Zenkaikon's 2026 FMV Contest [NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES!]

[PrincessMareep]

The categories for the contest are as follows:

Trailer
Action
Romance/Sentimental
Upbeat
Drama
Comedy/Parody

You may submit up to 3 videos, to 3 separate categories for all six categories

We do ask that your video submissions be made before January 12th, 2025 (last year's deadline) and all entries that have been submitted to any previous Zenkaikon Contest will not be allowed!

**ALSO NEW FOR THIS YEAR!!! We will allow English Audio in the videos submitted. More details are provided in the rules.***

Submission guidelines and rules are as follows:

1) This should go without saying, but plagiarism will NOT be tolerated! Any attempt to submit the work belonging to anyone other than yourself will result in you being BLACKLISTED PERMANENTLY!!!

2) We ask for entries to be submitted in a .mp4 format (no quicktime, please) and with a 720p to 1080p resolution. This ensures quality for you and the contest. Do not submit a video in 4k as it will not be played in that format.

3) PLEASE when uploading your submission try to have your file the same name as your video title. This makes it easier for organization purposes and is greatly appreciated.

4) NO BUMPERS OR CREDITS permitted! We will provide title screens to introduce each entry for the finals. This includes editor names and video titles being placed before, after, or anywhere in your video as well.

5) The contest IS PG-13, but the following excessive materials may not be allowed: blatant nudity, excessive blood/spilling of guts or scenes with major dismemberment, overly foul language/lyrics (some curses are allowed but NO f-bombs), racial or verbal obscenities. Videos with content that is questionable will be put in a special screening to see if it is acceptable for showing to a con audience. If allowed, your video may have a trigger warning shown on the title card before playing to prepare the audience.

6) That being said, we reserve the right to reject any video for any reason.

7) Submissions with significant audio or visual degradation, watermarks, logos, and Japanese-produced credits (ex: opening and closing credits), or fan-produced (fansub) or licensed subtitles, will not be accepted and result in automatic disqualification. The ONLY subtitles that will be accepted are those added it by you the editor (ex: adding subtitles for lyrics) We will accept English/Japanese audio from your source material in the videos HOWEVER it must not take up the majority of the video and be used in “samples” due to legalities.

If you have any questions or want me to review your video reach out to me personally!

8) On the subject of audio no AI (deepfake) audio is allowed. Period. If you have a question about AI use, please email me.

9) Entries must be at least the suggested timeframe of a minimum of 1 minute in length and a maximum of 5 minutes, 30 seconds running time.  You may submit still if your video is under or over the suggested time limit but note your entry may judged more harshly.

10) DVD copies of the contest will not be available due to legal concerns. The contest will also NOT be streamed for the same reasons. However there will be a YouTube playlist made after the contest showcasing the works uploaded by the original editors.

11) Physical Awards will be mailed after con to those who live in the United States. If you live out of the country, you will be emailed a digital certificate in lieu of a physical prize.

Prizes will be given out for the following awards:

Best in Category
Best in Show
Best Con Theme (Cherry Blossom Festival is the Con Theme for 2026)
Judge’s Personal Picks
Coordinator’s Choice
Best Non-Finalist


If you have any questions/concerns please email them to kaylee.hall@zenkaikon.org
Replies are usually done within 2 days but please allow extra time to receive a reply, especially as time draws closer to the con date and during major holidays.

Please submit through the link below:

https://forms.gle/vtzAhw4yLTDqAwHFA

The deadline is SATURDAY JANUARY 31st, 2026 at 11:59EST! There will be *no* extensions!

After that the FMV Team will be given roughly a month to judge all entries. Expect results late Febuary to early March.

Good Luck and Happy Editing!

Kaylee/PrincessMareep

[PrincessMareep]

[saving for finalists]

[PrincessMareep]

[saving for winners]