26.2 Hours.
Four Minutes.
Endless Possibilities.
Think you can make a short film in just over a day? The iFFY 26.2 Hour Filmmaking Marathon is a chance to prove it, and maybe even win a cash prize!
Whether you’re an industry professional, a film student, or it’s your first time ever even thinking about making a movie, your filmmaking voice is welcome here.
How It Works
How does the marathon work?
Here’s the deal:
Filmmakers form teams, who will then work together to create a short film in just 26.2 hours. There is no limit to the members that can be in your crew. Filming equipment will not be provided—crews must use their own. Get creative!
On Saturday morning, April 11th from 9-10am, filmmakers will gather in downtown Ypsilanti at the Riverside Arts Center (third floor) to check in and get the required prompts for the films they will produce.
After check in at RAC, crews have 26.2 hours to write, film, edit and deliver a short (under 4 minutes) film.
Films must be turned in or uploaded (instructions will be provided) by Sunday, April 12th by 12:12pm.
Each film completed on time and following the required prompts will be screened on Saturday, April 18th as the closing program of Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti (iFFY) at the Riverside Arts Center.
Films will be eligible for cash awards and other prizes. Our panel of judges will determine award winners between the Sunday deadline and the screening the following weekend on April 19th.
Is there a fee to participate?
Yes, there is a $50 entry fee for each team, which will help fund the competition awards. Sign your team up!
How long can my film be?
Each short film must be limited to 4 minutes in length, including any credits. Filmmakers will be expected to incorporate a number of elements provided by the organizers, which may include a line of dialogue, a prop, a character, a location, a specific action, or a specific type of shot.
When do films need to be turned in?
Sunday April 12th by 12:12 pm. All teams will begin the competition at the same time (10am on April 11th). For inclusion in the competition, films must be turned in by the deadline.
How do I submit my film?
Instructions on where to upload your final film files will be provided via the email you signed up with. Please refer to that email.
FILE TYPE: Our preferred wrappers are .mov or .mp4/m4v.
VIDEO ENCODING
H.264
RESOLUTION
1080p (please avoid submitting 4K files, as they will generally take longer to export and upload)
Note: The Riverside Art Center’s projector’s native resolution is 1920 vertical and 1080 horizontal. Additionally, our audio system can currently only output stereo or mono signals. As such, we request all audio be mixed down to stereo or mono to ensure as much of your sound mix is preserved as possible.
Where do I see my final film?
Each completed film will be screened on Saturday, April 18th at 9:00pm as the closing program of Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti (iFFY) at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti.
Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti (iFFY) reserves the right to make competition entries available to be watched by the public on the iFFY website or other streaming platform (such as Vimeo or Youtube) after the competition ends, and to use clips or elements from competition entries for promotional purposes.
What do we win?
Each film that is completed on time and following the required prompts will be eligible to win the 26.2 Filmmaking Marathon top award, a $250 cash prize! An additional $100 honorable mention award will also be given.
Ready to Make a Movie?
Meet the 2026 26.2 Marathon Judges!
Carlos Moreno Jr.
Carlos Moreno Jr. is an American actor, writer, director, and producer, best known as the creator and lead of the comedy series Pepito’s America Mamadas, which has received two consecutive years of Emmy consideration including recognition for Best Short Form Comedy Series and Best Actor. Pepito’s America Mamadas is streaming exclusively on Red Coral Universe.
Moreno has over 70 credits across television, film, and voice work. His television appearances include 9-1-1, ER, Dexter, and Major Crimes, along with voice work in the Academy Award–winning film Coco.
His feature film credits include Transformers, Delta Farce, Frank and Lola, and Happy Feet. As a filmmaker, he has written, produced, and directed over 15 short films, with his project Panacea featured during the 2018 Sundance Film Festival with Latino Filmmakers.
Moreno has also served as a judge for the South Texas International Film Festival and the CineSol Film Festival.
He continues to develop new work as a filmmaker, including the upcoming thriller The Clawed Butterfly, inspired by Aztec mythology.
Regina Kim
Regina Kim is a Korean American screenwriter who wrote the horror film DEATH NAME for MarVista Entertainment, now streaming on Tubi. Previously, she created two comic book series, KILL-TOWN and TALL JACKS, for the popular NIGHT OF THE CADILLACS comic book franchise from Ex Posse, and wrote and directed THE LAST CLIENT, a sci-fi web series that has screened in film festivals across the country. A graduate of the UCLA MFA Screenwriting program, Regina’s horror TV pilot about sleep paralysis, INCUBUS, was on the 2019 BloodList. Additionally, her comedy pilot PARAMOUR won first place in the 2020 UCLA Screenwriting Showcase. Regina was also a participant in the 2022 Orchard Project Episodic Fellowship and a Finalist for NBC’s Writers on the Verge Program 2020. Over the pandemic, Regina co-founded the API Horror Screenwriters Group, which meets online monthly and continues to provide a space for API genre writers to support each other through the industry. She currently resides in Los Angeles.
Todd Bartlett
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and an alumnus of UCLA’s Theater, Film, and Television program, Todd Bartlett is a producer dedicated to bringing engaging stories to the screen. A member of the Television Academy, his experience spans a variety of formats, from the short-form series Pepito’s America Mamadas to the upcoming international horror feature The Clawed Butterfly. Balancing creative development with practical, hands-on execution, Todd focuses on collaborating with talented teams to craft well-told narratives that connect with audiences.