SeriesFest

A Celebration of Episodic Storytelling

Branded Content Competition

Branded Content Competition

· ·

Submissions open fall 2025

View on FilmFreeway.

Learn More

Dates & Fees
Entry Materials
Awards

Submission FAQs

All Festival Submissions:

For brands guided by innovative storytelling.

This competition spotlights cutting-edge branded content whose mission is guided by a “story first” mindset. Unscripted series, pilots, and short films selected for this competition will showcase impactful partnerships between brands and filmmakers. Submissions from all formats of unscripted genre will be considered including limited series and reality series between 2 and 45 minutes in length.

Submit your pilots, series, proof of concept, or short in the following categories:

Limited Series 
Premium Documentary
Reality Series
Competition Series

For non-branded unscripted content, check out our Unscripted Series Competition here.

“SeriesFest really is the premier place to be if you care about episodic content.“

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland
Executive Director at SAG-AFTRA

KEY DATES & FEES

Submissions for SeriesFest: Season 11 open August 21, 2024.

Early Bird Deadline
10/21/24

Standard
$70

FilmFreeway Gold Member
$50

Regular Deadline
12/3/24

Standard
$90

FilmFreeway Gold Member
$70

Final Deadline
1/14/25

Standard
$120

FilmFreeway Gold Member
$100

Submissions are open, and listed prices are available through 11:59 PM (local time) on the date shown.

AWARDS & PRIZES

  • Audience Award

Winners are announced at our Awards Ceremony and are included on our website and in media announcements.

ENTRY MATERIALS

Produced Pilot
Submitted via FilmFreeway’s Secure Online Screener system. All entries must be between 2 and 45 minutes in length.

FilmFreeway Entry Fee
(see above)

Press Kit Material
Any available press kit material.

Please note, entry materials will not be returned

Projects  selected do not need to retain any sort of premiere status, however, programmers do consider premiere status, previous festival screenings, and awards when deciding on official competition selections. Submissions are welcome from around the world, but submissions must be in English or include English subtitles.

The information above is provided as a general guideline and is subject to change. Guidelines are updated annually before submissions open. To be eligible for consideration in SeriesFest: Season 12, you must provide all required materials at the time of submission. Awards are contingent on partner funding—please review the available awards at the time of your application for the most accurate information.

United Entertainment

· ·

We’ve partnered with United for Business to share this exciting new offer.

Let’s Chat

Sign up

Going into production on your next project?

We’ll put you in touch with a United for Business representative to talk about the benefits of a production agreement for your current or upcoming production.

No commitment required, and if you do commit, there’s no minimum spend.

Exclusive perks and rewards made just for you.

Flight Discounts

We offer reduced prices on airfare to or from almost anywhere in the world your television, movie, or touring production takes you. Tailored to fit the unique needs of the entertainment industry, discounts are applicable on United® or United Express®️, and on select flights operated by our joint venture partners.

Traveler Benefits

Your travelers will enjoy preferred treatment and consideration that drive home the value of your relationship with United. Your travelers will receive United Corporate Preferred benefits, including preferred standby, preferred upgrades and preferred seat protection (upgrades based on availability).

Rewards

Your production company can earn rewards based on flown tickets. Rewards include travel certificates, MileagePlus® status upgrades, United Club membership and more!

Dedicated Support Desk

We’re here to support your production needs 24/7. We have a dedicated global support desk available whenever you need us.

Baggage

Flat service charge for film, camera, lighting and sound equipment (on flights marketed and operated by United).

Learn more

Sign up to be put in touch with a United for Business representative.

Sign up

Thank you to our sponsor

United for Business

As a global airline, we’re in the business of connecting people, and we’re excited to see the diverse, globally impactful content shared during this year’s sessions. For our friends in the entertainment industry, travel is essential to producing incredible content. That’s why United offers services to manage travel logistics for production studios. We offer discounts on airfare and baggage (for your equipment), airport concierge services, and a dedicated 24/7 entertainment support desk. Learn how we can keep your production moving forward at united.business/entertainment.

