Gen Con Film Festival

Gen Con Film Festival Logo

Filmmakers from around the world gather to compete in the Gen Con Film Festival. Some travel from as far away as Australia and the United Kingdom to the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis for screenings, film panels, and the awards ceremony. Films from across the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Israel, Japan, and Great Britain make it a truly international event.

The Gen Con Film Festival focuses on genres that appeal to our gaming attendees. These include, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Horror, Animation, Gaming, related parodies and documentaries.


Gen Con Film Festival Participants

The 2024 Film Festival

If you'd like to participate, submissions for the 2024 Gen Con Film Festival open January 12. Film submissions will be exclusively available through Film Freeway. Complete details and rules are available on the Film Freeway site.


FilmFreeway Entry Button


Awards Ceremony

Winners of the Gen Con Film Festival will be announced on Thursday, August 1 at 7pm (Eastern) in Westin : Capital III . For those attending Gen Con Indy, you can get tickets to the in-person event "Gen Con Film Festival Awards Ceremony". Join us in celebration of all the participants and then go check out the films yourself! Category awards are voted upon by a jury of judges and will include the following:

Cash prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

  • Best Feature Film: $1,000
  • Best Web Series: $250
  • Best Short Film: $250

Certificates will be awarded to the following selections:

  • Best Animated Film
  • Best Gamer Film (films that focus directly on gamers or games)
  • Best Documentary Film
  • Best Fantasy Film
  • Best Sci-fi Film
  • Best Horror Film
  • Best Fan Film

The Ovid Award is named after the Roman poet known for his immense influence on imaginative interpretations of classic myths. This award was granted for the first time in 2017 to the "most interesting and creative story" among the Best Short Film entries, regardless of genre. The recipient will receive a $1000 cash prize. The Ovid Award has been made possible through a contribution from a generous anonymous Film Festival benefactor.


Congratulations to the 2023 winners!

  • Best Feature Film - Showdown in Yesteryear (USA)
  • Best Independent Series - Star Wars Fan Made - Actual Play Series EP3 "Not Another New Hope" (USA)
  • OVID Award - 10:35 (Mexico)
  • Best Animated - 10:35 (Mexico)
  • Best Student - A Lovely Death (Mexico)
  • Best Documentary - The Once and Future Smash (USA)
  • Best Fan Film - Last Trial - A Star Wars Collateral Story (Spain)
  • Best Gamer - High Stakes (USA)
  • Best Comedy - A Pretty Good Movie (USA)
  • Best Sci-Fi - Rogue Guardian (USA)
  • Best Fantasy - Morning is Broken (USA)
  • Best Horror - Closet Space (USA)

Gen Con Film Festival Participants


GEN CON DISCORD

The Film Festival has a dedicated channel in the Gen Con Discord for community chat and continued conversations throughout the weekend. Join in the discussion with fellow filmmakers and enthusiasts, recommend your favorite films from the festival to fellow attendees, and maybe even ask a filmmaker themselves about their work. Hope to see you there! Join the Gen Con Discord.

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