This is your shot.
Submit your vertical micro-drama (30 to 120 minutes) or Creator Quick Reel (1 to 3 minutes) for the inaugural VertiStar Film Festival, October 30, 2026 in Atlanta. One submission per registration. $20 submission fee. Submit on FilmFreeway or Festhome, whichever you already use.
Complete all required fields below, then pick your platform. You'll be directed to FilmFreeway or Festhome to complete your submission and payment.
Short, punchy, and built for the scroll. Quick Reels are high-impact vertical films designed to grip in under three minutes and leave the viewer wanting more.
Fear in portrait mode. Vertical horror that uses tight framing and mobile-native pacing to trap the viewer in the frame. Psychological, supernatural, or visceral — make them afraid to look away.
Love stories made for the screen in your hand. Vertical romance that turns the intimacy of the phone into an asset — close-up chemistry, real emotion, and stories that feel personal.
Comedy micro-dramas, stand-up specials, and sketch films. Scripted or performed — if it holds a room and earns the laugh, it belongs on this stage.
Tension built frame by frame. Vertical thrillers that weaponize the phone's narrow field of view — suspense, deception, and urgency delivered in the format that never lets you escape.
Character-first storytelling for the vertical screen. Human stories told with restraint and precision — conflict, consequence, and truth delivered in the format people actually watch.
The frontier category. Films created with or driven by AI tools — generative visuals, AI-written scripts, synthetic voices, or fully AI-produced narratives. The rules are new. The standard isn't.
VertiStar selects micro-dramas made for the phone. We look for voices that deserve a bigger stage.
All submissions must be shot in 9:16 at 1080×1920 minimum. Think phone — not cinema.
RequiredYou must hold all rights to footage, music, and third-party materials. Submissions must be original work by the registering filmmaker.
RequiredEach registration covers one micro-drama in one category. Submit additional films with separate registrations.
RequiredWe accept micro-dramas between 30 and 120 minutes in total runtime. Submissions under 30 minutes or over 120 minutes will not be considered.
RequiredSubmit a password-protected screener link (Vimeo, Drive, or Dropbox). Do not submit final exports. Include passwords in your submission notes.
Subject to ChangeFilmmakers grant VertiStar a non-exclusive license to promote their work across platform channels. Full terms provided upon registration.
Subject to Change