High School Day

· ·

Support High School Day at SeriesFest: Season 11!

Director and Comedian Adam Ray

WHAT IS HIGH SCHOOL DAY?

At our annual festival, SeriesFest hosts High School Day, a special screening reserved for Denver local high school students. This year’s festival takes place at the Sie FilmCenter from April 29–May 4, 2025. Students from all over Denver experience a 90-minute event where they get access to new content and a unique Q&A with a creator, giving them direct interaction with an individual in the television industry!

This past year, we had a full house as students joined us for a screening of Director and Comedian Adam Ray’s (Barbie, The Heat) new unscripted series The Doug Heir Story, followed by an extended Q&A.

OUR MISSION IN EDUCATION

SeriesFest’s Education programs work to break down barriers that limit access for students in our community to filmmaking education and media literacy. SeriesFest works to provide those in underserved and underrepresented populations with opportunities and exposure to valuable skills that can inform their futures and potential careers.

SeriesFest: Season 10 High School Day, 2024

Past Collegiate Fellows exclusive panels include:

Inside the Mind of Dr. Death: A Deep Dive with the Creative Powerhouse Behind the Series

Panel with Ashley Panel with Ashley Michel Hoban (Showrunner / Executive Producer, Dr. Death), Patrick Mcmanus (Creator / Executive Producer, Dr. Death), and Kelly Funke (President, Littleton Road Productions)

Breaking Into the Industry


Panel with Tara Westwood (Director/Executive Producer/Actress), Chiké Okwonko (Co-Founder, Mansa), and Elias Plagianos (Writer/Director, ESP Films Ltd.)

DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 03: National executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland speaks after accepting the "Luminaries in Television Award" at SeriesFest: Season 10 Soirée at Asterisk on May 03, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Tom Cooper/Getty Images for SeriesFest)

Discussing the Innovative Ways SAG-AFTRA is Covering Content

Sponsors

 “Having the opportunity to experience the work brought forth by so many new and innovative voices rising in the industry really inspired me to continue my journey towards a filmmaking career. I was able to access the wisdom of so many key players in television that I would not have the chance to communicate with otherwise. SeriesFest was the fuel I needed to tap into my creative writing flow!”

—Eric Hill, 2024 Collegiate Fellow, Community College of Aurora

“SeriesFest has been such an influential experience as an emerging writer, being surrounded by so many other creatives has gotten me so excited about developing my own work in this industry.”

—Ariana Padilla, 2024 Student Collegiate Fellow

SeriesFest is proud to partner with the Television Academy Foundation to showcase the annual College Television Award Winners. Partnerships are essential to SeriesFest being able to provide students with these unique and pivotal experiences.

TV ACADEMY FOUNDATION

The Television Academy Foundation is bridging the gap between the classroom and the entertainment industry by providing direct access to the industry, nurturing careers, and offering professional development to support artists, artisans, and executives.

Last year, we were proud to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of preserving television history through The Interviews, which offer students, scholars, journalists, and fans the opportunity to learn from the leaders in our medium from yesterday and today.

Our programs are changing the entertainment industry for the better and enabling us to create a pipeline for our future while seeding the stories that will connect, entertain, inform, and inspire.

To learn more, email SeriesFest’s Education & Programming Manager, Nicole Barker.

CONTACT SERIESFEST
EMAIL NICOLE

Intersectionality Fund

· ·

PRESENTED BY JULIE MORDECAI AND SARAH SELLMAN

View all festival funds and awards

New for SeriesFest: Season 11 (2025), this fund aims to support a creative, or team, who identifies across a spectrum of social categories that shape their experiences—and the stories they would like to tell through television.

INTENT

This fund is created to foster and uplift the voices of neurodiverse, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and creators telling stories from their lived experience. The purpose of this fund is to identify and financially support independent creators who have important stories to tell that positively impact and image the communities described above, and to further promote the role of intersectionality in the creation of meaningful stories. We believe in stories that see the world through more than a single marginalized identity and have the capacity to steward the film industry towards a deeper meaning making.

