SeriesFest

A Celebration of Episodic Storytelling

Digital Short Series Competition

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Submissions open AUG 20

Learn More

Timeline
Awards & Prizes
Entry Materials

Previous Winners
Previous Jury Members

Submission FAQs

All Festival Submissions:

A home for the rule breakers…SeriesFest’s Digital Short Series Competition celebrates bold storytellers who push boundaries and defy the limits of traditional episodic formats. This category showcases innovative digital series with episodes ranging from 5 to 15 minutes, whether scripted or unscripted, comedy, drama, animated, branded or something entirely genre-bending. Vertical formats are welcome. If selected, creators will collaborate with the SeriesFest team to determine which episodes will be exhibited.

Submit in the following categories:
Comedy
Drama

“To be here and be boots on the ground and feel the energy and see the creativity is mind-blowing—and it’s the future of our industry.“

Annie Laks
SVP, Creative Content Shondaland

Timeline

Submission Open August 20

*FilmFreeway Gold

Funds, Awards & Prizes

ENTRY MATERIALS

The Produced Digital Short pilot episode and subsequent episodes submitted via FilmFreeway’s Secure Online Screener system. Each episode must be 5–15 minutes. Creators are encouraged to submit multiple episodes totaling no more than 30 minutes of run time. International productions are eligible. All breaks between episodes must be clearly marked with title cards.

Series Format Deck
All submissions must include a Series Format Deck, uploaded to the FilmFreeway application page under “Files & Attachments”. This document includes a logline, series regular and recurring character descriptions, and Season One story arc or future episode descriptions.

An effective Series Format Deck introduces your project in a visually exciting and emotionally powerful way.  It captures the reader’s imagination, allowing them to see the full scope of the series and embrace the characters. The Series Format deck is essential to our review process, providing a clear and compelling way for us to understand your vision.

The Series Format Deck should be 2–15 pages, must be in English, and include the following:

  • Log Line
  • Pilot Synopsis
  • Season One Outline
  • Main Character Descriptions (Up to 5)
    • For unscripted pilots, include key onscreen subjects/talent
  • Tone of your series (can include no more than 2 comparisons)
  • Producing Team
  • Key Creatives
  • Goals for your Series
  • A Creator Statement that includes: Why This Idea, Why Me, and Why Now?

If your submission is selected for final programming you will be required to submit more information regarding your pilot, cast, and crew so SeriesFest can maximize your experience with executives at the Festival in May. Full details will be sent to submissions selected for SeriesFest: Season 12 in an acceptance email by April 2026.

Not sure where to get started? You don’t have to start from a blank page. Check out our Canva template or Canva’s Entertainment Templates and make them your own.

FilmFreeway Entry Fee
(see above)

Press Kit Material
Any available press kit material.

Please note, entry materials will not be returned.

Previous Award Winners

Cooper’s Bar

SeriesFest: Season 7, 2021

Dreaming Whilst Black

SeriesFest: Season 6, 2020

Dick Bunny

SeriesFest: Season 10, 2024

Good Guy with a Pun

SeriesFest: Season 10, 2024

Frederick Douglass Boulevard aka Food & Drink Boulevard aka F.D.B.

SeriesFest: Season 9, 2023

Human Interest

SeriesFest: Season 5, 2019

Early to Rise

SeriesFest: Season 6, 2020

Freeze

SeriesFest: Season 6, 2020

If I’m Alive Next Week

SeriesFest: Season 6, 2020

Previous Jury Members

Kasey Newton

Director, Content Acquisitions & Partnerships Tubi

Jason Hiro Kim

Vice President Good Karma Productions

Julie Dejoie

Executive Producer Snowfall

Bruce Robertson

Chief Storyteller 11:11 Productions

Geneva Wasserman

EVP, Head of Film/TV Development Dentsu

Daryn Carp

Host PeopleTV’s Reality Check

Rob Yang

Actor Succession

Kuye Youngblood

General Manager BRIC TV

Thank you to our partners

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