YOU HAVE 5 DAYS TO MAKE A 3-MINUTE FILM!

What is the 3×5 Film Competition?

The Lee Strasberg 3×5 Film Competition is an independent short film festival. Creators are given a prompt and have five days to create a three minute film. The contest culminates in a public screening of the selected films and an award ceremony announcing the competition winners.  

Why enter The Lee Strasberg 3×5 Film Competition?

The Lee Strasberg 3×5 Film Competition is a celebration of the creative spirit. It is a unique platform that values the innovation of up-and-coming talent and celebrates cinematic creativity. The competition provides an opportunity for filmmakers at all levels to exhibit their work in a supportive environment. All films selected will be screened at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre in West Hollywood, California and will be judged on their overall creativity and technical quality. 

How to Enter:

• All teams must have a minimum of at least one LSTFI student or alumni.
• Team captains (the primary contact for the team) must declare their intention to enter by completing an entry form no later than Monday, December 2nd. 
• At midnight on Friday, December 6th team captains will be contacted with a prompt(s) and a final submission form.
• All completed films must be submitted through the official submission form (provided to team captains on Friday, December 1st).

Dates and Deadlines:

Deadline to register teams: Monday, December 2nd
Story Prompt Sent: Friday, December 6th
Deadline to submit finished films: 5:00pm PST on Tuesday, December 10th
Notification of selections: Thursday, December 12th
Competition Screening: Friday, December 13th

Competition Entry Fees:

General: $20

Pay via PayPal to [email protected] when submitting film.

Competition Judges:

• LSTFI Faculty
• LSTFI Alumni

Rules:

• At least one team member must be a current or alumni student of LSTFI.
• All films must have a total run time (TRT) of 3 minutes or less (including credits).
• All films must be created within the five days designated.
• The Lee Strasberg Institute is not responsible for any injuries or damages as a result of participating in this contest. We encourage safe and smart filmmaking.
• We reserve the right to disqualify any films or film makers that do not follow the competition guidelines or the The Institute’s code of conduct.

Categories:

• General – All films will be entered into this category
• Smartphone – Films shot on smartphones
• Foreign Language Film (subtitles) 
• Drama
• Comedy
• Genre (horror, sci-fi, noir, etc.)
• Current student

Awards:

Cash Prize(s)

• Best Acting: One-hour private coaching with LSTFI faculty of choice.
• Best of Fest: $200 cash prize
• Best Smartphone Film: $100 cash, plus private meeting/one-hour production and/or development meeting with LSTFI Film Faculty of your choice. .
• Best screenplay: $100 cash, plus private meeting and one-hour production and/or development meeting with LSTFI Film Faculty of your choice.

Competition Laurel(s)

• Best Smartphone Film
• Best Foreign Language* (if applicable) 
• Best Screenplay
• Best Line Use
• Best Drama
• Best Comedy
• Best Genre Film (horror, sci-fi, noir, etc)

Screening Details:

All filmmakers are invited to attend the in-person screening. There is a suggested donation of $5 at the door. Seating is first come, first serve.