PROCESS

This year’s fund intends to financially support production of an independent pilot 10-60 minutes in length, based on the merits of the script submitted through SeriesFest. SeriesFest identifies a short list of filmmakers and creators whose creative team is made up of person or persons who self identifies as being from a rural lived experience and identifies as one or more of the following criteria:

  • LGBTQIA+
  • Neurodiverse
  • BIPOC
  • Disabled

The creative team to be considered includes writers, directors and producers.

This fund’s sponsors are Sarah Sellman and Julie Mordecai. Sarah is a queer + neurodiverse filmmaker and artist who grew up in rural Colorado, and Julie is a Colorado based investor and supporter of SeriesFest. During the annual festival, Julie and Sarah will meet with a selection of filmmakers to further understand the impetus behind the projects and their creative teams.

At the conclusion of the festival, none, some, or all, up to three filmmakers will receive a one-time financial donation of $10,000.00 from the Intersectionality Fund. In Future Years, those who receive this grant will be eligible for a second tier of funding towards production.

ELIGIBILITY

  • Scripts and Pilots with writers and/or directors, producers who identify as one or more of BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, or disabled.
  • The project must feature characters who have lived rural experience and identify as one or more of BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, neuodiverse, or disabled, with a recurring role in the series.
  • Creators who feature a lived rural experience will be given priority consideration.

SERIESFEST FUND OVERVIEW

PRIZES & AWARDS

The creator(s) selected for this opportunity will receive funds to further their career in the television industry.

If the price of submission would prevent you from participating, please fill out this form to request a waiver code.

Up to three filmmakers will be selected for a one time $10,000.00 donation.

RIGHTS AND CLEARANCES FOR MUSIC OR OTHER COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

At the time of submission, you are not yet required to obtain all rights and clearances. If your pilot is selected, you must clear all copyrighted materials before it can be publicly screened. It is the sole responsibility of the entity submitting the project to secure permission from the copyright holder of the material in question, whether it is music, stock footage, or any other elements that could violate an existing copyright. Quite often, rights holders offer reduced rates for festivals, so you should contact them directly to avoid any potential rights infringements. You will be required to sign a release stating that materials used in the pilot do not violate any existing copyright.

FINAL SELECTIONS

If your work is selected, you must fulfill the following requirements by the date(s) designated by SeriesFest:

  1. You must execute a release agreement wherein you:
    Indemnify and hold harmless SeriesFest, SeriesFest LLC, its parent company, its affiliates, and
    subsidiaries and any of their respective directors, officers, employees, and representatives
    against any claim arising out of exhibition of your film at SeriesFest.
  2. Agree to participate in a reasonable number of customary promotional and publicity activities
    [including press junkets, telephone interviews, sending press packages, and public
    appearances to promote the SeriesFest
  3. You own the project IP and have the rights to any affiliated source material

Thank you to our sponsors

Julie Mordecai & Sarah Sellman

Sarah Sellman is a queer + neurodiverse filmmaker and artist who grew up in rural Colorado. Julie Mordecai is a Colorado based investor and supporter of SeriesFest.

Executive Elevation Mentorship

· ·

Applications Closed for 2024

Subscribe to be notified about upcoming opportunities.

Learn More

Dates & Fees
Entry Materials

Current Mentors
Previous Mentors
Previous Mentees

Submission FAQs

Get matched with your industry mentor.

Since 2020, SeriesFest’s Executive Elevation Mentorship Program has fostered enriching connections between executive mentors and aspiring leaders—who are all people of color. The program aims to increase the diversity of leadership circles in the television industry by bringing together the most passionate leaders and rising stars to invest in a more equitable workplace.

How It Works

Once accepted into the program, each participant is paired with an executive mentor based on their individual career goals. The pair meets virtually, at least once per month, over a six-month period where the mentor provides tailored resources including:

  • One-on-one career coaching
  • Networking and/or internship opportunities
  • Resume workshopping

In addition to the one-on-one mentorship, mentees participate in regular check-ins with SeriesFest and industry guest speakers to further their connections.

