What is the Mometu Short Film Showdown?

The Mometu Short Film Showdown is a nine-month, genre-based short film competition hosted on Mometu. Unlike traditional film festivals, the Showdown is streaming-first. Selected short films are showcased on Mometu, earn real advertising revenue while audiences watch, and compete for a share of that revenue through a transparent judging process. This is not about submission fees or laurels. It’s about visibility, fairness and monetization for independent filmmakers who want more.

How the Competition Works

The Mometu Short Film Showdown runs from March to October 2026. Each month focuses on a single genre, with up to 25 short films officially selected to stream on the Mometu app. At the end of every showcase, one monthly winner is chosen and advances to the final competition.

Genre Schedule:

• March – Drama (submissions closed)
• April – Comedy (submission closing date 3/22)
• May – Foreign Language (submission closing date 4/19)
• June – Action / Thriller (submission closing date 5/17)
• July – Documentary (submission closing date 6/14)
• August – Experimental / Auteur (submission closing date 7/19)
• September – Sci-Fi / Fantasy (submission closing date 8/16)
• October – Horror (submission closing date 9/13)

In November, the final showdown begins, featuring 10 competing films made up of the monthly genre winners, as well as two titles chosen by Mometu. Each monthly showdown will be evaluated by a panel of five judges, who will watch all selected films and score each entry using a standardized scorecard which will be livestreamed, allowing audiences and filmmakers to see exactly how each decision is made.

Midway through each month, Mometu will host a public audience vote. Viewers vote by commenting on a designated post. One film per month advances to compete for the Audience Award. The Audience Award prize will be announced separately.

How to Watch

All films will be available to stream on Mometu across connected TVs, smart TV apps and the Mometu mobile app (iOS & Android).

Prizes

Prize money will be determined by advertising revenue generated by Showdown films. Revenue from the rest of the platform is excluded. 85% of net advertising revenue goes to filmmakers while 15% is retained by Mometu. 1st Place will receive 60%, 2nd Place  30% and 3rd Place 10% (example: if Showdown films generate $100,000 in net ad revenue, $85,000 is paid out to filmmakers). Payments are expected by February 2027.

Mometu uses its 15% share of revenue to seed a Short-to-Feature Development Fund. Mometu will select one film from the Showdown which may be developed into a feature-length Mometu Original. Optional audience contributions may supplement the fund. The selected filmmaker gains built-in distribution on Mometu. Development is subject to mutual agreement.

Eligibility & Submission Guidelines

Runtime: Submitted films must have a running time of no less than 5 minutes and no more than 40 minutes.
Completion Date: Films must have been completed in 2023 or later.
Geographic Eligibility: Submissions are open to filmmakers located in North America.
Prior Release: Films may have previously screened at film festivals and uploaded to personal YouTube channels. Films must not be subject to any existing exclusive agreements with other streaming services.
Festival Participation: The Mometu Short Film Showdown is not a film festival. Participation involves making the film publicly available for streaming on Mometu for a limited period of time.

Rights & Usage

Participation in the Showdown is non-exclusive, and filmmakers retain full ownership and all rights to their films at all times. Selected films will be made available for streaming on Mometu during their assigned monthly showcase and, if chosen as finalists, during the finale month. By participating, filmmakers grant Mometu the right to use clips, stills, and other promotional assets solely for the purpose of marketing and promoting the Mometu Short Film Showdown. Participation in the competition does not obligate filmmakers to keep their films available on Mometu following the conclusion of the Showdown.

Sponsorship & Partnerships

Companies interested in sponsoring the Showdown, contributing prizes or supporting filmmaker development can contact [email protected].

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