The Ocean City Film Challenge is the annual contest by the Ocean City Film Festival. This contest is for filmmakers to create a short film in or about Ocean City for a chance to win prizes, bragging rights, and the opportunity for their work to be immortalized in the Ocean City Film Festival catalog!

Filmmakers registering in the 2026 Ocean City Film Challenge must complete this form for eligibility. Serious inquiries only as registration is limited. In completing this form, filmmakers acknowledge that their application is subject to review.

TIMELINE

• Sunday, June 1st: Registration is open.
• Tuesday, June 30th: Registration closed.
• Monday, July 27th: Final deliverables due.
• Saturday, August 8th: Film screening at the Art League of Ocean City.

RULES and REGULATIONS

All films must be shot between the dates of June 1st and July 26th. Filming can only commence after registration. Filmmakers must secure documentation of clearance for any copyright protected materials in their submission.

• Films must not exceed a run-time of 10 minutes.
• Films must feature the designated line of dialogue denoted in the registration form.
• Film must have at least one scene that visibly depicts Ocean City as the setting.
• Films must be shot in or about Ocean City. This means that a film can be produced in Ocean City, in a way that is visible within the film. Or the film can be shot outside of Ocean City, but Ocean City must be central to the premise of the film.
• Films must follow a cinematic narrative structure. This means that the films must tell an actual story in the form of a fiction narrative or traditional documentary. No vacation footage, music videos, or any such media that would not be considered traditional cinema.
• Deliverables include: MP4 or MOV file of the film, high-resolution poster, 2-3 still images from the film, a text document including the title, run-time, synopsis, and credits.
• All deliverables are due no later than MONDAY JULY 27th via Filmfreeway.com/OceanCityFilmFestival. Upon registration, filmmakers will be sent the access code to submit to the Filmfreeway platform.
• Failure to comply with the final deadline requirements may result in disqualification from future OCFF events.

PRIZES

These prizes are presented by the Art League of Ocean City and the OCFF sponsors. Top three winners will be featured in Season 10 of the Ocean City Film Festival during March 2026.

• 1st Place: OCFF Season 11 filmmaker pass (plus an additional pass for one guest), swag bag, and hotel stay for the duration of 2027 OCFF.
• 2nd Place: OCFF Season 11 filmmaker pass (plus an additional pass for one guest), swag bag, and $50 cash
• 3rd Place: OCFF Season 11 filmmaker pass (plus an additional pass for one guest), swag bag.

Films will be premiered on SATURDAY AUGUST 8th at the Art League of Ocean City. Event will begin at 7pm, with films starting at 8pm. Screening will be immediately followed by a live Q&A with filmmakers and the announcement of award-winners.

For any questions about the film challenge please e-mail OceanCityFilmFest@gmail.com.