We are proud to partner with Cherokee Film

To highlight our commitment to bringing diversity to leadership roles in the television industry, we’re partnering with Cherokee Film. Together, we aim to level the playing field for aspiring executives of color.

“There is a significant flaw in the current Hollywood system of developing film and tv projects for major distribution. The severe lack of diversity in the role of film executives is a major reason Native Americans have historically been misrepresented and left out of the film and television industries all together. We need more voices from under-represented communities in these roles. The SeriesFest Executive Elevation Mentorship is a great step in the right direction in creating remedies to this problem and Cherokee Film is proud to be a partner.”

—Jennifer Loren, Senior Director of Cherokee Film

KEY DATES & FEES

Submissions closed September 9, 2024.

Early Bird Deadline
07/26/24

Fee
$20

Regular Deadline
08/23/24

Fee
$30

Final Deadline
09/09/24

Fee
$40

Submissions are open, and listed prices are available through 11:59 PM (local time) on the date shown.

ENTRY MATERIALS

Completed Application
(see below)

Entry Fee
(see above)

About the Participants

Mentees

We review all applicants and select aspiring leaders who are open to being coached by top professionals in their field. Our mentees have gone on to work in their desired field at companies such as CAA, Comedy Central, Hulu, Peacock, and more.

Previous Mentees: Chidinma Agbo | Kate Chamuris | Cheyenne Fogg | Dajae Gillard | Salonica Hunter | Tracy Ip | Kim Ortiz | LeLe Park | Tansu Philip | Driadonna Roland | Danielle Solomon | Harold Abrams | Corey Wooten | Aden Yaregal

Mentors

We curate mentors for the Executive Elevation Mentorship Program who are talented and accomplished executives with a strong desire to invest in the mentees’ long-term success.

Rashidi Hendrix

Partner – Producer / Manager, Independent Artists Media

rashidirara

Nicole Harjo

SVP of Development, Paramount TV Studios

nicole-harjo

Jason Hiro Kim

VP, Good Karma Productions

jasonhirokim

Kendall Wright

Development Executive

kendall-wright

Jhane Meyers

Producer

jhane-meyers

Previous Mentors

Diallo Riddle

Emmy-nominated writer, producer, Showrunner (Sherman’s Showcase, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)

diallo

Aaliyah Williams

Producer and Founder, Just A Rebel (Netflix’s Gentefied first-look deal with CBS)

theliyah

Samantha Militante

Director of Current Series at FX

Samantha-Militante

Erich C. Smith

Agent at TCA

erichcsmith

Eric Upshur

Emmy-nominated writer, producer, Showrunner (Sherman’s Showcase, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)

Ming Lee Howell

Producer and Founder, Just A Rebel (Netflix’s Gentefied first-look deal with CBS)

Elise Choi

Executive Director, Rideback Studios

Shaunese Zenon

Marketing Manager, Comcast

Wei Chen

Incubator Program Manager, Rideback TV

Cheri Barner

Manager, CBM Management

cheribarner

Chiké Okonkwo

Co-Founder, Mansa

chike_okonkwo

Terry Washington

Owner / CEO, Zane Ryder Management

zanerydermanagement

Mentor Testimonials

To use a very British expression, I’m so chuffed to have met all of the great creatives who applied for this mentorship and am excited to work with Corey Wooten, as he makes his way in the beginnings of his career as a Writer/Producer. Corey is very singular in his mission to make shows that inspire awe and push POC storytelling into uncharted territory and has had a singular focus on training himself to those ends. I have been very lucky to have been mentored by some of the very best in the business, and I hope to be able to support Corey in similar ways, to achieve his goals, as they are goals that I share, and that I know are eminently achievable in this brave new world.

Chiké Okonkwo

Co-Founder, Mansa

After speaking with both of them (Kim Ortiz and Harold Williams) I was really impressed by their awareness and trust to bet on themselves. Both possessed some of the obvious skill sets needed to advance in their chosen field. But I also sensed a fearlessness and curiosity in both as well, something I personally am attracted to as it pertains to making an impact on anything you’re passionate about.

