we strive towards – dreams provide points of connection to others and insight into our own psyches.

Entrants may create a piece of fiction, a documentary, a community-service announcement or a music clip (be sure to adhere to copyright rules!). Submitted films can be animated or live-action – funny or serious.

  • All films must be made specifically for the 1-Minute Film Competition 2022.
  • Entry is free, and is open to all primary and secondary school students in Australia and New Zealand.
  • Each film must be no longer than 60 seconds. Opening and/or closing credits are not required, but (if added) may add up to an additional 10 seconds in total.
  • Films may be in any language or have no dialogue at all. Non-English audio (and important on-screen text) must have English subtitles.
  • Ensure that all content in your film (including footage, music, images, props, etc.) is your own. If you include any copyrighted or trademarked content, you must be able to provide written permission for its use. Entries containing any unauthorised content will be disqualified. For more information on copyright, click here.
  • All entries must be submitted online (including uploading of the short film and at least three still images from the film) by close of entries: midday AEST, Friday 29 July 2022.

Prizes

Prizes for each category will be announced soon.

To enter

Submit your film to one of four categories:

  • Lower Primary (Years F–3)
  • Upper Primary (Years 4–6)
  • Lower Secondary (Years 7–9)
  • Upper Secondary (Years 10–12)

If an entry is created by more than one person, it should be entered into the appropriate category for the oldest member of the group. While some assistance from parents/teachers is expected – particularly in the primary school categories – the creative vision for the entry must be the students’ alone, and the bulk of the work must be done by the students.

Each film may only be submitted once. An entrant may submit multiple entries, as long as each entry differs significantly from any others submitted by that entrant.

Online entry system

In order for your entry to be valid, you must submit it using the online entry system on this website, including:

  1. Completing all compulsory fields on each step the entry form.
  2. Uploading your short film.
  3. Uploading between 3 and 10 still images from your film.

If you have any questions, or are having trouble submitting your entry online, please email [email protected] – we are here to help.

Judging

This year’s judges will be announced later in the year. The 2021 judges are listed here.

The judges may disqualify a film if they have reason to believe that it does not comply with the entry Terms and Conditions, so make sure you have read them thoroughly!

Finalists and winners

Six finalists in each of the four categories will be announced on this website and contacted via email. Please ensure you submit a valid email address with your entry.

The entrants whose submissions best capture the theme of this year’s contest – ‘Dreams’ – and are considered the most engaging, imaginative and innovative in content and delivery, will be deemed the winners.

The winners will be announced at the 2022 ATOM Awards Student Awards Presentation, held in November.