Terry Washington

Owner / CEO, Zane Ryder Management

Ready to elevate your career? Start your application.

The form may take a few seconds to load. Click here to view in a new tab.

Thank you to our partner

Cherokee Film

The mission of Cherokee Film is to reclaim Cherokee and Native narratives by increasing representation across film and media while creating an ecosystem that supports production and drives economic activity in the Cherokee Nation. Cherokee Film is owned by Cherokee Nation Businesses — the board-governed holding company of the largest Native American tribe in the U.S. One-hundred percent of the company’s profits support future business investments and the well-being of the tribe’s citizens through health care, education and job creation, ensuring better lives for Cherokees today and tomorrow.

Since 2020, our Executive Elevation Mentorship Program has provided a unique opportunity for emerging executives of color to network, learn from top industry leaders, and hone their skills.

Since 2020, SeriesFest’s Executive Elevation Mentorship Program has fostered enriching connections between executive mentors and aspiring leaders—who are all people of color. The program aims to increase the diversity of leadership circles in the television industry by bringing together the most passionate leaders and rising stars to invest in a more equitable workplace.

View previous mentors

Apply

How It Works

Once accepted into the program, each participant is paired with an executive mentor based on their individual career goals. The pair meets virtually, at least once per month, over a six-month period where the mentor provides tailored resources including:

  • One-on-one career coaching
  • Networking and/or internship opportunities
  • Resume workshopping

In addition to the one-on-one mentorship, mentees participate in regular check-ins with SeriesFest and industry guest speakers to further their connections.

We are proud to partner with Cherokee Film

To highlight our commitment to bringing diversity to leadership roles in the television industry, we’re partnering with Cherokee Film. Together, we aim to level the playing field for aspiring executives of color.

“There is a significant flaw in the current Hollywood system of developing film and tv projects for major distribution. The severe lack of diversity in the role of film executives is a major reason Native Americans have historically been misrepresented and left out of the film and television industries all together. We need more voices from under-represented communities in these roles. The SeriesFest Executive Elevation Mentorship is a great step in the right direction in creating remedies to this problem and Cherokee Film is proud to be a partner.”

—Jennifer Loren, Senior Director of Cherokee Film

KEY DATES & FEES

DATES

SUBMISSIONS OPEN
June 25, 2024
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE
July 26, 2024
REGULAR DEADLINE
August 23, 2024
FINAL DEADLINE
September 9, 2024

SUBMISSION FEES

EARLY BIRD: $20
June 25–July 26
REGULAR: $30
July 27–August 23
LATE: $40
August 24–September 9

Use local date/time.
Submissions are open and listed prices are available through 11:59 PM on the date shown.
Dates/times are subject to change.

Mentees

We review all applicants and select aspiring leaders who are open to being coached by top professionals in their field. Our mentees have gone on to work in their desired field at companies such as CAA, Comedy Central, Hulu, Peacock, and more.

Previous Mentees: Chidinma Agbo | Kate Chamuris | Cheyenne Fogg | Dajae Gillard | Salonica Hunter | Tracy Ip | Kim Ortiz | LeLe Park | Tansu Philip | Driadonna Roland | Danielle Solomon | Harold Williams | Corey Wooten | Aden Yaregal

Mentors

We curate mentors for the Executive Elevation Mentorship Program who are talented and accomplished executives with a strong desire to invest in the mentees’ long-term success.

Additional mentors will be added as they are confirmed.

Rashidi Hendrix

Partner – Producer / Manager, Independent Artists Media

rashidirara

Nicole Harjo

SVP of Development, Paramount TV Studios

nicole-harjo

Previous Mentors

Diallo Riddle

Emmy-nominated writer, producer, Showrunner (Sherman’s Showcase, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)

diallo

Aaliyah Williams

Producer and Founder, Just A Rebel (Netflix’s Gentefied first-look deal with CBS)

theliyah

Samantha Militante

Director of Current Series at FX

Samantha-Militante

Erich C. Smith

Agent at TCA

erichcsmith

Eric Upshur

Emmy-nominated writer, producer, Showrunner (Sherman’s Showcase, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)

Ming Lee Howell

Producer and Founder, Just A Rebel (Netflix’s Gentefied first-look deal with CBS)

Elise Choi

Executive Director, Rideback Studios

Shaunese Zenon

Marketing Manager, Comcast

Wei Chen

Incubator Program Manager, Rideback TV

Cheri Barner

Manager, CBM Management

cheribarner

Chiké Okonkwo

Co-Founder, Mansa

chike_okonkwo

Terry Washington

Owner / CEO, Zane Ryder Management

zanerydermanagement

Mentor Testimonials

To use a very British expression, I’m so chuffed to have met all of the great creatives who applied for this mentorship and am excited to work with Corey Wooten, as he makes his way in the beginnings of his career as a Writer/Producer. Corey is very singular in his mission to make shows that inspire awe and push POC storytelling into uncharted territory and has had a singular focus on training himself to those ends. I have been very lucky to have been mentored by some of the very best in the business, and I hope to be able to support Corey in similar ways, to achieve his goals, as they are goals that I share, and that I know are eminently achievable in this brave new world.

Chiké Okonkwo

Co-Founder, Mansa

After speaking with both of them (Kim Ortiz and Harold Williams) I was really impressed by their awareness and trust to bet on themselves. Both possessed some of the obvious skill sets needed to advance in their chosen field. But I also sensed a fearlessness and curiosity in both as well, something I personally am attracted to as it pertains to making an impact on anything you’re passionate about.

Terry Washington

Owner / CEO, Zane Ryder Management

Ready to elevate your career? Start your application.

The form may take a few seconds to load. Click here to view in a new tab.

“After speaking with both of them (Kim Ortiz and Harold Williams) I was really impressed by their awareness and trust to bet on themselves. Both possessed some of the obvious skill sets needed to advance in their chosen field. But I also sensed a fearlessness and curiosity in both as well, something I personally am attracted to as it pertains to making an impact on anything you’re passionate about.”

Terry Washington

Diallo Riddle

Emmy-nominated writer, producer, Showrunner (Sherman’s Showcase, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)

diallo

Aaliyah Williams

Producer and Founder, Just A Rebel (Netflix’s Gentefied first-look deal with CBS)

theliyah

Samantha Militante

Director of Current Series at FX

Samantha-Militante

Erich C. Smith

Agent at TCA

erichcsmith

Eric Upshur

Emmy-nominated writer, producer, Showrunner (Sherman’s Showcase, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)

Ming Lee Howell

Producer and Founder, Just A Rebel (Netflix’s Gentefied first-look deal with CBS)

Previous Mentor

Previous mentor’s title

socials

Previous Mentor

Previous mentor’s title

socials

“To use a very British expression, I’m so chuffed to have met all of the great creatives who applied for this mentorship and am excited to work with Corey Wooten, as he makes his way in the beginnings of his career as a Writer/Producer. Corey is very singular in his mission to make shows that inspire awe and push POC storytelling into uncharted territory and has had a singular focus on training himself to those ends. I have been very lucky to have been mentored by some of the very best in the business, and I hope to be able to support Corey in similar ways, to achieve his goals, as they are goals that I share, and that I know are eminently achievable in this brave new world.”

Chiké Okonkwo

In Partnership With

Cherokee Film

The mission of Cherokee Film is to reclaim Cherokee and Native narratives by increasing representation across film and media while creating an ecosystem that supports production and drives economic activity in the Cherokee Nation. Cherokee Film is owned by Cherokee Nation Businesses — the board-governed holding company of the largest Native American tribe in the U.S. One-hundred percent of the company’s profits support future business investments and the well-being of the tribe’s citizens through health care, education and job creation, ensuring better lives for Cherokees today and tomorrow.

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